posted
I've wondered about what the proper order to read all the "Enderverse" books and short stories in. Ender's Game(book) should come before Ender's Game short story. I read in this order:
Ender's Game Speaker For the Dead Xenocide Children of the Mind Ender's Shadow Shadow of the Hegemon First Meetings short story collection Shadow Puppets Shadow of the Giant
IMO, it would be best to keep things in chronological order, e.g. Speaker for the dead/Xenocide/Children of the Mind last.
However, this is very open to interpretation. Comments?
Posts: 1 | Registered: Aug 2006
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I disagree only cuase I read them in this order and I think it worked better for me chronologically by story time
Ender's Game Ender's Shadow Shadow of the Hegemon Shadow Puppets Shadow of the Giant Speaker for the Dead Xenocide Children of the Mind <--Still Reading
And I probably should've read First Meetings first but don't own it yet.
By reading them in that order I was able to get a much better grasp of why Ender was such an icon and why it is that he became who he was the time Speaker happened in story time. It also made me like his character so much more that all those little brainiac jeesh kids were gagga over him in the Shadow series. But it's gonna bite me in the tuckas <sp?> if Card doesn't bring back Bean's character in his new books?
Posts: 871 | Registered: Jul 2006
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Well I read Ender's Shadow first, then Ender's Game, then the Shadow series minus Shadow of the Giant, then Speaker, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind, then First Meetings, and only just recently got ahold of Shadow of the Giant. But I read them in order of exposure, so I didn't really have much of a choice. ;^)
Posts: 283 | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
I read them in published order ... but this is one case where I think they would be equally powerful chronologically. I would still do Ender's Game first, though. It's the stand-alone book that all the others sort of grew out of. So I think you could read them either in published order, or:
Ender's Game Shadow Series SftD/Xenocide/CotM
Oh, I haven't read First Meetings yet either, and some of the things y'all know that I don't know are really starting to bother me. Going to have to find that one soon. Posts: 1522 | Registered: Nov 2005
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I read them in the order OSC wrote them, too. This worked wonderfully for me. I don't know whether you should read them in chronological order or by publication date, but DON'T read them randomly.
Posts: 24 | Registered: Nov 2005
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I think people need to read Wyrms in there somewhere, since it was my warm-up for all the ideas in Speaker for the Dead.
Just kidding.
I just wish people noticed the standalones the way they notice the Ender series <grin>. Because I think ALL my babies are beautiful. Even if some of them are relatively shy and harder to notice.
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
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Now, now, I've mentioned before that Enchantment is my very, very favorite! And Lost Boys was SOOOO moving.
But there's just so much more to love of the series. There's way more Alvin than Ivan. And the Women of Genesis - great when there was only 1 book, even better now that there are more. Posts: 1522 | Registered: Nov 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Orson Scott Card: I think people need to read Wyrms in there somewhere, since it was my warm-up for all the ideas in Speaker for the Dead.
Just kidding.
I just wish people noticed the standalones the way they notice the Ender series <grin>. Because I think ALL my babies are beautiful. Even if some of them are relatively shy and harder to notice.
I loved Wyrms to the point that I have been through three copies of the book. Though I have been through Ender's Game more. But Ender's Game will always be my true love of Sci Fi books.
As far as order read. I would read them in order of time. Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow..ect. I have read them both ways and feel this does give a greater insight to what later happens in Speaker for the Dead.
Posts: 224 | Registered: Jan 2001
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Well, the bottom line may not show it, but a lot of us here have commented repeatedly on loving your standalones--many times more than the series.
posted
I'm just finishing up Wyrms right now, and I have to say, this book has made me think. A LOT. It's very insightful. It's like getting wonderful free advice with a great story to boot. Not to mention I become absolutely attached to your characters (like always). I also have to say that it's amazing how you manage to think of such amazing tales, brilliantly write such characters, and also write books that make you want to keep reading; with an engaging plot. Everything seems to work together flawlessly.
A lot of people I talk to said they love the book The Dispossessed by Ursula LeGuin. So, naturally, I had to try it out. It delves deep into how society works, but my opinion is that it fails to keep me attached. I want to go onto the next page, but I'm not racing to see what's going to happen, I'm pushing along to see what's going on in someone's life. This is not a rag on Ms. LeGuin's work, but I find it interesting to see how people keep interest in a book of that style for long. I'll admit, I'm scarcely 3/5 of the way done, but if a book fails to attach me in the first 150 pages, either by character development or a riviting plot, then I usually don't keep with it.
So anyways, what I guess I'm trying to say is that I'm quite a fan of your writing style OSC, and if anyone has any advice for me about keeping with books like The Dispossessed, I'd greatly appreciate it. Becauses I want to read on, it's just that the story doesn't make it easy.
Posts: 879 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I think Xenocide is a crazy, insane book in and of itself. Any back-story you may have rcvd from an earlier book is only that if you’re reading, back-story. IMHO you get enough from the earlier chapters to know what’s going on without reading the earlier books.
As for reading order, I'm getting there... : ) I'm still hesitant to read the Shadow Series, 'cause I just really don't know what to expect after only reading ES and feeling like there's tons that goes on in the subsequent books that's currently sitting in my own ridiculously fantastic mind, and it may not jive with OSC's fantastically published books... : )
Posts: 1355 | Registered: Jul 2006
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I remember Wyrms! I read that back during my First OSC Novel Glut, along with stuff like Treasure Box, Stone Tablets and the first three Alvin Maker books. I remember staying up all night reading Alvin Maker books, then taking walks at dawn. This was during summer, of course.
(there was a second which started right when OSC came to my hometown and signed some books of mine. I still hate that I couldn't find my old, beat up copy of Ender's Game! Anyway, you probably don't remember me, but I asked a couple of questions when you were in Spokane a few years back. One of them, I remember, was "How did you figure out all the clever things in Ender's Shadow that meshed with Ender's Game?" Only, I said it less interestingly. lol. Your answer was something along the lines of "sheer desperation!" That was wonderful to hear. Then you signed my copy of the fourth Alvin Maker novel with 'To Anthony - Don;'t get eaten by a bear!' lol, you probably don't remember. ^_^; )
But yes. It's a little vague since it's been so long. But that was a different book indeed from most of the others I've read of yours! Wyrms, that is.
Posts: 1577 | Registered: Sep 2005
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I prefer the stand-alones to the serieseses. When you're re-reading it's more fun for me to get through one and jump into the next different story than to work your way through 6-10 novels. I'm loving Treason, Wyrms and The Worthing Saga (Chronicle?) the most right now.
Posts: 2596 | Registered: Jan 2006
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I haven't read any of the stand alones yet.*Hangs head in shame* But I do want to. It's just that I've been stuck in Siberia a.k.a. Hastings, Michigan for most of the summer. Their library has some how aquired Shadow of the Giant, but didn't have anything else! What good are they? Of course they have the one book of OSC's that I managed to actually buy the day it came out.
Funnily enough I just found my first hand-me-down copy of EG that my cat had tried to eat. Poor baby is so beat up that the majority of the first three chapters have fallen out.
Any stand alone in particular that you guys suggest first?
Posts: 17 | Registered: Aug 2006
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Depends. All of his solo stuff is good (well, I can't vouch for Magic Street, but everything else definitely is) but some might appeal to you more than others. How do your tastes run, fiction wise?
Welcome to Hatrack, by the way.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Thanks, nice to meet you. I like the mystical, the abnormal, and things that run a bit off of what the general society finds as the status quo. But I'm not prejudiced against anything set in reality. I love history and explanations of how major figures and events shaped the world. Any works that fall under that large umbrella?
Posts: 17 | Registered: Aug 2006
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Yes! You should definitely read Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Colombus. It's a historical divergence/sf story that is definitely worth the read, and I am sure you will like it.
And for a mystical/abnormal story, it would hard for your to find a better one than Wyrms. Well, maybe Treason, but that is debatable.
There, now you have three of OSC's standalones that should be right up your alley.
Posts: 2596 | Registered: Jan 2006
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My favorite is still Pastwatch. And Enchantment. And Xenocide. And Sarah. Okay, no pattern. But I do love the standalones. Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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Ender's Game Speaker For the Dead Xenocide Children of the Mind Ender's Game (again) Ender's Shadow Shadow of the Hegemon Shadow Puppets Shadow of the Giant Ender's Game (a third time)
Posts: 8120 | Registered: Jul 2000
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0Megabyte-- nice to see another Spokanite on the boards!
As for standalones, I just bought three I didn't have yet (went on vacation and found a bookstore): Lost Boys, Hart's Hope, and Folk of the Fringe. I especially like HH; it has that really crazy fantasy feel about it.
Posts: 973 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I read them in the order they came out. I was 14 and I read the first 4, EG SftD Xncd and CotM all in a single week then i read the Shadow series as they came out. I've read them all several times now i wonder what it would have been like if I had read Ender's Shadow first then Ender's Game. I think it would have been so interesting to have felt that curiosity of who Ender really was to have first seen him in the eyes of his "followers" first and then read his book and see it all come together
Posts: 16 | Registered: Aug 2006
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