actually im a book newbie, just started reading a week ago (i had trouble controlling my eyes, stigmatism apparently its caused. anyway it made it hard to read but im controlling it better nowadays.
i read da vinci code and thought it was good, but now im reading enders game and i love it, absolutly brill.
im excited to follow the seires but am a bit worried of some of the reviews i have heard on the third and fourth book in the ender's saga. also one stupid guys who wrote the reviw on amazon told me that
[SPOILER]
ender dies in children of.......
are these people just knitpicking. i can appreciate a good book and i dont try to overanalyse. basically are they still very enjoyable reads.
also if you could recommend othe rgreat sci-fi and fantasy books by orson as well as other authors.
thanks a lot
Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :
Welcome ldris!
I loved the whole Ender's Game series, but it is true that the subsequent books are very different from the first. In the first, you watch a young Ender as he is growing up and fighting a specific war; in the subsequent books he's an adult and the story takes a more ... I'll say philosophical turn.
Also, because he travels so far from earth at speeds close to light speed, it's been thousands of years and the whole universe is a different place by the time he comes to rest in Speaker for the Dead. So, very few of the original characters from Ender's Game show up in the next 3 books, and those that do are all grown up. But since the books are all by OSC, they're still all great reading, and of course the new characters are just as compelling as the old!
The last three books seem to form a cohesive trilogy that Ender's Game is like the prequel to. Kind of like Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, if you know those.
As for dying ... everybody dies eventually. Don't worry about it.
P.S. If you like fantasy, my favorite OSC books are Enchantment and the Alvin Maker series, which starts with Seventh Son.
Posted by PUNJABEE (Member # 7359) on :
Welcome to the OSC Universe. Ender's Game is a fantastic story and JennaDean is right. Speaker, Xenocide and Children are completely different stories. Honestly though, I enjoyed the 3 sequels immensely. It was a great saga and I was sad to see it end (though its been said it will be continued).
There's also the Shadow Series, which center around the character from EG named Bean. I've only read the first book in the Shadow series but it was amazing as well.
Another great series is the Homecoming series.
Posted by Ionienne (Member # 9393) on :
I love all the books of Ender's series and the Shaodows series. The Enders are all different, more philosophical as JennaDean said, but it is like a reflexion on life.
If you really like sci fi, I would recommend you the classical Asimov and also Nancy Kress "Probability Moon" and also some Greg Bear... Well in fact there are so many it is difficult to tell!! But OSC is a wise choice Posted by Idris (Member # 9525) on :
okay , so i will deff read the full ender's saga. and then will prob go onto the shadow saga (i am at the bit in the book where bean is introduced and he seems a very interesting character.
i researched abit on the alvin maker series and that seems very interesting too, once im done with the ender/shadow saga i will research more orson,
his writing is great and his character driven story makes it more involving and emotional, and im loving ender's game and am really looking forward to all his other books.
Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
If you want to check out a great solo book, so as not to get all involved in a 6 book series, I would definitely suggest either Wyrms or Treason.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
"So what I said was true, from a certain point of view."
"A certain point of view! Ben..."
(This is in reference to the spoiler you ran across.)
Posted by PUNJABEE (Member # 7359) on :
quote:Originally posted by pooka: "So what I said was true, from a certain point of view."
"A certain point of view! Ben..."
(This is in reference to the spoiler you ran across.)
Ha ha... I love Star Trek.
(thats a joke)
Posted by Idris (Member # 9525) on :
okay i dont get the joke but from what i gather what i have learned isn't really that big of a deal or isn;t maybe entirely true. whichever i am not so bummed oput about knowing it, as said eveyone dies sometime.
im more excited to read the rest of the series and what happens. im now about 230 pages into ender's game and i am really loving it more and more as i read. not just the plot but the way its written, the characters seem so deep.
anyway after this im going to read shadows game then pruse the ender series.
and if you can keep the good recomendations going i would really appreciate it.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
I'm partial to reading the books in the order they were written, but that's just me. That would go:
Ender's Game Speaker for the Dead Xenocide Children of the Mind Ender's Shadow Shadow of the Hegemon Shadow Puppets Shadow of the Giant
That should keep you busy for a week or so.
Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :
quote:not just the plot but the way its written, the characters seem so deep.
I've found that this is my favorite part of OSC novels - to me, his greatest strength is in creating characters that seem real, and that we can care about and empathize with. Even the "bad guys" - he's great at explaining how people think and why they think that way, so you can understand it even if you don't agree with it.
So if what you're really loving is the characters, you'll love a lot of his books!
Posted by Darakemba (Member # 9341) on :
If you like the more Sci-Fi feel of Ender's game and you like Sci-Fi I would suggest reading the Homecoming series. It's 5 books of OSC goodness.
Posted by Idris (Member # 9525) on :
okay
well instead of reading the whole 8 book ender's saga in order i have decided (after just finishing ender's game.....which was astounding) to go straight and order ender's shadow.
this is so the characters stay fresh in my mind, and THEN i will go ahead and read speaker for the dead and the other two. (and if im still in love with the books and story i will get the last three shadow books too.
but ender's shadow is something im looking forward to, i ordered it with speaker for the mind so straight after i can get cracking on with the ender series.
i really do hope all thebooks are enjoyable read and continue the great story he has created.
Posted by Razputin (Member # 9522) on :
Hello Idris,
I strongly recommend that you don't read them out of order, but enjoy them as OSC had intended/created them. I made the mistake of reading The Rama Series (Arthur C. Clarke & Gentry Lee) out of order, backwards in fact, and I really regret doing so.
Posted by SoaPiNuReYe (Member # 9144) on :
Yeah i read the rama series backwards o.O
Posted by DDDaysh (Member # 9499) on :
I very much agree with Darakemba, Homecomming (Starting with "The Memory of Earth") is amazing!!!
Posted by Idris (Member # 9525) on :
okay i will check out homecoming and alvin maker when im done with eander and bean, (getting my whole family into it orson)
will check out the rama series also
Posted by CRash (Member # 7754) on :
I read Ender's Shadow right after Ender's Game. Afterwards I read the Speaker trilogy, and the order seemed just fine to me.
Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :
I've read them all but the last one - Shadow of the Giant - and I had been thinking it probably didn't matter whether you read
Ender's Game - Speaker for the Dead - Xenocide - Children of the Mind - Shadow series, or
Ender's Game - Shadow series - Speaker - Xenocide - Children of the Mind.
But my husband, who just finished Shadow of the Giant (I get it next), says that after reading that book, he would recommend that you read them in the order that they were written. Apparently there's something in that last book that makes it important that you know the rest of the story first. Or maybe vice versa - there's something in that book that you shouldn't know before you read SftD, Xenocide, & CotM.
If all that convoluted explaining makes sense. Posted by Idris (Member # 9525) on :
well i will read it in order,
but i want to read ender's shadow first, (so i dot forget about some of the characters etc.)
then i will go on to read the speaker trilogy and then the rest of the shadow books.
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
Harrumph. If the first book you read was the Da Vinci Code, of course you would think Enders Game is fantasmagorical.
Ok, so Enders Game really is fantasmagorical. But I couldn't resist slighting The Da Vinci Code, which I found to be straight fluff reading.
You say that you are new to reading in general ... may I suggest some of the classics? Aasimov was already mentioned, and I second that, but if you like fantasy, read Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings is ... mmmm .... so good. And, I know so far the referrals have been sci-fi and OSC related, but to break the mold, be sure to read some Alexander Dumas and Charles Dickens also. And H.G. Wells. He's sci-fi/fantasy I suppose. And I know you're kind of overloaded right now, but be sure to check out the Other Side (as in the other side of this forum - Books, Films, Food, and Culture). I know there are quite a few book list threads over there. Happy reading and good to have you here!
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I would definitely read Ender's Game before reading Ender's Shadow, but I don't see a problem with a reader going straight from Ender's Game to the Shadow series without reading the rest of the Ender Quartet. There is a continuity in terms of characters between Ender's Game and the Shadow series that doesn't exist within the original series.
I personally perfer the original series, with Speaker for the Dead probably being my single favorite book of Card's, but I suspect that Idris will prefer the shadow series due to the focus on a number of characters he already cares about (who are not adult versions of the original characters, I mean).
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
I'd like to unrecommend the Homecoming series (see here for more). If you insist on going to another OSC series, Alvin Maker is superior in every way (in my opinion, of course). If you want a standalone, try Enchanment, Treason, or the Worthing Saga.
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
Ou ou ou! I forgot to recommend the Worthing Saga! That book appeals to me in a way that no other OSC book has. I don't know if its my favorite in terms of being the most well written, but I really loved that book.
Posted by Idris (Member # 9525) on :
well i went to the library today and ask them to transfer in the first alvin makeer book and the first homecoming books.
and also the first deathgate cycle book from margerat weis, and the first song of ice and fire by george r. r. martin, and also the first book from the wheel of time.
also ill be buying and reading the whole ender and shadow series.
THEN ill go onto the other recomendation i have got
soon my tally of three book will raise to many
oh and guys, lee child is a joke......a shrugging joke. he over describes so much that half the book is descriptions. its like he puts in fancy descriptive words to sound clever but all it is is boring.
at least orson paint a picture but leaves the rest to the readers minds. lee child must think his readers are brain dead who need every detail spelt out for him. so yes killing floor wasone of the three books i read (well 3/4 read, coudln;t take all the shrugging after a while Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Say what you will about Lee Childs, he can reach the Shift key.
Posted by DDDaysh (Member # 9499) on :
I just started reading the Wheel of Time series this year, after many MANY years of prompting from friends. To be quite honest, the first book is incredibly boring for about the first half to 2/3. However "New Spring" which is actually a prequel was pretty good, and it subsequent books have been better as well. I'm now awaiting a chance to get book 4.
Posted by Idris (Member # 9525) on :
el jt da spng, i cant be bothered with grammar and punctuation on a message board.
at least if i ever wrote a novel i would at least checj trhough it and realise these trivial mistake child made. also his writing is so pretentious. he tries to sound clever and use complex word when adds little to the overall picture and is just annoying.
but lets not change this to a lee child debate topic.
i have got past halfway with ender's shadow and im loving it at the moment. i had a fear that bean and ender were a like but they really aren;t and his point of view is really interesting.
Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :
quote: i cant be bothered with grammar and punctuation on a message board.
Really? Perhaps this isn't the kind of message board you're used to.
We actually take the time to punctuate and capitalize, so others don't have to struggle through reading our posts. It's called consideration - one of the things I like best about Hatrack.
On the other point, I did really enjoy Ender's Shadow, too. It was so neat to see the whole thing from another point of view.
Posted by CRash (Member # 7754) on :
quote: i cant be bothered with grammar and punctuation on a message board.
But you can be bothered with grammar and punctuation on Hatrack. Because while you won't get chased off or anything, you likely will get a lot of frosty stares and nitpicks from those you talk to. As JennaDean said, it's all about consideration.
It's always nice to see a fellow sci-fi/fantasy fan exploring new books. If you want more Card, I would certainly advise you to read the Alvin Maker books, and certainly Pastwatch and the Worthing Saga.
Posted by Idris (Member # 9525) on :
Okay sorry.
Im just lazy so I will show more consideration. Im pretty sure my posts aren't a struggle to read, and i'm sure the lack of capital letters wont slow the reader down.
However this forum seems very friendly and helpful. so I do not want to upset anyone.
Posted by Razputin (Member # 9522) on :
quote:Originally posted by Idris: However this forum seems very friendly and helpful. so I do not want to upset anyone.
Don't worry, I don’t think that you are really upsetting anyone, it is just that for those who love books, they also have a special relationship with words and writing, and take it very seriously, and with all the spell-check features so readily available, it is considered unacceptable and just plain lazy not to write properly...however if English is not your native language, just say so and you will be quickly forgiven… Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
quote:Im pretty sure my posts aren't a struggle to read, and i'm sure the lack of capital letters wont slow the reader down.
You'd be surprised how much more effort it takes to read a post with too many or not enough caps, or a lot of spelling or grammatical errors.
As JennaDean mentioned, the general attitude around here is to take the extra seconds to make your posts readable, if not perfect, in order to make life easier on everyone who may read them.
Also, it's in your best interest to write the best posts you can. Assuming that the goal of writing the post is to have people read and respond to them, you greatly increase your chances of that by putting forth a post that doesn't give everyone else a headache.
After all, if your posts aren't important enough for you to reach down and to the left a half inch, they can't have much to say, right?
Posted by Idris (Member # 9525) on :
Okay, sorry everyone.
Anyway, back to Orson. I will be recieving Seventh Son soon and im very excited to read it, I will let you know what I think. I should also be finishing Ender's Shadow today too.
Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
Ah, good times. I remember when I started posting and never capitalized. I couldn't sit down for a week. *tear*
I'm glad you're enjoying the OSC. Are you going to start reading the Alvin Maker series before you finish the Ender or Shadow series? There's obviously nothing wrong with that, but I, personally, would have trouble keeping what happened in what series seperate. You might have better luck if you read one series and then another. Just my 2 cents though, whatever you want to do is cool, so long as your reading Card.
[ June 30, 2006, 12:15 PM: Message edited by: vonk ]
Posted by Idris (Member # 9525) on :
lol yeah. I said to myself yesterday, im going to read another author for a change. Instead of reading more and more Orson.
However I tried reading the BRICK that is The Eye Of The World By Robert Jordan. I was pinching myself to wake up.......how similar can one story be to the LOTR????????
After getting through 200 pages I gave up. It is way too similar.
Kids in a village (Hobbiton). Preparing for a celebration (Bilbo BDay). Then a magical person comes to visit (Gandalf). And tells them they need to go on a journey. They are helped by someone who is kind of a ranger (Arogorn). The Evil is Spreading (sauron). Theres even a guys with blacks clothes on a horse stalking the main characters.
His writing is good, but im not reading 800+ pages of the same story.
So im back to Orson, He wont let me down. The first five chapter of seventh son have really got me into it. After I have finished it I will read Dragon Wing (Deathgate Cycle) then finish the ender and shadow series. The reason I want to read those two first is there are out from the library and I only have two weeks. I doubt I could read all ender and shadow and then those books in two weeks
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