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Is Speaker forthe dead, Xeno, and children Worth reading? ive read the whole shadow series and enders game (just the book) about 200 times each..but enver really touched the other 3 enders..fearing it might make me think less of the series.... worth it ?
Posts: 35 | Registered: Apr 2004
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And what do you mean, mr porteiro, when you say you don't consider Ender's Game to be in that series?
The Ender's Game series is generally considered to be Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind.
Posts: 5771 | Registered: Nov 2000
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At the beginning of Speaker for the Dead, there is a really long and drawn-out explanation by OSC himself of why he wrote the novel and what it means to him. It's really great, but I highly suggest reading it AFTER you have read the novel. Then it will make more sense. Speaker was the novel that he set out to write. He decided to use Ender as the main character, but realized that he needed a LOT of background...so he wrote Ender's Game.
I always keep this in mind when I read SFTD and see how different it is in mood and meaning than EG. I love them both, but I felt like a grown-up when I finally read Speaker.
The last two in the series are great fun as well and sparked my deep and nitpicky interest in philotic theory in my own life. It's really really cool.
Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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The EG, ES, and SftD series IMHO really are quite separate. Yes, the effect of reading SftD while knowing the backround as recounted in EG is more complete, but Speaker IS set 3000 years in the future. if you start with Speaker, Xenocide and CotM and THEN read EG, things will still make sense and be interesting.
And ES can definately stand apart from EG, although I liked being able to compare Bean and Ender's reactions and thought proceses. But you could still do that even if you read ES then EG.
Chronologically I think the order is:
Ender's Game Ender's Shadow Shadow of the Hegemon Shadow Puppets Speaker for the Dead Xenocide Children of the Mind
So reading them in that order is not as ridiculous as you make it sound, littlelf.
Posts: 866 | Registered: Dec 2003
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I know, I know, Leah. It's my OCD coming out. I like having all my exposition up front. I actually do agree the Shadow series could be read first, as well as mixed and matched with the EG series; however, many of us did not have that option available to us, so it's hard to imagine reading them in any other order. I didn't mean to sound so close-minded; just being silly, a la Scanners scene.
Posts: 72 | Registered: Jan 2004
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I didn't mean to sound all accusing. In fact I had to stop and think about whether or not I would have been able to tolerate reading them in another order. I think it would have been very different. But still great reading, of course.
Posts: 866 | Registered: Dec 2003
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The rest of the Ender's Game series could be read after the Shadow series, but Ender's Game should definitely be read before Ender's Shadow or it will not have the same impact.
Posts: 23 | Registered: Jul 2003
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Absolutely. In order to feel the full impact of Ender's Game, you must read it first, before Ender's Shadow.
Although your chronological order of the books is correct, Princess Leah, I prefer to read them in order in which they were written, and that's the way I always suggest that people read them - the Ender series first (EG, SftD, Xenocide, COTM), than the Shadow series, starting with Ender's Shadow.
When I read the books, no other order was possible. Posts: 5771 | Registered: Nov 2000
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I think that reading them in chronological order is Ok *IF* you have already read them in written order. Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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I read them in chronological order when I first picked them up, and it didn't leave me confused, but I see how it would have made much more sense to read it in the order they were published.
However, when I read Xenocide and Children of the Mind, it was very convinient to already know what the real Peter was like compared to the one Ender created.
Posts: 121 | Registered: Mar 2004
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I find that if books are good you can read them in any order and love them, but your experiance will be different. However you will probably vote in favor of what you did because I suspect that is how humans are, really. For example, I read Little House on the Prarie before Little House in the Big Woods (Laura Ingalls Wilder for anyone who doesn't know)(and this was about 13 years ago). And if I feel like rereading those books I do it in that order, because I like it better than the intended.
If you're curious I read all the EG books first, then started the ES series.
Posts: 866 | Registered: Dec 2003
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hey...to the guy who did the list.. SHADOW PUPPETS. gos after hegemon...
Which takes me back to EG. when it said ender talked to peter....wonder if they will ever have that in the "possible" sequel to shadow puppets
Posts: 35 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Inaccurate correction, my friend. The order of the items on the list matched its purpose.
However, yes, I hope towards the end of the last book in the Shadow series, we get to see Peter's reaction to The Hive Queen. And we still need to know what exactly made Peter the great Peter The Hegemon that is mentioned in the Speaker books. Because in SfTD, a big reference is made to Peter by a member of Starways Congress and I'd like to know just what made Peter so great that somebody dealing with galactic conflicts is trying to model somebody who was involved with Earth alone. It was said that he opened up the door to colonizing other planets, but in that case, should't Graff be the one to have gotten credit? This is why I believe Shadow of the Giant will have some crucial parts of the life of Peter.
To read about conversations that occured between Ender and Peter that were previously undescribed in Ender's Game would add a good flavor of continuity to the Shadow series. That, and we get to read about Ender again.
Posts: 121 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Actually, when all that's been said will be written is done, the Enderverse Chronological Bibliography would look like this:
-The Polish Boy (Short Story, about Ender's Dad. In FIRST MEETINGS) -Teacher's Pest (Short Story, Ender's Dad meets Ender's Mom. In FIRST MEETINGS) -Ender's Game / Ender's Shadow -Shadow of the Hegemon -Shadow Puppets -Shadow of the Giant -Investment Counsilor (Short Story, Ender Meets Jane. In FIRST MEETINGS) -Speaker for the Dead -Xenocide -Children of the Mind -(Untitled Linking Book tying together the Bean storyline with the Speaker/Descoladores Storyline)
Posts: 2689 | Registered: Apr 2000
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Teacher's Pest is the only story that my wife and I have read (or watched, or heard, etc.) that reminded us of our courtship. It was a pretty odd courtship. Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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~Possible spoilers from Xenocide~ In my mind Ender's Game is severed from the rest of the Ender Quartet, because of the unrelated plot lines. They only connect at a few basic concepts. You have the Xenocide, Valentine, the Hive Queen, and Ender. There isn't enough to bind EG to the rest of the series. However, I think that the untitled book that will connect the shadow series with the Ender quartet will do much to bring the whole thing together. I imagine we will see some connections between Ender/Peter and Ender's jeesh or their relatives. I say this because of how Hot Soup discusses the mandate of heaven. It is obvious that OSC wants us to believe that the mandate of heaven was a concept that was taken taken seriously at the time right after the war. But we all know that 3000 years later he is deeply ingrained in the whole society on Path(?). This might suggest that Hot Soup wasn't killed by his country men, and that he either got into a power of influence in China or that he took to space to possibly found path. The idea sounds reasonable that Hot Soup might take off, because in Puppets Hot Soup implies that he would do what was best for his people, and eventually he might think I could start a colony that isn't corrupted by politics out amongst the other developing colonies. Also in the Investment Councilor Jane refers to how there are only a few surviving veterens that qualify for a tax-exemption. That implies that at least two other veterens it the spacelanes. And who knows, maybe the hopes of the Muslim people is realized when they all move to a different world under the Caliph. That would certainly allow Peter to take the role we know he takes without having to cause another war, this time fighting agains the Muslim people instead of the Chinese. ~End Spoilers~ So I guess I'm suggesting that if one likes either the Shadow series or the Ender series that you might want to read both serie, because of the book that will bring both series together.
Posts: 129 | Registered: Sep 2003
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