Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card

I have to admit that I didn't like the beginning of the book. I got really tired of the little boy banter when Ender first went to the Battle School. But as he grew up, I got more into it. And as it became more and more psychological, it drew me in even more. I've got the movie to watch now too.

This book was slightly predictable for me, though I was only absolutely sure of some things only pages before the reveal. There are a LOT of things to consider from this book. The idea of politics, false identities on the internet, using people, military tactics and training methods, the difference between virtual reality and reality....so many things. Was this book really first published in 1977?? Totally ahead of its time. The idea that people will unavoidably do things differently when they think something is a game vs. reality is extremely poignant. Because it's so true. It's part of the reason why virtual violence is sometimes linked to real life violence. If a person can convince themselves that something is only a game, they can do anything, for if it's not real, then niether are their real consequences. Another thought this book brings up is perception of intelligence. Because the alien race does not communicate in the same way as us, both races are unable to communicate with each other and therefore makes assumptions about one another. It is easy to see how quickly conflict can escalate when there is no way to say "I'm sorry" or "I was wrong" or "It was a mistake, I didn't mean to". And I guess, as an extension, how important it is to use those phrases in your life to avoid future conflict that spirals out of control.

I give it 4 stars because of beginning I wasn't fond of, and because alien take-overs are not my favorite genre to begin with. I'm not sure when I'll read the other books, I'm sure I'll get around to them, but for me it's not such a compelling series that I just HAVE to get my hands on the next one right away. I'll probably intersperse them between other books of varying genre.