Published in August of 1996, Children of the Mind is the final book in the Ender’s Game series. It finishes the tale of Ender Wiggin and shows what happened to the 4 sentient life forms they knew about. Is there another?
Children of the Mind
My Thoughts
It was well written and I enjoyed the experience. Some of the ideas presented were one’s I hadn’t really thought about before (e.g. communicating via ingestion). All of which is fun enough. However, there was something about this book that was tugging at me and I haven’t been able to really put a finger on it. I don’t believe I will read it again though I will likely read Ender’s Game a few more time as least. Perhaps I will revisit this at another time.
Recommendation
On the fence. It was worth closing out the series but it left me wanting.
Published in 1992, it is book 3 of the Ender’s Game series and was originally a larger story. However, the second half of Xenocide was split into another book published in 1996. This book brings in the story of another world called “Path” that was originally populated by people from China. However, they become pivotal to the fate of Lustitania and the 100 colonies.
Xenocide
My Thoughts
I’m confused about the cover-art as the ship on the cover and the setting it is in doesn’t really come up in the book. Oh well, it was the same with the last book. This was an interesting book. I liked the narration between the hive queen and Rooter. That was a fun literary device to push us to another perspective.
Speaker for the Dead is the book following Ender’s Game and, according to the author, the real story he wanted to tell by writing Ender’s Game. Published in 1986, it is the story of another world where there are sentient beings nick named “piggies” who the humans have been studying. Over 3000 years after the events of Ender’s Game, Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is still alive due to the time dilation of light speed travel. Traveling with him is the hive queen who is the last of her kind and wants to establish a new colony. Will this world be the right one for both of them?
Speaker for the Dead
My Thoughts
I enjoyed the book but not as much as Ender’s Game. After thinking about it, there just isn’t much hope put into the future of humanity. I’d guess I like the optimism of the Star Trek universe over the possible future of ever-increasing factions and biases. Still, it was a good story and I will read the next book.
Recommendation
I’m on the fence with this one. If you are a more casual reader, I would say, skip it. Reading it has committed me to the next book and it may lead me to disappointment.
Ender’s Shadow was written somewhat to give some depth to the screenplay for Ender’s Game. Originally published in 1999, it followed the other book by a full 14 years.
Ender’s Shadow is the story of of Ender’s Game from the perspective of one of the main characters, “Bean”. It shadows Bean through his upbringing and how they used him to help Ender to his goal.
Ender’s Shadow
My Thoughts
I didn’t even know this book existed but I read the postscript after Ender’s Game stating why it was written. Having read “Speaker for the Dead” and “Xenocide” before, it was part of the Ender saga story I hadn’t been exposed to as of yet.
It was a good book but not amazing. It makes sense why it was written and why it was important to give some perspective to the movie. Having known this beforehand I think I liked the book better than I would have otherwise. I will wait till I finish all the books before I see the movie but I’m more excited having read this.
First published as a short story, Ender’s Game was published as a novel in 1985 but was first published as a short story a decade before. It is a science fiction story of an Earth in the future which has been invaded by aliens. These aliens were repelled but the humans want to be ready for the next time. Thus they build there military arms and look for the commanders of tomorrow. Ender Wiggin might be one of those commanders if he can survive the training.
Ender’s Game
My Thoughts
Such an enjoyable book. We teach a course using it at the Marine Corps University to spark discussion about tactics and such. I first read it when I was 10 or so and enjoyed it even then. Now, several decades later, I was still able to get into the story and enjoy it again.
I particularly enjoyed the post script in this version of the book with Orson Scott Card telling the story of how the movie came to be. That was worth the read and gave me a lot more respect for the author. I resolved to read the rest of the series based on that feeling.
Originally published in 1932, Brave New World is one of the first dystopian novels and has been the subject of discussion for almost 90 years. Set in some distant future, people are encouraged to forgo their family ties and live only for the good of the whole. They are conditioned to be obedient to authority and are encouraged to pursue cheap pleasures to distract them from anything uncomfortable. They use drugs whenever they feel any need to question or just want to escape. They are repeatedly told, “Everyone is happy” and everyone acts that way or they might have to see the psychologists…
A “savage” from the Indian reservation in Arizona is brought to this world. He was raised by the “old” beliefs of family, religion, and individuality. He finds their world strange but they find him even more so.
Brave New World
My Thoughts
This book effectively makes the argument of there being no real happiness simply by pursuing pleasure and suppressing pain. One can’t know the good from the evil if there is no concept of either. It is particularly interesting to put this work in the context of history as “the war to end all wars” had concluded, the Bolshevik Revolution had occurred and Stalin ran unchecked. The discussions on what constituted an ideal society were being had everywhere and nations were starting to become entrenched in their doctrine.
The book was ahead of its time in many ways. There are some dated references but it could have easily been passed off as something written 50 years later or more. As American society is trending more populist, it is very interesting to read the words of those who went before. Can we learn from the past or do we even bother to listen since so many people give their “revisionist histories” these days.
Recommendation
An important book. It’s worth the time to read it but you may have to plow through sections.
This is the last book in the Maze Runner series (chronologically) published in 2011. There are two books which were written after which became prequels to the series.
This book picks up right after the last and the reader learns the final fate of Thomas and his friends along with WICKED.
The Death Cure
My Thoughts
First off -Spoiler Alert- he killed off my favorite character. Newt shouldn’t have died. I’m not happy about that…
The book is overly harsh. It was entertaining but overly harsh. It was a rough read.
Recommendation
Honestly, if you need closure, I can understand why you would want to read it. However, I don’t know it gave me much closure, and they left it wide open for the next book. I can’t really recommend it.
Published in 2010, The Scorch Trials is the sequel to The Maze Runner. This book picks up right where the last left off taking Tomas and the other “Gladers” into their next series of events. They quickly learn they are not out of peril yet…
The Scorch Trials
My Thoughts
Good book all and all. It was a pleasure to read a novel again after doing a lot of more technical material.
This book was very similar to the first in that it does a good job of getting into the mind of a teenager who is trying to cope with a world that doesn’t make sense. However, it has some of the downfalls as the first book as well. The kids get over the death of their friends remarkably quickly. This is somewhat explained by their involvement and being “chosen” to participate in the trials. However, it felt pretty unrealistic.
Recommendation
It was worth the time. I didn’t get bored and was interested throughout the book.
Insurgent is the sequel to Divergent in the series by Veronica Roth. It was published a mere year after Divergent was released.
This time it goes beyond the factions. One is trying to wipe out all the resistance and take over the city.
Insurgent
My Thoughts
Though easy to read and not a bad story there is still too much of the odd self deprecating yet almost unstoppable protagonist who has powers beyond everyone around her. She suffers self doubt constantly yet somehow survives the un-survivable. The world is seen through the eyes of a 16 year old girl and it shows.
Recommendation
If you are a 16 year old girl then you will likely enjoy this book. However, I wouldn’t suggest it for the 16 year old girl. Yet, I was still glad I read it… If nothing else, I know what people are talking about.
The Maze Runner was written in 2009 by James Dashner and is the first book in the Maze Runner series. It is a post apocalyptic juvenile fiction book that centers on a gifted 16 year old named Thomas. He finds himself placed in a maze without memories and needing to survive.
The Maze Runner
My Thoughts
This was a good book and may even want to see the movie. (If nothing else, I’d like to see how they depicted the reavers. Though it was pretty campy at times it was an engaging read and I didn’t get bored reading it.
Recommendations
Be aware there is some nasty violent scenes and some messed up situations. However, if you are good with that, I would recommend the book.
