It has been 75 years since Earth was invaded for the second time by an invasive bug species only referred to as “The Buggers.” Nations of Earth have bounded together to create a united front against a third invasion. Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is a genius outcast, only 6 years old, but unique in every way; Ender, from conception, was made, allowed for, and trained for one reason only: To serve in the International Fleet during the next war with the Buggers. At 6, he is taken from his family to “Battle School,” where the best and brightest children and preteens are taught advanced mathematics, physics, military history, and strategy. There, Ender becomes an outcast as the adult teachers separate him with the intention of molding him into a military mind on par with Napoleon, Grant, Yi, and Belisarius. The remaining 75% of Ender’s Game is his story there and beyond during the third invasion.
There are several science fiction novels that have defined the science fiction genre. Amongst them are famous (at least to the Sci-Fi community) titles such as Dune, Foundation, Starship Troopers, I, Robot, and War of the Worlds. In each of these books, the authors created ideas that can be seen in most modern fiction books. Foundation’s Trantor was the inspiration for Coruscant from Star Wars. Starship Troopers’ Power Armour was the precursor for any kind of Mech Suit like in the Halo franchise or the film Edge of Tomorrow. Ender’s Game brings forth its own genre-defining idea in the form of null-gravity combat. One of the things that sets Ender apart is the ability to understand immediately that there is no up or down in space. Most science fiction that depicts space travel tends to show all spaceships with a clear up and down, and they’re all oriented the same way. It’s a complex topic, and Orson Scott Card’s biggest gift to the genre was his ability to take this incredibly complex idea and make it simple enough for even children to read and understand it.
However, what makes Ender’s Game unique is more than just presenting an idea no one else has ever been able to do as successfully. It’s that the writing is beautiful, the plot is perfect, and you fall in love with the characters. It’s as hardcore of science fiction as it comes but without the clunkiness of books like Rendezvous with Rama or the boring beginning of Dune. Ender’s Game is unique because it is for everyone. It is not only one of the best science fiction books of all time, but it is also one of the most accessible. I first read it when I was 7 or 8, the same age as the titular character during most of the book, and fell in love right then and there, not only with the characters in the book, but also with the genre. So I highly suggest giving it a try, and if it turns out that you like the genre just as much as I did back then, come back and find some more book recommendations above — you’ll never get bored with science fiction. And remember, the enemy’s gate is down.
