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A review by bruinuclafan
Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
3.0
3.5 stars. Of course it's not Ender's Game. That would be impossible to do back-to-back. But I enjoyed the book and flew through it.
To me, Speaker for the Dead is squarely in the sci-fi realm, whereas Ender's Game itself transcends that label. This book explores important themes: domestic violence, tribalism, religion, prejudice, and forgiveness. I enjoyed the way Card framed these issues.
But the downside was the the plot was fairly predictable. The characters were one-note, for the most part, and when they deviated it often didn't make sense. Not that people always have to act logically...I also think that Card bit off more than was necessary, and probably diluted the message with too many themes. That was the beauty of Ender's Game. It boiled down to a simple concept.
Overall, I'm glad I read the book, and I will probably read the third book in time. I recommend the book for sci-fi fans and fans of the Ender story.
To me, Speaker for the Dead is squarely in the sci-fi realm, whereas Ender's Game itself transcends that label. This book explores important themes: domestic violence, tribalism, religion, prejudice, and forgiveness. I enjoyed the way Card framed these issues.
But the downside was the the plot was fairly predictable. The characters were one-note, for the most part, and when they deviated it often didn't make sense. Not that people always have to act logically...I also think that Card bit off more than was necessary, and probably diluted the message with too many themes. That was the beauty of Ender's Game. It boiled down to a simple concept.
Overall, I'm glad I read the book, and I will probably read the third book in time. I recommend the book for sci-fi fans and fans of the Ender story.