- Publisher: AUDIO RENAISSANCE
- Publication date: 08/01/2005
- Compact Discs: 13
- ISBN10: 0-7927-3708-3
- ISBN13: 9781593976644
- Author: Orson Scott Card
- Read by: Scott Brick, Gabrielle de Cuir, others
Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card follows approximately the same timeline as the classic Ender’s Game novel, but this book is from the point of view of “Bean”. While these are mostly independent stories, I would recommend you read Ender’s Game before you read this one, especially if you never read it, or haven’t read it in a while. I recently reviewed Ender’s Game here.
In the indeterminate future, Bean is an orphan barely surviving on the streets of Rotterdam. There are many such children struggling to survive by forming into ‘crews’ to find or steal food to help keep each other alive, while trying to avoid being preyed upon by the older, stronger, more brutal bullies. Bean finds a way on to one of the crews and helps to transform the social structures of these children. Eventually, he is noticed by Sister Carlotta who helps him gain a spot in battle school.
Bean is a different sort of protagonist than Ender Wiggins, but they both share a brilliance that goes above and beyond the other children in a school of brilliant children. Ender uses that brilliance to move to leadership, while Bean tends to work behind the scenes, gathering information, making speculations, and coming to conclusions. His creative mind and unorthodox styles of battle become critical to the overall effort.
As I said before, read Ender’s Game first, but then come back and read this one. Ender’s Shadow fills in some of the missing pieces from “Game” and makes it both more incredible and more real. They are both very good stories. They both make you think about: What it is to be human. What it is to be successful. What really matters.
_______________
Heinlein “Anthrophobia” Challenge from 3/1 to 3/31/2025
