Real space invaders

Press, 18 January 1986, Page 20

Real space invaders

Ender’s Game. By Orson Scott Card. Century Hutchinson, 1985. 357 pp. $8.95. (paperback). (Reviewed by Rod Dew) Humanity is threatened with extinction by an alien race. Under the assumption that attack is the best form of defence, fleets of battleships have left Earth for the distant alien strongholds. The journey will take them five years. In the meantime, the desperate search begins for a battle commander, a genius and a killer who can guide the forces of Earth to victory against overwhelming odds. Control from afar has been made possible by a new invention which enables instant communication over light years of space. The search ends with the selection of a six-year-old boy, Ender Wiggin. His training starts at a battle school in the Belt. It is a race against time, because the future of the human race will be decided before Ender is 12 years old. Ender’s preparation includes battle games against other armies of young boys, and advanced types of video computer games. Somewhere along the way, the games are substituted with the real thing. Ender fights the final and deciding battle against the aliens ; while still under the impression that he

is playing a video computer game. The idea of an 11-year-old boy commanding the mightiest battle fleet ever built on Earth is so unlikely that it is certain to discourage some science fiction enthusiasts from reading further than the summary on the book’s cover. The selection of the term, Buggers, as the name of the alien race is also somewhat off-putting. But this tale is nothing if it is not surprising. Orson Scott Card writes with such skill, and has injected so much realism and feeling into his story, that it becomes believable. The emotions of a small boy as he is manipulated and artificially matured are ' brilliantly described. The plot twists and turns, and events of no apparent importance are made to seem exciting. The high polish on the final product is not surprising. This story had its beginnings in the 19705. Parts of the book were recounted in Card’s first published science fiction story, “Ender’s Game,” in a 1977 edition of “Analog.” Since then it has been lovingly modified and extended. Card is currently working on two sequels to “Ender’s Game.” If he can come close to the standard already set, they will be very hard to resist. Ender Wiggin is young enough to stand a considerable amount of development.