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Sequel To 'Ender's Shadow': ' Shadow Of The Hegemon'
enthalpyX writes: "According to The Philotic Web, Orson Scott Card's series, which began with 'Ender's Game' didn't end quite yet with Ender's Shadow. Due to be released January 2, 2001, 'Shadow of the Hegemon' will delve into Bean's life helping Peter rule the "old world" Ender left behind. You can read the first five chapters over at hatrack.com."
I own Ender's Shadow. I've read the 5 online chapters...
It seems to me that there is entirely too much self exposition by the character towards the readers. It makes it entirely too dry, to analytical, too heavy handed.
The first book had this way of grabbing you, of making you feel for Ender, of making you feel like you could be Ender.
I didn't have any such feelings for Bean (though he is admittedly difficult to relate to, given his nature), and no such feelings for Petra.
I don't feel any synergestic sympathy for the characters.
In fact, the person I felt the most for/with in the online chapters was Peter; if he becomes the main character in this book, perhaps we can recapture the same energies as the original Ender's Game.
The nick is a joke! Really!
GPL Deconstructed
I feel the Ender's Game is five star science fiction (e.g. Dune, just the first one, and the Chung Kuo series by David Wingrove). It is a well written fast paced story, appeals to both young and old. The second, Speaker for the Dead, was again five star science fiction and superbly written. It has a slower pace than the first and dealt with politics. And then we have the third book, Xenocide.
This book had some great ideas (I was particularly impressed with the people that where way out of control obsessive-compulsive (even by obsessive-compulsive standards)), the story was good for a while, but there was damning flaw. I feel that Card wrote himself into a corner and pulled the old deus ex machina to get out of it. I was so PISSED. The story in Xenocide was good (not as good as the first two) and then it was severly dicked up in the ending. After that I never even bothered to pick up any of the rest, Ender's Shadow, I was a Teenage Ender, etc...
The reason I am bringing this to your attention is that those 5 chapters maybe wonderful (I don't know as I have not read them yet) but unless he has improved you might find yourself pissed off, and out 20 bucks if you buy this book based off of those first 5 chapters.
I think that Card is a very talented author but he needs to move on to greener pastures and stop beating this dead cow even more.
With the abundance of books to read and constraints on time I find myself very picky in what I read, and once an author pisses me off, it is very unlikely that I will read anymore of their work. I know some of you will disagree with my criticisms of the series. I could be wrong, but I have not heard any arguments convincing enough on why I should pick up the series again. So if you have any please enlighten me.
Either give it away or get top dollar, but never sell yourself cheap.
Hegemon, I choose you!