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ISBN:

0812550706

Format:

Paperback

Publish Date:

July, 2002

Publisher:

34

Other Format(s):

Hardcover, CD

This science-fiction classic is, in a sense, a military-academy version of “Harry Potter.” Beneath the sci-fi surface trappings, it reflects the author’s interests in the military culture, and at its core, it is very much about military problem-solving and tactical thinking. Its hero, Ender Wiggin, is a mere six-year-old at the story’s outset. At this tender age he already has been perceived by the International Fleet (I.F.) as having the special qualities necessary to lead Earth forces against the aliens who threaten from space. The I.F. sends Ender to the Battle School, where gifted children such as himself are drilled in military science. The core of the school’s education is a battle-simulation exercise; Ender soon proves himself master of the wargaming challenges, and becomes the youngest commander in history (he has advanced only to pre-adolescence by novel’s end). Life at Battle School, particularly the intricacies of the wargaming, is evocatively depicted.

While it falls squarely within the science-fiction genre, Ender’s Game is really very much about a promising young military professional, training in strategy and tactics, honing his critical-thinking skills. For the up-and-coming individual in the real-world military, it is an especially resonant tale. With its vivid and laudatory depiction of the military-training culture, its stressing of the importance of the commander’s role, and its illustration of the necessity for the warfighter to be able to be multi-dimensional in his thinking, this book has developed a well-deserved following within the military. A host of sequels followed.