Ender in Exile: in stores/libraries now - Spoilers!

[zeroguy]

I'm excited. I can't help it. I love Ender, he's my childhood hero. Any book or short story that has him in it, I will read.

I've got some quality Ender literature to sell you.... special good price, just for you!

[lyons24000]

I think they got the idea from "A War of Gifts".

[Craig]

zero, I have everything with the exception of First Meetings.

Salaam

[zeroguy]

Everything by OSC perhaps...

[Craig]

Too true I guess. I have a couple screenplays laying around myself...

Salaam

[Darth Petra]

You know DP, you have a point there. I've always felt that the art on the Ender books sucks. It shows absolutely nothing about what the book is about. I mean, the art for most of the Shadow books was a silhouette of a tiny Bean, looking like he was wearing pajamas. That doesn't really draw me into the book. All of the Speaker books are just images of ships and space, which are just a tiny part of what the books are really about. More people would pay attention if the books' art wasn't all the same.

The un-space art cover of EG is annoying. I ALMOST didn't read the book because of that. I went out of my way to get the space art cover, even though it's horrible.
The cover of Shadow Puppets isn't bad. It's just got big, shiny red letters against a grey background. It's boring, but boring is better than cheesy.

[OrsonScottCardFan]

So excited ! Any idea on the release date for the Shadow book? I love every single Ender's Game book...just need a War of Gifts, though.

[neo-dragon]

If you mean Shadows in Flight no one has any idea when that one's coming.

[Darth Petra]

If you mean Shadows in Flight no one has any idea when that one's coming.

But I think I want that one more.
Still, Nov. 11 isn't THAT far away....

Should I pre-order it, or be cheap and wait for it to come in paperback?

[neo-dragon]

How can we not have known about this?
Card reads from "Ender in Exile"

And forgive my nitpicking, but according to EG wasn't Peter over 70 years old when he spoke to Ender via ansible, not "nearly 60"? Or is the line supposed to say that "he's aged nearly 60 years" rather than that he's "at nearly 60 years of age."

[neo-dragon]

This relates to "Shadow's in Flight" rather than "Ender in Exile", but there's no point in making a whole new thread, and I thought that people might enjoy this tidbit. The following was recently posted by OSC on hatrack in a discussion about Young Val and Young Peter in CotM:

When I write Shadows in Flight, in which YP plays a major role, one thing is certain: He will NOT "be" Ender. But he will be a person who makes his life decisions from the same deep moral/causal core. Different experiences will shape him differently, of course.

what I will NOT do is attempt to show the Ender-in-YP. What a boring book that would be. Ender-in-YP will be an issue that the character himself will speculate about, but the STORY will be about the Descolada planet and Bean's surviving children and Ender-in-Peter will be an important character in that story.

Also...

It'll be a while before Shadows in Flight exists as a whole novel. But I will probably write the Death of Bean as a standalone story, even though it will also be chapter 1 or even <shudder> a prologue to Shadows in Flight. when I write it, it will be published in IGMS.

As far as know, these are the only statements Card has made about SiF in about 3 years. The approaching release of EiE may get him talking some more.

ETA: More quotes from OSC, these ones actually relating to EiE:

Most of Ender in Exile does indeed take place between the last two chapters of Ender's Game. And I did contradict the scene between Ender and Valentine from Ender's Game, where they first meet after the war. I am rewriting that scene and future versions of Ender's Game will have the new version. The original scene was a throwaway; the new one will meet the needs of Exile.

So Card is pulling a George Lucas and we can expect to see an "Ender's Game: Special Edition" with a new scene that meshes with EiE better? I'm not sure how I feel about that, but then, Tolkien re-wrote a whole chapter in "The Hobbit" to make it fit with LotR better, so neither Lucas or Card invented retroactive continuity. Also, this and other remarks suggests that EiE doesn't address the 9th child issue from SotG after all. It seems to be mostly about the colony that Ender governed.

I think this is one of the best books I've ever written ... but I've thought that before about books that sold only moderately. Who knows?

all I can do is tell you that I'm really proud of the book, and that even though it's so intimately related to Ender's Game, you don't have to have read (or recently re-read) Ender's Game in order to receive EinE.

One of the best books he's ever written? Are all you Shadow-haters out there willing to give the man another chance?

[neo-dragon]

Oh yeah, and Card also mentioned that there won't be a signing tour for this one.

[zeroguy]

One of the best books he's ever written? Are all you Shadow-haters out there willing to give the man another chance?

If you mean "buying the book", the yes. If you mean "thinking the book will be good", then no.

Rewriting a scene from EG will obviously anger some people (like me), even though I don't have any attachment to that particular scene (nothing against it, but I don't remember anything too great, either). But what I really dislike is that the future EG editions will be changed, as well. This isn't retconning, it seems closer to refuting that he ever did anything different in the first place. (I liked it better when Alai used "nigger" in EG, dangit.)

[neo-dragon]

(I liked it better when Alai used "nigger" in EG, dangit.)

So do I, but people are idiots, and I guess Card wasn't successful enough back then to afford to piss people off the way he routinely does now . I initially thought that changing a scene in EG was absurd too, but like I said, Tolkien did it and it allowed LotR and The Hobbit to be better books. So I hope more like that than a 'Han didn't shoot first' kind of change.

[locke]

I always thought the scene between Ender and Val was beautiful in its simplicity and tenderness. I already know I won't be a fan of the new version. openmindedness is an illusion we claim we have anyway, so I'm claiming I don't have it.

the retconning isn't all that upsetting really, can't be worse than the scripts.

I'm not surprised he's not doing a signing tour.

[neo-dragon]

I'm not surprised he's not doing a signing tour.

Why do you say that?

[Bookworm]

Where'd ya find these neo? I tried to find them but couldn't.

This relates to "Shadow's in Flight" rather than "Ender in Exile", but there's no point in making a whole new thread, and I thought that people might enjoy this tidbit. The following was recently posted by OSC on hatrack in a discussion about Young Val and Young Peter in CotM:

When I write Shadows in Flight, in which YP plays a major role, one thing is certain: He will NOT "be" Ender. But he will be a person who makes his life decisions from the same deep moral/causal core. Different experiences will shape him differently, of course.

what I will NOT do is attempt to show the Ender-in-YP. What a boring book that would be. Ender-in-YP will be an issue that the character himself will speculate about, but the STORY will be about the Descolada planet and Bean's surviving children and Ender-in-Peter will be an important character in that story.

Also...

It'll be a while before Shadows in Flight exists as a whole novel. But I will probably write the Death of Bean as a standalone story, even though it will also be chapter 1 or even <shudder> a prologue to Shadows in Flight. when I write it, it will be published in IGMS.

As far as know, these are the only statements Card has made about SiF in about 3 years. The approaching release of EiE may get him talking some more.

ETA: More quotes from OSC, these ones actually relating to EiE:

Most of Ender in Exile does indeed take place between the last two chapters of Ender's Game. And I did contradict the scene between Ender and Valentine from Ender's Game, where they first meet after the war. I am rewriting that scene and future versions of Ender's Game will have the new version. The original scene was a throwaway; the new one will meet the needs of Exile.

So Card is pulling a George Lucas and we can expect to see an "Ender's Game: Special Edition" with a new scene that meshes with EiE better? I'm not sure how I feel about that, but then, Tolkien re-wrote a whole chapter in "The Hobbit" to make it fit with LotR better, so neither Lucas or Card invented retroactive continuity. Also, this and other remarks suggests that EiE doesn't address the 9th child issue from SotG after all. It seems to be mostly about the colony that Ender governed.

I think this is one of the best books I've ever written ... but I've thought that before about books that sold only moderately. Who knows?

all I can do is tell you that I'm really proud of the book, and that even though it's so intimately related to Ender's Game, you don't have to have read (or recently re-read) Ender's Game in order to receive EinE.

One of the best books he's ever written? Are all you Shadow-haters out there willing to give the man another chance?

[neo-dragon]

The forum over on hatrack.com, in the section for discussing OSC and his works. Card came out of hiding and made some posts. I don't remember exactly which threads though.

[locke]

I'm not surprised he's not doing a signing tour.

Why do you say that?

it's an election year. a signing outside of utah would probably be somewhat hostile for him. especially a signing in SF where he always hits at least once if not twice.

[neo-dragon]

Maybe. He said on Hatrack that it was mainly because the tours take a toll on his health and he doesn't like to be away from his family for that long. I know that in the past he's stated those as reasons why he doesn't particularly like signing tours, but what you said might have been the deciding factor that kept him home this time.

It's too bad though. I like to hear stories and see pictures from people who attend the signings, while hoping that he'll visit Ontario some day.

[neo-dragon]

Publishers Weekly blurb

Set between Card's Hugo and Nebula-winning Ender's Game(1985) and Speaker for the Dead(1986), this philosophical novel covers familiar events, but puts new emphasis on their ethical ramifications. In the wake of his victory over the alien Formics, 12-year-old military genius Ender Wiggins is hailed as a hero, but governments opposed to the International Fleet, which trained him, intend to portray him as a monster. Ender winds up as titular governor of one of the new human colonies, where he struggles to adapt to civilian life and ponders his role in the deaths of thousands of humans and an entire alien species. His agonized musings aren't always sophisticated but possess a certain gravitas. Fans will find this offering illuminating, and it's also accessible to thoughtful readers new to the series.

[UnnDunn]

When is it coming out, again?

[neo-dragon]

Nov 11.

[Craig]

You know, I'm getting more and more excited about EiE as the days go on...

Salaam

[neo-dragon]

Still almost a month away...

I feel like I've been waiting for ever!

[Craig]

That's because we have been.

Salaam

[wigginboy]

Having read everyone's posts since the last time I browsed this thread, I noted some interesting information. Having also just read the print compilation of IGMS, I came across an EG related story. If anyone has read A Young Man With Prospects, you'll know what I'm talking about, if not:

SPOILERS

Anyway, I was speculating as to whether the events of the short story, Alessandra and her mother making a plan to become involved with Ender and Mazer would be included in the new book. It seems Card has done this before, using IGMS to set up his larger scale work with shorter, more confined EG based fiction. He did this once before with Ender's Stocking which was the second chapter in A War of Gifts and I thought it wortked well. I'm not sure the scope that the AYMWP short story covers can be included in EiE but a small part of it near the beginning and using those characters throughout the plot could prove to work well. A young girl who tries to woo Ender but is constantly foiled in her efforts because all he knows is war and leadership. A fleeting and awkward romance could go two ways. One, we could see it happen like the first sparks of Bean and Petra's relationship, clumsy and unsure at first, blossoming into full-fledged love, which would be a disastrous turn, or two, it could happen that after attempting it, they decide to call it off because Ender just doesn't know how to be in a relationship that doesn't involve a chain of command. Ender has been bred for one purpose and it will not be an easy thing to take him from a seasoned boy-general to a functioning member of society proper.

If the story is not included, I will not miss it as I regard it as far-fetched and only kind of Enderverse fiction. The short story only mentions Ender, never actually brings him into play. I see this as a sort of foreshadow that the story will be in the book and maybe Card excerpted and developed the story just to tease us fans who read IGMS. At any rate, a romance with Ender so soon after the war just is not feasible. A short and clumsy courtship followed by a long and endearing friendship is far more believable and could even assist in the transition of Ender from being traumatized war hero to being humanistic Speaker for the Dead. As I recall, in the original AYMWP story, the mother and daughter team elect to stay awake for the two year subjective journey to the colony planet. This is plenty of time for a failed relationship and the start of a good friendship.

Also, I look forward to the cohesion between Ender and Val. Val never wanted Ender to go in the first place and she was worried he would change too much. Ender thought the world of Val, his saviour from Peter, but during Battle School, lost much of his longing for his family. Will these issues plague them as they begin their new lives together? Will they be shy and awkward with each other, or resume where they left off nearly ten years previous. This is a touchy issue and my speculations remain just that. I have not come to conclusions because I have leanred to be surprised when it comes to Card sequels. You might think they are holding one thing when they are really holding another. You might think they tell one story but there is another better story each time. OK, SOTG left a lot open and was poorly written, but it was still good.by poorly written, I mostly mean introducing Randi and her baby in the second chapter then never following up on the development except for one small moment near the end. This plot development is never tied up and it kind of irked me.

Anyway, I've written too much. Not even a month till release day so I will quit speculating and start anticipating. Excuse the rambling above, too much strong tea in a five hour period will do that to you. I'm still awake at six in the morning after drinking an entire pot from nine last night till 3 AM. I'm crazy, I know, good night.

Tris

[locke]

yeah you're probably right, Ender in Exile will have a lot of Card's beloved romantic comedy elements.

I'm very curious what direction the story will take and I did have a similar thought to yours when I read A Young Man with Prospects.

[neo-dragon]

I mostly mean introducing Randi and her baby in the second chapter then never following up on the development except for one small moment near the end. This plot development is never tied up and it kind of irked me.

The strange thing is that 3 years ago, shortly after SotG was released and OSC first announced EinE (before it even had a title), he said that it would deal with the Randi plot line, but now it sounds like it doesn't, which means that it really served no purpose. I think somewhere along the line OSC decided to tell a story more closely related to EG rather than SotG. He'll probably just tie up that little loose end in an IGMS story.

[Hector.Victorious]

Does anyone know when OSC is going to write the Enderverse story for IGMS issue 9? It still says coming soon and I can't find updates anywhere. Does anyone know?

[neo-dragon]

I mostly mean introducing Randi and her baby in the second chapter then never following up on the development except for one small moment near the end. This plot development is never tied up and it kind of irked me.

The strange thing is that 3 years ago, shortly after SotG was released and OSC first announced EinE (before it even had a title), he said that it would deal with the Randi plot line, but now it sounds like it doesn't, which means that it really served no purpose. I think somewhere along the line OSC decided to tell a story more closely related to EG rather than SotG. He'll probably just tie up that little loose end in an IGMS story.

I think I stand corrected. I'm so excited about this book that I googled early reviews and I found a semi-spoilery one on someone's blog which confirms that E in E does address the 9th child issue.

It sounds like OSC is telling a lot of different stories in this one. I really hope it all fits together logically rather than feeling like separate short stories strung together.

Here's the Link to the blog. Be warned that it's a little spoilery in that it tells a good deal about what the book is about, but doesn't give any specific plot details.

[Luet]

So, if it's been awhile since I read the Enderverse books...what should I reread in preparation for EinE? CotM or SotG or both?

[Person122]

I was looking around for stuff while waiting for kids to come pick up candy, and when I was look for an Ender in Exile excerpt, I found this. Haven't read it yet though... http://us.macmillan.com/BookCustomPage. ... =1#excerpt

[locke]

don't bother with CotM, Nomi. this is a direct sequel to EG. Possibly might want to reread the last Bean book and maybe some of the short stories from IGMS

[neo-dragon]

So, if it's been awhile since I read the Enderverse books...what should I reread in preparation for EinE? CotM or SotG or both?

It's most closely connected to EG and SotG, so no need to re-read CotM.


From the excerpt of chapter 1:

Stupid teachers—it made her crazy sometimes to ask a question and have the teacher patiently explain things to her as if the question were a sign of Valentine’s failure to understand the subject, instead of the teacher’s. But Valentine sat there and took it, as the equation showed up in the holodisplay on everybody’s desk and the teacher covered it point by point.

Then Valentine drew a little circle in the air around the element of the problem that the teacher had not addressed properly—the reason why the answer was not right. Valentine’s circle did not show up on all the desks, of course; only the teacher’s computer had that capability.

So the teacher then got to draw his own circle around that number and say, "What you’re not noticing here, Valentine, is that even with this explanation, if you ignore this element you still can’t get the right answer."

It was such an obvious ego- protective cover- up. But of course it wasobvious only to Valentine. To the other students, who were barely grasping the material anyway (especially since it was being explained to them by an unobservant incompetent), it was Val who had overlooked the circled parenthetical, even though it was precisely because of that element that she had asked her question in the first place.

And the teacher gave her that simpering smile that clearly said, You aren’t going to defeat me and humiliate me in front of this class.

Does it make me a bad teacher if I'm glad that none of my students are geniuses? I mean, I freely admit when I make mistakes and that I don't know everything, but I don't know what I'd do if I had a student who actually understood the material better than I do. I sympathize more with that poor teacher than Val.