Same here. I haven't read any of the books since Shadow of the Giant came out, and before that it had already been a while since I read any of the other books. Now that I think about it, it's probably been like 3 or 4 years since I last read the the original quartet!
But I do know one thing, this discussion has definitely made me want to go back and reread the whole series.
Which is better?
- neo-dragon
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OMG I M NOT A NOOB YOU STINK JEBUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!There were only 14 exclamation marks in your above post, DP, and only one word written all in caps. I think you're seriously missing the bar for annoying noob, maybe step it up a notch?
Was that any better? I can be a n00b.
ANYwho, Speaker is better because it seems more intellegent than Shadow. Bean drives me nuts. He's such a buggerlover.
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Both of the stories are excellent, and I like them both for completely different reasons. I read the speaker series first, and the philosophical and physical science concepts is what really hooked me (being a physics major and sci-fi fan, it is easy to see why). Although, I enjoyed the shadow series more because of the tactical AND moral issues. In addition, the shadow series has more action and cliff hangers that keep you reading. I do have to admit, thought, that the speaker series gets intense, and I found myself rereading a lot of the scenes where they explain philotic concepts and the business with inside and outside space, mainly to make sure I understood it.
Once again, they are both good. I wish that I could forget I ever read them, just to start over. The shear enjoyment I got the first time I did was indescribable.... well, you all know what I mean.
Once again, they are both good. I wish that I could forget I ever read them, just to start over. The shear enjoyment I got the first time I did was indescribable.... well, you all know what I mean.
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I like the Speaker series more, but I actually prefer Ender's Shadow to Ender's Game. Both of them are wonderful books, of course, but I enjoy Ender's Shadow because you get a much clearer idea of what is going on. In fact, I like the whole Shadow series because it casts light on everything that you didn't understand before.
It's a matter of perspective. Ender's Game was told from the perspective of a trusting kid. Ender's Shadow was told from the perspective of Bean, so you get a much broader view of what's really going on. And since Bean was so analytical, he was able to figure out what was really going on - and this information was shared with the reader. And that made it really really cool for me.
There were a few concepts in EG that just didn't work for me. The fact that the Wiggin parents were portrayed as such dullbobs kind of bothered me. And that Peter was portrayed as such an evil, conniving person bothered me, as well. I was happy that the Shadow series explored these characters in depth.
Of all of the books, Speaker for the Dead is my favorite. Ender's Shadow second, Ender's game third. Then everything is kind of lumped in together, with the exception of Shadow Puppets, which I rank dead last. Not that it is a horrible book ... I think it's more that when I read it I wasn't yet accustomed to Scott Card's cliffhanger style of writing for the series. I was annoyed, because I felt unsatisfied with the way it ended with no resolution.
I just re-read it, and I didn't dislike it nearly as much as I did when I initially read it - and I realized this is because I could immediately pick up Shadow of the Giant and get some resolution. Key word being "some." Ender in Exile is coming out none too soon ... although I still would rather read Shadows in Flight - if such a thing is actually still in the works.
It's a matter of perspective. Ender's Game was told from the perspective of a trusting kid. Ender's Shadow was told from the perspective of Bean, so you get a much broader view of what's really going on. And since Bean was so analytical, he was able to figure out what was really going on - and this information was shared with the reader. And that made it really really cool for me.
There were a few concepts in EG that just didn't work for me. The fact that the Wiggin parents were portrayed as such dullbobs kind of bothered me. And that Peter was portrayed as such an evil, conniving person bothered me, as well. I was happy that the Shadow series explored these characters in depth.
Of all of the books, Speaker for the Dead is my favorite. Ender's Shadow second, Ender's game third. Then everything is kind of lumped in together, with the exception of Shadow Puppets, which I rank dead last. Not that it is a horrible book ... I think it's more that when I read it I wasn't yet accustomed to Scott Card's cliffhanger style of writing for the series. I was annoyed, because I felt unsatisfied with the way it ended with no resolution.
I just re-read it, and I didn't dislike it nearly as much as I did when I initially read it - and I realized this is because I could immediately pick up Shadow of the Giant and get some resolution. Key word being "some." Ender in Exile is coming out none too soon ... although I still would rather read Shadows in Flight - if such a thing is actually still in the works.
- neo-dragon
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My feelings exactly.Ender in Exile is coming out none too soon ... although I still would rather read Shadows in Flight - if such a thing is actually still in the works.
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- neo-dragon
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No, not unless OSC has decided to go back to the drawing board. Based on what he's previously stated (and this is mostly from statements made years ago, which are of course subject to change), E in E is supposed to take place before SftD, and be about Ender arriving on a colony possibly governed by a jeesh member, and likely encountering the "9th child" and his supposed mother (refer to Shadow of the Giant if you don't know what that means). Shadows in Flight is supposed to take place after CotM, and possibly involve the new Peter meeting Bean's surviving children. Bean himself is expected to be dead by this time. So unless Card has changed his mind they are definitely two different stories.
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I fully believe that EG was the best book of the ender books but the shadow series seemed to appeal to me more. The speaker books were all kinda dark and gloomy an made me depressed. Good plot though in both
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Personally, I'd say that the Speaker Series was overall better. Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead were, arguably, and in my opinion, likely the best books of the entires Ender Series. The other two Ender Books, Xenocide and Children of the Mind, were, in my opinion, of lesser quality and I didn't really care for them too much (which might be a result of me reading Children before Xenocide, but that's another story...).
As for the Shadow Series, I haven't finished reading every book. There were only two I've read so far, Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Giant (as you can see, I read the Ender Series in a really odd order), they were both good, but I think that Ender's Shadow was a little better, but I liked Shadow of the Giant also. Currently, I am reading Shadow of the Hegemon, which, contrary to what I had previously thought, is actually turning out to be a decent book, I'd say it's better than either CotM or Xenocide. (To give a good idea of where I am currently in the book, I'm a little past the point were Virlomi is first introduced.)
In conclusion, I'd say that I liked the Speaker Series better, but the Shadow Series was good as well.
As for the Shadow Series, I haven't finished reading every book. There were only two I've read so far, Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Giant (as you can see, I read the Ender Series in a really odd order), they were both good, but I think that Ender's Shadow was a little better, but I liked Shadow of the Giant also. Currently, I am reading Shadow of the Hegemon, which, contrary to what I had previously thought, is actually turning out to be a decent book, I'd say it's better than either CotM or Xenocide. (To give a good idea of where I am currently in the book, I'm a little past the point were Virlomi is first introduced.)
In conclusion, I'd say that I liked the Speaker Series better, but the Shadow Series was good as well.
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"... Some times lies were more dependable than the truth" - Ender's Game
"He [[Locke]] has influence but he doesn't have power"
"In my experience, influence is power"
Orson Scott Card Wiki http://ansible.wikia.com
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While both series are amazing in their own seperate ways, I am going to have to go with the Shadow Series. I will agree with you guys that ES was pretty far out there, it seemed to me that as you progressed farther into the series, the harder it was to pull yourself out of it (There were some nights when I read the up side of 250 pages) and i just did not have that same flare, or to that degree anyway, with the Speaker Series.
And I always wonder-- Where is my Briseis
Gee, why are there so many Shadow haters? Come on. I do think the Ender Quartet was better, but not by much. You can't really be satisfied with reading just one quartet. I mean, it's like yin and yang, movies and popcorn, oreos and milk. Hallo? Do my strange similes make my point? I support both series; Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, Speaker, Puppets, Giant, Children of the Mind... You can exclude Xenocide and War of Gifts from my list, but that's getting off topic.
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?And what the heck is "Ass Gravy" ?
Any way, I think the speaker series was better, and CotM was one of my favorites other than the original EG. i still think that the Shadow series was pretty good. It might just be because i read the Shadow series before the Speaker series, but...
The shadow series is still part of my favorite science fiction series as a whole (with the speaker series, that its)
EDITED: Oh, I think I know what "Ass Gravy" is. Gawd, I'm dense.
Any way, I think the speaker series was better, and CotM was one of my favorites other than the original EG. i still think that the Shadow series was pretty good. It might just be because i read the Shadow series before the Speaker series, but...
The shadow series is still part of my favorite science fiction series as a whole (with the speaker series, that its)
EDITED: Oh, I think I know what "Ass Gravy" is. Gawd, I'm dense.
Last edited by Jeesh_girl15 on Sat May 23, 2009 8:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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- neo-dragon
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I've been saying that Xenocide is better than SftD for years.I remember getting a lot flak, not many people could even fathom putting Xenocide even close to Ender's Game or Speaker.
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Speaker all the way. Card is at his best when dealing with moral issues, a prevelant topic in the Speaker series (afterall, Xenocide doesn't mean alien genocide for nothing). The characters were extremely well done, with relationships that took several books to flourish, but it felt more gratifying that way IMO. And the major plot twists in Xenocide and CotM are arguably some of the best in modern sci-fi.
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I'm afraid to stand up for Shadow. Because I have a feeling I'm going to get mauled by a bear. And the Anti-Twilight bulletproof vest I've been wearing isn't as sturdy as it used to be.
I like Shadow, even though I read SftD and Xeno first. I just didn't get into it that much. I guess I kind of fail as a SF reader because I can't get into stories that are too "out there" (*dodges stone*), and Lusitania was a little harder to grasp. I read SftD, and while I thought it was decent enough to finish, I just put down Xeno in the middle. Then again, I was a kid when I picked it up. Maybe now that I'm a slightly older kid, I'll like it more when I go for a reread.
Shadow is a lot more immediate; I can still grasp some of the concepts. Whereas from SftD on, children become adults, children's concerns become adult's concerns. Like, really really fast. I had trouble with EiE because Ender was just growing up too fast. Shadow was okay, because Bean didn't change drastically. And I just like Bean better.
I like Shadow, even though I read SftD and Xeno first. I just didn't get into it that much. I guess I kind of fail as a SF reader because I can't get into stories that are too "out there" (*dodges stone*), and Lusitania was a little harder to grasp. I read SftD, and while I thought it was decent enough to finish, I just put down Xeno in the middle. Then again, I was a kid when I picked it up. Maybe now that I'm a slightly older kid, I'll like it more when I go for a reread.
Shadow is a lot more immediate; I can still grasp some of the concepts. Whereas from SftD on, children become adults, children's concerns become adult's concerns. Like, really really fast. I had trouble with EiE because Ender was just growing up too fast. Shadow was okay, because Bean didn't change drastically. And I just like Bean better.
Im reading Shadow puppets right now and the whole military aspects of it are a bore. Give me Speaker for the Dead and the pequinoes any day.The whole Speaker series and Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Giant were my favorites...Shadow Puppets and Shadow of the Hegemon didn't really appeal to me...
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Although I liked the Shadow series, the fact that Ender is the main character in the Speaker series is the reason I prefer the Speaker series.
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