Ender's game series

[DamageINC]

Has anyone read this entire series? If so, can you confirm this is the proper (and best) order. I've seen some conflicting lists.

Is the ENTIRE series worth reading?

1. Ender's Game
2. Speaker for the Dead
3. Xenocide
4. Children of the Mind
5. Ender's Shadow
6. Shadow of the Hegemon
7. Shadow Puppets
8. First Meetings
9. Shadow of the Giant
10. A War of Gifts: An Ender Stor[URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_War_of_Gifts:_An_Ender_Story']y[/URL]
11. Ender in Exile
12. Shadows in Flight
13. Earth Unaware
14. Earth Afire
15. Earth Awakens
16. Shadows Alive

 

[Sodalover]

Only read Ender's Game. Your list isn't in chronological order, but when the author wrote it, as there are prequels to Ender's Game. You could read the series either way, only there are stuff in prequels you might miss/not understand if you didn't read the series according to their published order.

 

[TheDude]

I have not read past Children of the Mind (in terms of chronological order), but IMHO It's not worth reading the whole thing.

If you're trying to read it before the movie, don't worry about it. The movie isn't going to include anything outside the action scenes and the classic antihero/child thing with ender. The titles kind of give away what the rest of the books are about. I won't give it away or spoil it, but basically it's about how Ender was used to wipe out a whole race of beings and then he feels responsible. And the remaining buggers talk to ender in his brain...etc. It's kind of a mishmosh of the author's points of view on stuff. The series loses lucidity and purpose.

The quality of storytelling and the content drops off quickly after xenocide, but you'll find yourself wanting to know what the author had next. It's really not especially mindblowing, and it won't have you pondering the meaning of life or anything.

Ender's Shadow is about Bean, and is definitely worth the read. It is parallel to Ender's game in terms of time.

You would be fine reading Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow.

Hope this helps.



P.S If you're looking for a fantastic Sci-fi series that warrants reading the whole thing, and will leave you wanting to reread many times, read the William Gibson Novels start to finish.

 

[DamageINC]

I don't care about the movie.

I will check out books by that author.

 

[Sodalover]

Like TD said, not all of them are worth reading, but their plots are probably interesting enough to read each novel's synopsis.

 

[TheDude]

Start with Neuromancer.

Alfred Bester's "The Stars My Destination" is also very good. It's a short story, and doesn't take long to read.

Jules Verne wrote a bunch of the older science fiction novels/stories. They are really cool to read. Not as much about spaceships and such. But it's cool to see where a lot of scifi started. One of his most famous is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Another is "Journey to the Center of the Earth."

 

[DamageINC]

I already have the entire JV collection on my tablet. I'm not really enjoying reading on my tablet anymore though, so i will probably end up buying it used off of Amazon.

The regular tablet screen strains my eyes and doesn't give very many words per page. I find i read a lot slower.

I wish i could try a Kindle. They are supposed to have the E-ink etc. and simulate the feel of a book.

 

[TheDude]

Well that's good to know, cuz I really want to try an e-reader, and I'm trying to find a good tablet that will let me read, word process, and do all my internet stuff. As well as bring up sheet music.

Kindle Fire?

Btw, I should reiterate.... Ender's Shadow is definitely worth the read.

 

[DamageINC]

Any Kindle.

If i actually bought one, it would probably be the cheaper readers, not full on tablet. I already have a tablet.

The first few months i had it, i loved reading on it and read quite a few books, in the last few months though, i started not to like it and began collecting books.

For sheet music, you'd probably want at least an 8 inch screen. I bring up tabs on my tablet sometimes and the 7 inch screen is just too small to read more than a few lines. Sheet music might be different though.

 

[TheDude]

As a guitar player, I usually bring up the lead sheets which display the melody and chords, and I usually just use the melody as a guide to how to voice the chords. So basically, all I need to see is the chords from a distance, and maybe the rhythm of the melody to be able to knock the hits out on the chords for the head.

I'm looking for something portable, though. Not pocketsized, but packable into the smallest backpack/gig bag.

I have also been reading for a while, and I love the feel of a book. Screens are very taxing for me, especially at night, when I do most of my recreational reading.

What tablet are you using now? I thought you said you wanted a kindle?

 

[DamageINC]

I do want a Kindle, but just the E-reader version , not the full on tablet. The readers are cheaper.

I have a Samsung Galaxy tab 2. It's pretty good, but you can do much better. The specs are pretty outdated, but it works well for what i use it for.

 

[TheDude]

I'll probably just make a tablet thread at some point.