134 of 136 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant anthology of Ender short stories, September 3, 2003
The `Ender's Saga' and its most famous beginning, "Ender's Game", are among the most revered science-fiction series of all-time. While Card did a marvelous job chronicling the life and times of Ender Wiggin in the first four novels of the `Ender's Saga', and richly enhanced that universe with his subsequent three-book "Ender's Shadow" series, one could not help but think that there might be more than need be told. Enter "First Meetings in the Enderverse", an anthology of four short stories that give even greater insight into Ender's world.
One of the four short stories included in "First Meetings..." is the actual original "Ender's Game" short story. Card wrote this in the mid-1970's and expanded it into the award-winning novel everyone knows in the early to mid-1980's. Here, fans of "Ender's Game" can read Card's original vision and appreciate how the full novel came to be. The other three shorts tell some fascinating tales. The first one deals with the life of Ender's father, John Paul Wiggin, when he was a little kid, not much older than Ender at the time of "Ender's Game". Without revealing too much, here, it can be said that the events of young John Paul's life explain a great deal about what came to pass for Ender a generation later. The second tale advances John Paul to college age and reveals how John Paul and Ender's mother, Theresa, came to meet and fall in love. The final tale (after the original "Ender's Game") bridges a period of time between the ending of "Ender's Game" and its amazing sequel "Speaker for the Dead". The mystery of how Ender and his constant virtual companion, Jane, came into each other's lives is explained and it makes for an amusing anecdote.
Once again, Card continues to show a brilliant grasp of human emotion and personal interactions in bringing these shorts to life. He doesn't get bogged down in the existentialism that plagued "Children of the Mind". He sticks with elements that make this saga great.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Filling in the blanks; Ender's mom and dad and more, September 11, 2005
This book of short stories contains material that will interest fans of Orson Scott Card's "Ender" series. There are two stories about Theresa and John Paul Wiggin--how they met and how John Paul grew up in Poland. These will be meaningful especially to readers of the parallel sequel to "Ender's Game", the Shadow series.
Also included is the ORIGINAL "Ender's Game." This is really fascinating. I have to say, the writing is very inferior to the revised and novelized version of this original short story. But for those who love the book, you have a glimpse into writer's craft. How did Card deepen each character? How did he revise his conversation and exposition? Good lessons here for any budding writer, and great for those who love the Ender's series as you can see the development of the books from an average short story to a thrilling series of books.
The short stories end with a small tale about a tax collector dealing with Ender as he roams from planet to planet after he leaves Earth. This is meaningful for the last in the Ender's series (Shadow of the Giant.) And it's a good story in itself.
Recommende for fans of the Card series.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fill in the holes of the Ender saga, November 28, 2004
This review is from: First Meetings in Ender's Universe (Mass Market Paperback)
Ender's parents never got their due in the original Ender's Game novel, but Card began developing them as fascinating characters in Ender's Shadow and its sequels. If you've only read Ender's Game, you probably think of Ender's father as a simpleton, and his mother as... well, as nothing, really, because there's so little about her in the book.
But of course, there's a contradiction in that. How could two people of average intelligence produce three super geniuses (Ender, Valentine, and Peter)? Ender's Shadow began to resolve that problem by presenting them as being very smart, but hiding their intelligence so they did not overshadow their children.
This book goes back in their lives before they got married. In the father's case, it begins when he is a small boy. Besides developing two great characters, numerous holes in the original novels are nicely resolved - the religion of Ender's parents and how that plays into the fertility laws, how Ender's family got to America, and how the family was induced to produce kids like Ender.
Another character's genesis is also covered in the final story - the computer program Jane, who will be familiar to readers of the Ender's Game sequels. It's a short, satisfying read, and very much in Card's distinctive style.
Finally, there is the novella that started it all. I read this when it first appeared, and this award winning story motivated me to get the Ender's Game novel as soon as it appeared. If you like the Ender universe, you really ought to read this just to see how it all got started. Be warned - there are some inconsistencies with the novel. But they are minor, and it's interesting to see the evolution from the novella to the novel.
This is a short read. It is suitable for teens and adults - the same audience as Ender's Game, really. If you liked any of the Ender series, you really ought to get this.
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