Synopses & Reviews
Bean's past was a battle just to survive. He first appeared on the streets of Rotterdam, a tiny child with a mind leagues beyond anyone else. He knew he could not survive through strength; he used his tactical genius to gain acceptance into a children's gang, and then to help make that gang a template for success for all the others. He civilized them, and lived to grow older. Then he was discovered by the recruiters for the Battle School.
For Earth was at war - a terrible war with an inscrutable alien enemy. A war that humanity was near to losing. But the long distances of interstellar space has given hope to the defenders of Earth - they had time to train military geniuses up from childhood, forging them into an irresistible force in the high-orbital facility called the Battle School. That story is told in two books, Orson Scott Card's beloved classic Ender's Game, and its parallel, Ender's Shadow. Now, in Shadow of the Giant, Bean's story continues.
Bean was the smallest student at the Battle School, but he became Ender Wiggins' right hand, Since then he has grown to be a power on Earth. He served the Hegemon as strategist and general in the terrible wars that followed Ender's defeat of the alien empire attacking Earth. Now he and his wife Petra yearn for a safe place to build a family - something he has never known - but there is nowhere on Earth that does not harbor his enemies - old enemies from the days in Ender's Jeesh, new enemies from the wars on Earth. To find security, Bean and Petra must once again follow in Ender's footsteps. They must leave Earth behind, in the control of the Hegemon, and look to the stars.
Review
"This fine follow-up to Ender's Shadow features that novel's hero, Bean (now a young man), wrestling with Card's trademark: superbly real moral and ethical dilemmas....The complexity and serious treatment of the book's young protagonists will attract many sophisticated YA readers, while Card's impeccable prose, fast pacing and political intrigue will appeal to adult fans of spy novels, thrillers, and science fiction."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Shadow of the Hegemon
"An undeniable heavyweight. . . . This book combines Card's quirky style with his hard ethical dilemmas and sharply drawn portraits."--New York Daily News on Ender's Game
"Card has taken the venerable SF concepts of a superman and an interstellar war against aliens, and, with superb characterization, pacing, and language, combined them into a seamless story of compelling power."--Booklist on Ender's Game
"The novels of Orson Scott Card's Ender series are an intriguing combination of action, military and political strategy, elaborate war games and psychology." --USA Today
"You can't step into the same river twice, but Card has gracefully dipped twice into the same inkwell--once for Ender's Game, and again for his stand-alone 'parallel novel'. As always, everyone will be struck by the power of Card's children, always more and less than human, perfect yet struggling, tragic yet hopeful, wondrous and strange."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Ender's Shadow
"The publishing equivalent of a Star Wars blockbuster." --New York Daily News on Ender's Shadow
"Ender's Shadow is entertaining, fast-paced science fiction." --CNN Interactive
"The author's superb storytelling and his genuine insight into the moral dilemmas that lead good people to commit questionable actions make this title a priority purchase for most libraries." --Library Journal on Ender's Shadow
Review
“The novels of Orson Scott Cards Ender series are an intriguing combination of action, military and political strategy, elaborate war games and psychology.”—
USA Today“This Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel is given award-winning treatment as an audiobook.... ENDERS GAME offers outstanding production and first-rate narration. Dont miss it.”—AudioFile on Enders Game
“You cant step into the same river twice, but Card has gracefully dipped twice into the same inkwell—once for Enders Game, and again for his stand-alone ‘parallel novel. As always, everyone will be struck by the power of Cards children, always more and less than human, perfect yet struggling, tragic yet hopeful, wondrous and strange.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Enders Shadow
“The publishing equivalent of a Star Wars blockbuster.” —New York Daily News on Enders Shadow
Review
"This fine follow-up to Ender's Shadow features that novel's hero, Bean (now a young man), wrestling with Card's trademark: superbly real moral and ethical dilemmas....The complexity and serious treatment of the book's young protagonists will attract many sophisticated YA readers, while Card's impeccable prose, fast pacing and political intrigue will appeal to adult fans of spy novels, thrillers, and science fiction."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Shadow of the Hegemon
"An undeniable heavyweight. . . . This book combines Card's quirky style with his hard ethical dilemmas and sharply drawn portraits."--New York Daily News on Ender's Game
"Card has taken the venerable SF concepts of a superman and an interstellar war against aliens, and, with superb characterization, pacing, and language, combined them into a seamless story of compelling power."--Booklist on Ender's Game
"The novels of Orson Scott Card's Ender series are an intriguing combination of action, military and political strategy, elaborate war games and psychology." --USA Today
"You can't step into the same river twice, but Card has gracefully dipped twice into the same inkwell--once for Ender's Game, and again for his stand-alone 'parallel novel'. As always, everyone will be struck by the power of Card's children, always more and less than human, perfect yet struggling, tragic yet hopeful, wondrous and strange."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Ender's Shadow
"The publishing equivalent of a Star Wars blockbuster." --New York Daily News on Ender's Shadow
"Ender's Shadow is entertaining, fast-paced science fiction." --CNN Interactive
"The author's superb storytelling and his genuine insight into the moral dilemmas that lead good people to commit questionable actions make this title a priority purchase for most libraries." --Library Journal on Ender's Shadow
Review
"The novels of Orson Scott Card's Ender series are an intriguing combination of action, military and political strategy, elaborate war games and psychology." --
USA Today"This fine follow-up to Ender's Shadow features that novel's hero, Bean (now a young man), wrestling with Card's trademark: superbly real moral and ethical dilemmas....The complexity and serious treatment of the book's young protagonists will attract many sophisticated YA readers, while Card's impeccable prose, fast pacing and political intrigue will appeal to adult fans of spy novels, thrillers, and science fiction."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Shadow of the Hegemon
"An undeniable heavyweight. . . . This book combines Card's quirky style with his hard ethical dilemmas and sharply drawn portraits."--New York Daily News on Ender's Game
"Card has taken the venerable SF concepts of a superman and an interstellar war against aliens, and, with superb characterization, pacing, and language, combined them into a seamless story of compelling power."--Booklist on Ender's Game
"You can't step into the same river twice, but Card has gracefully dipped twice into the same inkwell--once for Ender's Game, and again for his stand-alone 'parallel novel'. As always, everyone will be struck by the power of Card's children, always more and less than human, perfect yet struggling, tragic yet hopeful, wondrous and strange."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Ender's Shadow
"The publishing equivalent of a Star Wars blockbuster." --New York Daily News on Ender's Shadow
"Ender's Shadow is entertaining, fast-paced science fiction." --CNN Interactive
"The author's superb storytelling and his genuine insight into the moral dilemmas that lead good people to commit questionable actions make this title a priority purchase for most libraries." --Library Journal on Ender's Shadow
"Like Card's idolized Battle School alumni, novels in this saga (not to mention Card himself) have acquired an irresistible aura." --Booklist on Shadow of the Giant
"Card's latest installment in his Shadow subseries does a superlative job of dramatically portraying the maturing process of child into adult." --Publishers Weekly on Shadow of the Giant
Review
Questions for Discussion
WEEK 1
1. Most of the key characters in Shadow of the Giant are the Battle School graduates who were members of Enders Jeesh. What do they have in common? How do they differ? Each was brought up, as Han Tzu says, as a “child of war.” Are they capable of leading normal lives, or did Battle School deprive them of that ability for good?
2. Islam looms large in this novel. How is the religion divided, and who do you think are the “true” Muslims? Islam often appears as a brutal, conquering force here. How do you think the story is influenced by the authors reaction to the events of 9/11 and the present-day rise of fundamentalist Islamic terrorism?
3. Consider the women in Cards story. What do you think is the significance of the first two female characters we meet in the novel both being pregnant? Discuss how Petra divides her identity as a political strategist/battle commander and as a mother. Which sphere of life matters more to her? In which one do you think her contribution is most important?
WEEK 2
1. Propaganda—controlling public perception of leaders and events—is one of the most powerful tools for political gain in the novel. Who uses it most skillfully? Do you think any of its uses here are honorable, or do they all play on the fears and basest instincts of the public? Is it possible to exercise power without influencing the public perception of your actions and motives?
2. Virlomi is one of the most unusual characters in the story. What is her real power over the people of India? Do you think that she actually receives divine favor, or has her sense of her own power become delusional? As a faithbased political leader, who do you think she resembles in todays world? Can faith-based political systems work, or are they implicitly dangerous? Are there any political systems that do not depend on the citizens sharing a common set of values and beliefs?
3. What do you think is Peter Wiggins true motivation as Hegemon? Are other characters in the story right to trust or distrust him? What are his goals for the office of the Hegemon, and do you think he can actually achieve them?
WEEK 3
1. Ambition turns out to have been one of the tested criteria for admission to Battle School. Is ambition an advantage or, as Mazer Rackham says, a “disease”? What do different characters discover about their own ambition as the novel unfolds? And do you agree with Graff that the Jeesh members are too dangerous for Earth—that their ambition will always lead nations toward war?
2. Because the Battle Schoolers were taken from their birth families at an early age, Battle School itself became a family structure for them. How do families function in the story? What advantages—and disadvantages—do they offer? How do they resemble your family, or other families that you know of in the real world?
3. Bean is a character caught in a tragic dilemma. Would anyone wish to be in his place? Is dying young too high a price to pay for a life of unlimited intelligence and astonishing achievements? And would you have made the same decision to leave Petra on Earth with their normal children?
WEEK 4 (General Questions)
1. Who are the ultimate heroes of Shadow of the Giant? What is their moral code? Why do billions of people revere them? What do these characters want for humanity and for themselves?
2. Though men like Bean participate warmly and actively in parenting, it is presented as a primary vocation only for women—supposedly their highest calling, overriding the lure of achievement in politics or the military. Is this double-standard a part of human nature, or is it something imposed by society? How will Beans life change as he becomes the primary caregiver to his children aboard the starship? Do you think that parenting can ever be as crucial to mens identities as to womens?
3. Mazer Rackham claims that human beings are “bred for war”. Is war an inevitable consequence of the human condition? Can we as a species ever outgrow it? Do you think that the goals of political unity and world peace that Peter Wiggin finally achieves can ever be possible in real life? "Card's latest installment in his Shadow subseries does a superlative job of dramatically portraying the maturing process of child into adult."
Publishers Weekly
Review
"Like Card's idolized Battle School alumni, novels in this saga (not to mention Card himself) have acquired an irresistible aura."
Booklist
Synopsis
The Ender Saga continues with Shadow of the Giant, which parallels the events of Ender's Game from a different character's point of view.
Bean's past was a battle just to survive. He first appeared on the streets of Rotterdam, a tiny child with a mind leagues beyond anyone else. He knew he could not survive through strength; he used his tactical genius to gain acceptance into a children's gang, and then to help make that gang a template for success for all the others. He civilized them, and lived to grow older. Then he was discovered by the recruiters for the Battle School.
For Earth was at war - a terrible war with an inscrutable alien enemy. A war that humanity was near to losing. But the long distances of interstellar space has given hope to the defenders of Earth - they had time to train military geniuses up from childhood, forging them into an irresistible force in the high-orbital facility called the Battle School. That story is told in two books, Orson Scott Card's beloved classic Ender's Game, and its parallel, Ender's Shadow. Now, in Shadow of the Giant, Bean's story continues.
Bean was the smallest student at the Battle School, but he became Ender Wiggins' right hand, Since then he has grown to be a power on Earth. He served the Hegemon as strategist and general in the terrible wars that followed Ender's defeat of the alien empire attacking Earth. Now he and his wife Petra yearn for a safe place to build a family - something he has never known - but there is nowhere on Earth that does not harbor his enemies - old enemies from the days in Ender's Jeesh, new enemies from the wars on Earth. To find security, Bean and Petra must once again follow in Ender's footsteps. They must leave Earth behind, in the control of the Hegemon, and look to the stars.
THE ENDER UNIVERSE
Ender series
Ender's Game / Speaker for the Dead / Xenocide / Children of the Mind / Ender in Exile / Children of the Fleet
Ender's Shadow series
Ender's Shadow / Shadow of the Hegemon / Shadow Puppets / Shadow of the Giant / Shadows in Flight
The First Formic War (with Aaron Johnston)
Earth Unaware / Earth Afire / Earth Awakens
The Second Formic War (with Aaron Johnston)
The Swarm / The Hive
Ender novellas
A War of Gifts / First Meetings
Synopsis
"The complexity and serious treatment of the book's young protagonists will attract many sophisticated YA readers, while Card's impeccable prose, fast pacing and political intrigue will appeal to adult fans of spy novels, thrillers, and science fiction."--Publishers Weekly (starred review).
Synopsis
Bean's past was a battle just to survive. He first appeared on the streets of Rotterdam, a tiny child with a mind leagues beyond anyone else. He knew he could not survive through strength; he used his tactical genius to gain acceptance into a children's gang, and then to help make that gang a template for success for all the others. He civilized them, and lived to grow older. Then he was discovered by the recruiters for the Battle School.
For Earth was at war - a terrible war with an inscrutable alien enemy. A war that humanity was near to losing. But the long distances of interstellar space has given hope to the defenders of Earth - they had time to train military geniuses up from childhood, forging them into an irresistible force in the high-orbital facility called the Battle School. That story is told in two books, the beloved classic ENDER'S GAME, and its parallel, ENDER'S SHADOW.
Bean was the smallest student at the Battle School, but he became Ender Wiggins' right hand, Since then he has grown to be a power on Earth. He served the Hegemon as strategist and general in the terrible wars that followed Ender's defeat of the alien empire attacking Earth. Now he and his wife Petra yearn for a safe place to build a family - something he has never known - but there is nowhere on Earth that does not harbor his enemies - old enemies from the days in Ender's Jeesh, new enemies from the wars on Earth. To find security, Bean and Petra must once again follow in Ender's footsteps. They must leave Earth behind, in the control of the Hegemon, and look to the stars.
Synopsis
Bean's past was a battle just to survive. He first appeared on the streets of Rotterdam, a tiny child with a mind leagues beyond anyone else. He knew he could not survive through strength; he used his tactical genius to gain acceptance into a children's gang, and then to help make that gang a template for success for all the others. He civilized them, and lived to grow older. Then he was discovered by the recruiters for the Battle School.
For Earth was at war - a terrible war with an inscrutable alien enemy. A war that humanity was near to losing. But the long distances of interstellar space has given hope to the defenders of Earth - they had time to train military geniuses up from childhood, forging them into an irresistible force in the high-orbital facility called the Battle School. That story is told in two books, the beloved classic ENDER'S GAME, and its parallel, ENDER'S SHADOW.
Bean was the smallest student at the Battle School, but he became Ender Wiggins' right hand, Since then he has grown to be a power on Earth. He served the Hegemon as strategist and general in the terrible wars that followed Ender's defeat of the alien empire attacking Earth. Now he and his wife Petra yearn for a safe place to build a family - something he has never known - but there is nowhere on Earth that does not harbor his enemies - old enemies from the days in Ender's Jeesh, new enemies from the wars on Earth. To find security, Bean and Petra must once again follow in Ender's footsteps. They must leave Earth behind, in the control of the Hegemon, and look to the stars.
Synopsis
Bean's past was a battle just to survive. He first appeared on the streets of Rotterdam, a tiny child with a mind leagues beyond anyone else. He knew he could not survive through strength; he used his tactical genius to gain acceptance into a children's gang, and then to help make that gang a template for success for all the others. He civilized them, and lived to grow older. Then he was discovered by the recruiters for the Battle School.
For Earth was at war - a terrible war with an inscrutable alien enemy. A war that humanity was near to losing. But the long distances of interstellar space has given hope to the defenders of Earth - they had time to train military geniuses up from childhood, forging them into an irresistible force in the high-orbital facility called the Battle School. That story is told in two books, Orson Scott Card's beloved classic Ender's Game, and its parallel, Ender's Shadow. Now, in Shadow of the Giant, Bean's story continues.
Bean was the smallest student at the Battle School, but he became Ender Wiggins' right hand, Since then he has grown to be a power on Earth. He served the Hegemon as strategist and general in the terrible wars that followed Ender's defeat of the alien empire attacking Earth. Now he and his wife Petra yearn for a safe place to build a family - something he has never known - but there is nowhere on Earth that does not harbor his enemies - old enemies from the days in Ender's Jeesh, new enemies from the wars on Earth. To find security, Bean and Petra must once again follow in Ender's footsteps. They must leave Earth behind, in the control of the Hegemon, and look to the stars.
About the Author
Orson Scott Card is best known for his science fiction novel
Ender's Game and its many sequels that expand the Ender Universe into the far future and the near past. Those books are organized into the Ender Quintet, the five books that chronicle the life of Ender Wiggin; the Shadow Series, that follows on the novel
Enders Shadow and are set on Earth; and the Formic Wars series, written with co-author Aaron Johnston, that tells of the terrible first contact between humans and the alien “Buggers”.
Card has been a working writer since the 1970s. Beginning with dozens of plays and musical comedies produced in the 1960s and 70s, Card's first published fiction appeared in 1977 -- the short story "Gert Fram" in the July issue of The Ensign, and the novelet version of "Ender's Game" in the August issue of Analog. The novel-length version of Enders Game, published in 1984 and continuously in print since then, became the basis of the 2013 film, starring Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis, and Abigail Breslin. Card was born in Washington state, and grew up in California, Arizona, and Utah. He served a mission for the LDS Church in Brazil in the early 1970s. Besides his writing, he runs occasional writers workshops and directs plays. He frequently teaches writing and literature courses at Southern Virginia University.
He is the author many sf and fantasy novels, including the American frontier fantasy series “The Tales of Alvin Maker” (beginning with Seventh Son), There are also stand-alone science fiction and fantasy novels like Pastwatch and Harts Hope. He has collaborated with his daughter Emily Card on a manga series, Laddertop. He has also written contemporary thrillers like Empire and historical novels like the monumental Saints and the religious novels Sarah and Rachel and Leah. Cards recent work includes the Mithermages books (Lost Gate, Gate Thief), contemporary magical fantasy for readers both young and old. Card lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, with his wife, Kristine Allen Card, He and Kristine are the parents of five children and several grandchildren.