One of the best books I have ever read, 30 Dec 2008
I will not waste your time repeating what so many have said before me. Simply put, this book is one of my favourite books ever. And I am a literary demon, so I do not say that lightly. It is incredibly simply written, yet conveys so much...

The Ender character is, I think, instantly identifiable to anyone, and how OSC conveys his story, theme and mood translates so well through his writing is simply utterly compelling.

And this, of course, leads onto the Ender trilogy which, I have to admit, have helped shaped my existence more than any other fiction I have read. I strive to be Ender. In the Ender series, Orson Scott Card has created a mini masterpiece. It is Sci Fi, yet is barely science orientated at all (which, despite being a devotee of hard science, I find doesn't affect the story one jot) and is something I wish everyone in the world would read.

Ender's Game is the start of something simply amazing.
Don't have any doubt.
Buy it now, for yourself or anyone else (preferably both!) :-)

Harry Potter in Space, 08 Aug 2008
Perhaps I'm being a little unfair to this book. After all, Ender's Game was written well before Harry Potter.

In any case, this is the story of a clever little boy named Ender, who gets bullied at home and at school. But then, he receives an invitation to a prestigious school. At that school, he bullied again by some nasty boys. But he makes some friends and wins people's respect by being very good at a game. Eventually, the world is faced with an impending apocalypse, and the boy ends up saving us all.

Cute story. And Orson Scott Card's unpretentiously simple but effective writing style makes the book a very easy and at times even engrossing read. But it is mostly written as a children's book that adults can enjoy as well.

Having said that, where Harry Potter is ultimately a very likeable character, Ender is not. In fact, one could argue that he's a murdering psychopath. The author suggests that Ender is merely a victim of circumstances and essentially does what is right. The morale of the story seems to be that violence is often the best way out of a tricky situations, and one should "shoot first, ask questions later". If you're looking for a good, reasonably clean adventure story for your kids with a strong pro-military flavour that suggest they should be tough and stay clear of wooly liberal notions of peaceful solutions to problems, then this is an excellent purchase.

ender's game, 28 Jul 2008
I must have read thousands of books in my life. Ender's Game is the only book that I have read from cover to cover three times, and re-read the end over and over again. I read the sequels, and Ender's Shadow is excellent, but nothing compares to the original Ender's Game. It is an amazing book. Every time you read it you discover something new.

Ender's Game, 15 May 2008
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is quite simply a science fiction classic. Orson Scott Card's background in humanities rather than science provides an interesting take on the genre and coupled with some strong underlying themes, this leads to a surprisingly accessible novel even for those with no interest in science fiction.

Earth has survived two attacks by an alien insectal race called "Buggers". In order to ensure Earth's survival all the brightest and most gifted children are taken into service of the International Fleet and are trained to be officers and commanders in space, the youngest based at the Battle School - home of a war game where teams of children compete against each trying to disable the other team's "gate", all in zero gravity with laser quest like weapons. The story follows Ender Wiggin - an extraordinary talented 6 year old - from Earth to Battle School and his career in the game and his grooming to become command of Earth's fleets against the Buggers.

The plot is simple but the underlying themes complex, alienation and loneliness, the nature of games and rules; the capabilities of youth and their relationship with adults; compassion and ruthlessness; power and ethics; what it is to be human and of course war. In the sequels and later writing Card often falls for the common mistake of telling us rather than showing us these themes and lecturing at points however in Ender's Game he makes none of these mistakes leading to a surprisingly tight novel. In its brevity we see Card's writing at its best, well paced, well described - Ender's game is an emotional moral ride which never loses its sense of fun and wonder.


A major disappointment, 21 Mar 2008
Just finished the book, and was glad to see the back of it. I found it very repetitive and shallow. I just couldn't empathise with any of the characters.

One of the best books I have ever read, 30 Dec 2008
I will not waste your time repeating what so many have said before me. Simply put, this book is one of my favourite books ever. And I am a literary demon, so I do not say that lightly. It is incredibly simply written, yet conveys so much...

The Ender character is, I think, instantly identifiable to anyone, and how OSC conveys his story, theme and mood translates so well through his writing is simply utterly compelling.

And this, of course, leads onto the Ender trilogy which, I have to admit, have helped shaped my existence more than any other fiction I have read. I strive to be Ender. In the Ender series, Orson Scott Card has created a mini masterpiece. It is Sci Fi, yet is barely science orientated at all (which, despite being a devotee of hard science, I find doesn't affect the story one jot) and is something I wish everyone in the world would read.

Ender's Game is the start of something simply amazing.
Don't have any doubt.
Buy it now, for yourself or anyone else (preferably both!) :-)

Harry Potter in Space, 08 Aug 2008
Perhaps I'm being a little unfair to this book. After all, Ender's Game was written well before Harry Potter.

In any case, this is the story of a clever little boy named Ender, who gets bullied at home and at school. But then, he receives an invitation to a prestigious school. At that school, he bullied again by some nasty boys. But he makes some friends and wins people's respect by being very good at a game. Eventually, the world is faced with an impending apocalypse, and the boy ends up saving us all.

Cute story. And Orson Scott Card's unpretentiously simple but effective writing style makes the book a very easy and at times even engrossing read. But it is mostly written as a children's book that adults can enjoy as well.

Having said that, where Harry Potter is ultimately a very likeable character, Ender is not. In fact, one could argue that he's a murdering psychopath. The author suggests that Ender is merely a victim of circumstances and essentially does what is right. The morale of the story seems to be that violence is often the best way out of a tricky situations, and one should "shoot first, ask questions later". If you're looking for a good, reasonably clean adventure story for your kids with a strong pro-military flavour that suggest they should be tough and stay clear of wooly liberal notions of peaceful solutions to problems, then this is an excellent purchase.

ender's game, 28 Jul 2008
I must have read thousands of books in my life. Ender's Game is the only book that I have read from cover to cover three times, and re-read the end over and over again. I read the sequels, and Ender's Shadow is excellent, but nothing compares to the original Ender's Game. It is an amazing book. Every time you read it you discover something new.

Ender's Game, 15 May 2008
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is quite simply a science fiction classic. Orson Scott Card's background in humanities rather than science provides an interesting take on the genre and coupled with some strong underlying themes, this leads to a surprisingly accessible novel even for those with no interest in science fiction.

Earth has survived two attacks by an alien insectal race called "Buggers". In order to ensure Earth's survival all the brightest and most gifted children are taken into service of the International Fleet and are trained to be officers and commanders in space, the youngest based at the Battle School - home of a war game where teams of children compete against each trying to disable the other team's "gate", all in zero gravity with laser quest like weapons. The story follows Ender Wiggin - an extraordinary talented 6 year old - from Earth to Battle School and his career in the game and his grooming to become command of Earth's fleets against the Buggers.

The plot is simple but the underlying themes complex, alienation and loneliness, the nature of games and rules; the capabilities of youth and their relationship with adults; compassion and ruthlessness; power and ethics; what it is to be human and of course war. In the sequels and later writing Card often falls for the common mistake of telling us rather than showing us these themes and lecturing at points however in Ender's Game he makes none of these mistakes leading to a surprisingly tight novel. In its brevity we see Card's writing at its best, well paced, well described - Ender's game is an emotional moral ride which never loses its sense of fun and wonder.


A major disappointment, 21 Mar 2008
Just finished the book, and was glad to see the back of it. I found it very repetitive and shallow. I just couldn't empathise with any of the characters.

One of the best books I have ever read, 30 Dec 2008
I will not waste your time repeating what so many have said before me. Simply put, this book is one of my favourite books ever. And I am a literary demon, so I do not say that lightly. It is incredibly simply written, yet conveys so much...

The Ender character is, I think, instantly identifiable to anyone, and how OSC conveys his story, theme and mood translates so well through his writing is simply utterly compelling.

And this, of course, leads onto the Ender trilogy which, I have to admit, have helped shaped my existence more than any other fiction I have read. I strive to be Ender. In the Ender series, Orson Scott Card has created a mini masterpiece. It is Sci Fi, yet is barely science orientated at all (which, despite being a devotee of hard science, I find doesn't affect the story one jot) and is something I wish everyone in the world would read.

Ender's Game is the start of something simply amazing.
Don't have any doubt.
Buy it now, for yourself or anyone else (preferably both!) :-)

Harry Potter in Space, 08 Aug 2008
Perhaps I'm being a little unfair to this book. After all, Ender's Game was written well before Harry Potter.

In any case, this is the story of a clever little boy named Ender, who gets bullied at home and at school. But then, he receives an invitation to a prestigious school. At that school, he bullied again by some nasty boys. But he makes some friends and wins people's respect by being very good at a game. Eventually, the world is faced with an impending apocalypse, and the boy ends up saving us all.

Cute story. And Orson Scott Card's unpretentiously simple but effective writing style makes the book a very easy and at times even engrossing read. But it is mostly written as a children's book that adults can enjoy as well.

Having said that, where Harry Potter is ultimately a very likeable character, Ender is not. In fact, one could argue that he's a murdering psychopath. The author suggests that Ender is merely a victim of circumstances and essentially does what is right. The morale of the story seems to be that violence is often the best way out of a tricky situations, and one should "shoot first, ask questions later". If you're looking for a good, reasonably clean adventure story for your kids with a strong pro-military flavour that suggest they should be tough and stay clear of wooly liberal notions of peaceful solutions to problems, then this is an excellent purchase.

ender's game, 28 Jul 2008
I must have read thousands of books in my life. Ender's Game is the only book that I have read from cover to cover three times, and re-read the end over and over again. I read the sequels, and Ender's Shadow is excellent, but nothing compares to the original Ender's Game. It is an amazing book. Every time you read it you discover something new.

Ender's Game, 15 May 2008
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is quite simply a science fiction classic. Orson Scott Card's background in humanities rather than science provides an interesting take on the genre and coupled with some strong underlying themes, this leads to a surprisingly accessible novel even for those with no interest in science fiction.

Earth has survived two attacks by an alien insectal race called "Buggers". In order to ensure Earth's survival all the brightest and most gifted children are taken into service of the International Fleet and are trained to be officers and commanders in space, the youngest based at the Battle School - home of a war game where teams of children compete against each trying to disable the other team's "gate", all in zero gravity with laser quest like weapons. The story follows Ender Wiggin - an extraordinary talented 6 year old - from Earth to Battle School and his career in the game and his grooming to become command of Earth's fleets against the Buggers.

The plot is simple but the underlying themes complex, alienation and loneliness, the nature of games and rules; the capabilities of youth and their relationship with adults; compassion and ruthlessness; power and ethics; what it is to be human and of course war. In the sequels and later writing Card often falls for the common mistake of telling us rather than showing us these themes and lecturing at points however in Ender's Game he makes none of these mistakes leading to a surprisingly tight novel. In its brevity we see Card's writing at its best, well paced, well described - Ender's game is an emotional moral ride which never loses its sense of fun and wonder.


A major disappointment, 21 Mar 2008
Just finished the book, and was glad to see the back of it. I found it very repetitive and shallow. I just couldn't empathise with any of the characters.

One of the best books I have ever read, 30 Dec 2008
I will not waste your time repeating what so many have said before me. Simply put, this book is one of my favourite books ever. And I am a literary demon, so I do not say that lightly. It is incredibly simply written, yet conveys so much...

The Ender character is, I think, instantly identifiable to anyone, and how OSC conveys his story, theme and mood translates so well through his writing is simply utterly compelling.

And this, of course, leads onto the Ender trilogy which, I have to admit, have helped shaped my existence more than any other fiction I have read. I strive to be Ender. In the Ender series, Orson Scott Card has created a mini masterpiece. It is Sci Fi, yet is barely science orientated at all (which, despite being a devotee of hard science, I find doesn't affect the story one jot) and is something I wish everyone in the world would read.

Ender's Game is the start of something simply amazing.
Don't have any doubt.
Buy it now, for yourself or anyone else (preferably both!) :-)

Harry Potter in Space, 08 Aug 2008
Perhaps I'm being a little unfair to this book. After all, Ender's Game was written well before Harry Potter.

In any case, this is the story of a clever little boy named Ender, who gets bullied at home and at school. But then, he receives an invitation to a prestigious school. At that school, he bullied again by some nasty boys. But he makes some friends and wins people's respect by being very good at a game. Eventually, the world is faced with an impending apocalypse, and the boy ends up saving us all.

Cute story. And Orson Scott Card's unpretentiously simple but effective writing style makes the book a very easy and at times even engrossing read. But it is mostly written as a children's book that adults can enjoy as well.

Having said that, where Harry Potter is ultimately a very likeable character, Ender is not. In fact, one could argue that he's a murdering psychopath. The author suggests that Ender is merely a victim of circumstances and essentially does what is right. The morale of the story seems to be that violence is often the best way out of a tricky situations, and one should "shoot first, ask questions later". If you're looking for a good, reasonably clean adventure story for your kids with a strong pro-military flavour that suggest they should be tough and stay clear of wooly liberal notions of peaceful solutions to problems, then this is an excellent purchase.

ender's game, 28 Jul 2008
I must have read thousands of books in my life. Ender's Game is the only book that I have read from cover to cover three times, and re-read the end over and over again. I read the sequels, and Ender's Shadow is excellent, but nothing compares to the original Ender's Game. It is an amazing book. Every time you read it you discover something new.

Ender's Game, 15 May 2008
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is quite simply a science fiction classic. Orson Scott Card's background in humanities rather than science provides an interesting take on the genre and coupled with some strong underlying themes, this leads to a surprisingly accessible novel even for those with no interest in science fiction.

Earth has survived two attacks by an alien insectal race called "Buggers". In order to ensure Earth's survival all the brightest and most gifted children are taken into service of the International Fleet and are trained to be officers and commanders in space, the youngest based at the Battle School - home of a war game where teams of children compete against each trying to disable the other team's "gate", all in zero gravity with laser quest like weapons. The story follows Ender Wiggin - an extraordinary talented 6 year old - from Earth to Battle School and his career in the game and his grooming to become command of Earth's fleets against the Buggers.

The plot is simple but the underlying themes complex, alienation and loneliness, the nature of games and rules; the capabilities of youth and their relationship with adults; compassion and ruthlessness; power and ethics; what it is to be human and of course war. In the sequels and later writing Card often falls for the common mistake of telling us rather than showing us these themes and lecturing at points however in Ender's Game he makes none of these mistakes leading to a surprisingly tight novel. In its brevity we see Card's writing at its best, well paced, well described - Ender's game is an emotional moral ride which never loses its sense of fun and wonder.


A major disappointment, 21 Mar 2008
Just finished the book, and was glad to see the back of it. I found it very repetitive and shallow. I just couldn't empathise with any of the characters.

One of the best books I have ever read, 30 Dec 2008
I will not waste your time repeating what so many have said before me. Simply put, this book is one of my favourite books ever. And I am a literary demon, so I do not say that lightly. It is incredibly simply written, yet conveys so much...

The Ender character is, I think, instantly identifiable to anyone, and how OSC conveys his story, theme and mood translates so well through his writing is simply utterly compelling.

And this, of course, leads onto the Ender trilogy which, I have to admit, have helped shaped my existence more than any other fiction I have read. I strive to be Ender. In the Ender series, Orson Scott Card has created a mini masterpiece. It is Sci Fi, yet is barely science orientated at all (which, despite being a devotee of hard science, I find doesn't affect the story one jot) and is something I wish everyone in the world would read.

Ender's Game is the start of something simply amazing.
Don't have any doubt.
Buy it now, for yourself or anyone else (preferably both!) :-)

Harry Potter in Space, 08 Aug 2008
Perhaps I'm being a little unfair to this book. After all, Ender's Game was written well before Harry Potter.

In any case, this is the story of a clever little boy named Ender, who gets bullied at home and at school. But then, he receives an invitation to a prestigious school. At that school, he bullied again by some nasty boys. But he makes some friends and wins people's respect by being very good at a game. Eventually, the world is faced with an impending apocalypse, and the boy ends up saving us all.

Cute story. And Orson Scott Card's unpretentiously simple but effective writing style makes the book a very easy and at times even engrossing read. But it is mostly written as a children's book that adults can enjoy as well.

Having said that, where Harry Potter is ultimately a very likeable character, Ender is not. In fact, one could argue that he's a murdering psychopath. The author suggests that Ender is merely a victim of circumstances and essentially does what is right. The morale of the story seems to be that violence is often the best way out of a tricky situations, and one should "shoot first, ask questions later". If you're looking for a good, reasonably clean adventure story for your kids with a strong pro-military flavour that suggest they should be tough and stay clear of wooly liberal notions of peaceful solutions to problems, then this is an excellent purchase.

ender's game, 28 Jul 2008
I must have read thousands of books in my life. Ender's Game is the only book that I have read from cover to cover three times, and re-read the end over and over again. I read the sequels, and Ender's Shadow is excellent, but nothing compares to the original Ender's Game. It is an amazing book. Every time you read it you discover something new.

Ender's Game, 15 May 2008
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is quite simply a science fiction classic. Orson Scott Card's background in humanities rather than science provides an interesting take on the genre and coupled with some strong underlying themes, this leads to a surprisingly accessible novel even for those with no interest in science fiction.

Earth has survived two attacks by an alien insectal race called "Buggers". In order to ensure Earth's survival all the brightest and most gifted children are taken into service of the International Fleet and are trained to be officers and commanders in space, the youngest based at the Battle School - home of a war game where teams of children compete against each trying to disable the other team's "gate", all in zero gravity with laser quest like weapons. The story follows Ender Wiggin - an extraordinary talented 6 year old - from Earth to Battle School and his career in the game and his grooming to become command of Earth's fleets against the Buggers.

The plot is simple but the underlying themes complex, alienation and loneliness, the nature of games and rules; the capabilities of youth and their relationship with adults; compassion and ruthlessness; power and ethics; what it is to be human and of course war. In the sequels and later writing Card often falls for the common mistake of telling us rather than showing us these themes and lecturing at points however in Ender's Game he makes none of these mistakes leading to a surprisingly tight novel. In its brevity we see Card's writing at its best, well paced, well described - Ender's game is an emotional moral ride which never loses its sense of fun and wonder.


A major disappointment, 21 Mar 2008
Just finished the book, and was glad to see the back of it. I found it very repetitive and shallow. I just couldn't empathise with any of the characters.

Do not miss out on this series!, 12 Dec 2008
As a fantasy fan for many years, I can only hang my head in shame that I had missed the Black Company books when they were originally released.

The series tells the tale of the Black Company, "last of the free companies of Khatovar" - a mercenary group with a long history and a proud tradition of working for whoever pays - good or bad. With a few notable expections, the heroes of the Black Company are nothing but, and many of the members have very dark pasts.

When a job protecting a city ruler goes sour, the Company betrays their commission and enters the service of the Lady - the immortal and evil ruler of a reborn empire.

In a refreshing change to the usual fantasy epic, the Company is therefore fighting for the dark side, which creates some wonderful dilemmas for the few men serving who retain a sense of morality.

The strength of the Black Company books are the interesting dilemmas this situation creates, and the excellent action scenes. The writing style is minimalist, which gives the plot an edgy pace and avoids the tedious meandering that sabotages the Lond of the Rings, but sometimes it goes too far - especially in the earlier books, when I found myself wishing for some description to go along with the dialogue. As such, the main characters initially seem flat, because we have no real idea what they look like, or what the world they inhabit is truly like.

Luckily these criticisms (hence the four stars) fade as the series progresses and Glen Cook matures as a writer. It is easy to see here the seeds that would appear to have taken root in the mind of Steven Erikson in the Malazan saga, and in retrospect the recent rennaisance of low fantasy owes a lot to the Black Company.

In summary: if, like me, you missed out before, do not do so again!

Epic Adventure rereleased, 16 Oct 2008
Having been in print for a number of years its come as a huge relief that Gollancz took the step to produce this Black Company Omnibus. No more searching for each book and you have it at a bargain price. Compendiums are cracking things to get. Not only do you get the full series in one go but its something that's to hand so you can flick backwards and forwards in case you want to check a fact or two. Here Glen's work will reach a new generation as it showcases his writing talent. The characters are fascinating in their shades of grey as opposed to being good or evil with plot lines, although a little bit to simplistic in certain respects, at the time they were originally written, pretty revolutionary with a Spartan writing style that is becoming more popular in recent releases.

If youre looking for an action adventure that will more than please that certain someone in your life (either for their birthday or as a Christmas present. This is one that will be hard pressed to beat on numerous levels. It will probably also guarantee a bit of peace and quiet as the reader enjoys the full adventures over the 704 pages within.

When an enigmatic monolith is found buried on the moon, scientists are amazed to discover that it's at least 3 million years old. Even more amazing, after it's unearthed the artefact releases a powerful signal aimed at Saturn. What sort of alarm has been triggered? To find out, a manned spacecraft, the Discovery, is sent to investigate. Its crew is highly trained--the best--and they are assisted by a self- aware computer, the ultra-capable HAL 9000. But HAL's programming has been patterned after the human mind a little too well. He is capable of guilt, neurosis, even murder, and he controls every single one of Discovery's components. The crew must overthrow this digital psychotic if they hope to make their rendezvous with the entities that are responsible not just for the monolith, but maybe even for human civilization.

Clarke wrote this novel while Stanley Kubrick created the film, the two collaborating on both projects. The novel is much more detailed and intimate, and definitely easier to comprehend. Even though history has disproved its "predictions", it's still loaded with exciting and awe-inspiring science fiction. -- Brooks Peck

One of the best books I have ever read, 30 Dec 2008
I will not waste your time repeating what so many have said before me. Simply put, this book is one of my favourite books ever. And I am a literary demon, so I do not say that lightly. It is incredibly simply written, yet conveys so much...

The Ender character is, I think, instantly identifiable to anyone, and how OSC conveys his story, theme and mood translates so well through his writing is simply utterly compelling.

And this, of course, leads onto the Ender trilogy which, I have to admit, have helped shaped my existence more than any other fiction I have read. I strive to be Ender. In the Ender series, Orson Scott Card has created a mini masterpiece. It is Sci Fi, yet is barely science orientated at all (which, despite being a devotee of hard science, I find doesn't affect the story one jot) and is something I wish everyone in the world would read.

Ender's Game is the start of something simply amazing.
Don't have any doubt.
Buy it now, for yourself or anyone else (preferably both!) :-)

Harry Potter in Space, 08 Aug 2008
Perhaps I'm being a little unfair to this book. After all, Ender's Game was written well before Harry Potter.

In any case, this is the story of a clever little boy named Ender, who gets bullied at home and at school. But then, he receives an invitation to a prestigious school. At that school, he bullied again by some nasty boys. But he makes some friends and wins people's respect by being very good at a game. Eventually, the world is faced with an impending apocalypse, and the boy ends up saving us all.

Cute story. And Orson Scott Card's unpretentiously simple but effective writing style makes the book a very easy and at times even engrossing read. But it is mostly written as a children's book that adults can enjoy as well.

Having said that, where Harry Potter is ultimately a very likeable character, Ender is not. In fact, one could argue that he's a murdering psychopath. The author suggests that Ender is merely a victim of circumstances and essentially does what is right. The morale of the story seems to be that violence is often the best way out of a tricky situations, and one should "shoot first, ask questions later". If you're looking for a good, reasonably clean adventure story for your kids with a strong pro-military flavour that suggest they should be tough and stay clear of wooly liberal notions of peaceful solutions to problems, then this is an excellent purchase.

ender's game, 28 Jul 2008
I must have read thousands of books in my life. Ender's Game is the only book that I have read from cover to cover three times, and re-read the end over and over again. I read the sequels, and Ender's Shadow is excellent, but nothing compares to the original Ender's Game. It is an amazing book. Every time you read it you discover something new.

Ender's Game, 15 May 2008
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is quite simply a science fiction classic. Orson Scott Card's background in humanities rather than science provides an interesting take on the genre and coupled with some strong underlying themes, this leads to a surprisingly accessible novel even for those with no interest in science fiction.

Earth has survived two attacks by an alien insectal race called "Buggers". In order to ensure Earth's survival all the brightest and most gifted children are taken into service of the International Fleet and are trained to be officers and commanders in space, the youngest based at the Battle School - home of a war game where teams of children compete against each trying to disable the other team's "gate", all in zero gravity with laser quest like weapons. The story follows Ender Wiggin - an extraordinary talented 6 year old - from Earth to Battle School and his career in the game and his grooming to become command of Earth's fleets against the Buggers.

The plot is simple but the underlying themes complex, alienation and loneliness, the nature of games and rules; the capabilities of youth and their relationship with adults; compassion and ruthlessness; power and ethics; what it is to be human and of course war. In the sequels and later writing Card often falls for the common mistake of telling us rather than showing us these themes and lecturing at points however in Ender's Game he makes none of these mistakes leading to a surprisingly tight novel. In its brevity we see Card's writing at its best, well paced, well described - Ender's game is an emotional moral ride which never loses its sense of fun and wonder.


A major disappointment, 21 Mar 2008
Just finished the book, and was glad to see the back of it. I found it very repetitive and shallow. I just couldn't empathise with any of the characters.

One of the best books I have ever read, 30 Dec 2008
I will not waste your time repeating what so many have said before me. Simply put, this book is one of my favourite books ever. And I am a literary demon, so I do not say that lightly. It is incredibly simply written, yet conveys so much...

The Ender character is, I think, instantly identifiable to anyone, and how OSC conveys his story, theme and mood translates so well through his writing is simply utterly compelling.

And this, of course, leads onto the Ender trilogy which, I have to admit, have helped shaped my existence more than any other fiction I have read. I strive to be Ender. In the Ender series, Orson Scott Card has created a mini masterpiece. It is Sci Fi, yet is barely science orientated at all (which, despite being a devotee of hard science, I find doesn't affect the story one jot) and is something I wish everyone in the world would read.

Ender's Game is the start of something simply amazing.
Don't have any doubt.
Buy it now, for yourself or anyone else (preferably both!) :-)

Harry Potter in Space, 08 Aug 2008
Perhaps I'm being a little unfair to this book. After all, Ender's Game was written well before Harry Potter.

In any case, this is the story of a clever little boy named Ender, who gets bullied at home and at school. But then, he receives an invitation to a prestigious school. At that school, he bullied again by some nasty boys. But he makes some friends and wins people's respect by being very good at a game. Eventually, the world is faced with an impending apocalypse, and the boy ends up saving us all.

Cute story. And Orson Scott Card's unpretentiously simple but effective writing style makes the book a very easy and at times even engrossing read. But it is mostly written as a children's book that adults can enjoy as well.

Having said that, where Harry Potter is ultimately a very likeable character, Ender is not. In fact, one could argue that he's a murdering psychopath. The author suggests that Ender is merely a victim of circumstances and essentially does what is right. The morale of the story seems to be that violence is often the best way out of a tricky situations, and one should "shoot first, ask questions later". If you're looking for a good, reasonably clean adventure story for your kids with a strong pro-military flavour that suggest they should be tough and stay clear of wooly liberal notions of peaceful solutions to problems, then this is an excellent purchase.

ender's game, 28 Jul 2008
I must have read thousands of books in my life. Ender's Game is the only book that I have read from cover to cover three times, and re-read the end over and over again. I read the sequels, and Ender's Shadow is excellent, but nothing compares to the original Ender's Game. It is an amazing book. Every time you read it you discover something new.

Ender's Game, 15 May 2008
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is quite simply a science fiction classic. Orson Scott Card's background in humanities rather than science provides an interesting take on the genre and coupled with some strong underlying themes, this leads to a surprisingly accessible novel even for those with no interest in science fiction.

Earth has survived two attacks by an alien insectal race called "Buggers". In order to ensure Earth's survival all the brightest and most gifted children are taken into service of the International Fleet and are trained to be officers and commanders in space, the youngest based at the Battle School - home of a war game where teams of children compete against each trying to disable the other team's "gate", all in zero gravity with laser quest like weapons. The story follows Ender Wiggin - an extraordinary talented 6 year old - from Earth to Battle School and his career in the game and his grooming to become command of Earth's fleets against the Buggers.

The plot is simple but the underlying themes complex, alienation and loneliness, the nature of games and rules; the capabilities of youth and their relationship with adults; compassion and ruthlessness; power and ethics; what it is to be human and of course war. In the sequels and later writing Card often falls for the common mistake of telling us rather than showing us these themes and lecturing at points however in Ender's Game he makes none of these mistakes leading to a surprisingly tight novel. In its brevity we see Card's writing at its best, well paced, well described - Ender's game is an emotional moral ride which never loses its sense of fun and wonder.


A major disappointment, 21 Mar 2008
Just finished the book, and was glad to see the back of it. I found it very repetitive and shallow. I just couldn't empathise with any of the characters.

Do not miss out on this series!, 12 Dec 2008
As a fantasy fan for many years, I can only hang my head in shame that I had missed the Black Company books when they were originally released.

The series tells the tale of the Black Company, "last of the free companies of Khatovar" - a mercenary group with a long history and a proud tradition of working for whoever pays - good or bad. With a few notable expections, the heroes of the Black Company are nothing but, and many of the members have very dark pasts.

When a job protecting a city ruler goes sour, the Company betrays their commission and enters the service of the Lady - the immortal and evil ruler of a reborn empire.

In a refreshing change to the usual fantasy epic, the Company is therefore fighting for the dark side, which creates some wonderful dilemmas for the few men serving who retain a sense of morality.

The strength of the Black Company books are the interesting dilemmas this situation creates, and the excellent action scenes. The writing style is minimalist, which gives the plot an edgy pace and avoids the tedious meandering that sabotages the Lond of the Rings, but sometimes it goes too far - especially in the earlier books, when I found myself wishing for some description to go along with the dialogue. As such, the main characters initially seem flat, because we have no real idea what they look like, or what the world they inhabit is truly like.

Luckily these criticisms (hence the four stars) fade as the series progresses and Glen Cook matures as a writer. It is easy to see here the seeds that would appear to have taken root in the mind of Steven Erikson in the Malazan saga, and in retrospect the recent rennaisance of low fantasy owes a lot to the Black Company.

In summary: if, like me, you missed out before, do not do so again!

Epic Adventure rereleased, 16 Oct 2008
Having been in print for a number of years its come as a huge relief that Gollancz took the step to produce this Black Company Omnibus. No more searching for each book and you have it at a bargain price. Compendiums are cracking things to get. Not only do you get the full series in one go but its something that's to hand so you can flick backwards and forwards in case you want to check a fact or two. Here Glen's work will reach a new generation as it showcases his writing talent. The characters are fascinating in their shades of grey as opposed to being good or evil with plot lines, although a little bit to simplistic in certain respects, at the time they were originally written, pretty revolutionary with a Spartan writing style that is becoming more popular in recent releases.

If youre looking for an action adventure that will more than please that certain someone in your life (either for their birthday or as a Christmas present. This is one that will be hard pressed to beat on numerous levels. It will probably also guarantee a bit of peace and quiet as the reader enjoys the full adventures over the 704 pages within.


RIP Arthur C Clarke, 19 Mar 2008
This novel introduced me to the wonders of sci-fi and opened my mind in so many ways.

Rest in Peace - Arthur C Clarke

copy, 29 Dec 2007
The film upon which the book is based looks so much like a remake of the 1960 Italian film, Assignment: Outer Space, I even have to wonder about the title; 2001: Space Oddyssey is even formulated the same way - word, colon, two words.

Pretty much all of the "ground breaking" ideas in 2001, are already there in Assignment; from hybernation to make it through a long journey to a force to be reckoned with exacerbated by an out-of-control computer that kills a pilot. In Assignment, top secret military information is kept from a reporter. In the 2001 movies, the information is kept from HAL's inventor. Both characters end up solving the problem in the end.

The book of the film... of the book...., 11 Aug 2007
Interestingly the book was written specifically to create a film from and in turn filming changed the book.

The film itself is 2.5 hours of classical music, long shots, little dialogue or exposition. Very much an enigma.

The book is absolutly opposite. Far more dialogue, far more plot, far easier to understand. The book will help lovers of the film to comprehend what their watching.

It's a good story, well told and scientifically accurate... mostly.

2001, 03 Jul 2007
'2001 A Space Odyssey' is a strange beast, in that neither the novel or the film can really claim to be the definitive story, with both being worked on simultaneously by Clarke and Kubrick, but despite the odd differences between the pair they really do work best complimenting each other. Certainly the book scores over the film in terms of clarity of storytelling, and where Kubrick had to rely solely on (gorgeous) visuals only for both the 'dawn of man' and 'through the star-gate' sequences that begin and end the film the novel can give far greater depth to both, so if you are one of those people who has only seen the movie and is slightly confused as to what actually happens at the end this spells it out clearly. Without reading the novel you really have no way of knowing exactly why HAL malfunctioned, or that device seen orbiting the Earth in the film is a nuclear weapons platform, so this book is really essential for a full understanding of the movie. On other points however the novel is less successful - the rejigged sequence leading to the disconnection of HAL completely loses the drama of Dave Bowman's helmet-less re-entry of the Discovery, and the clever revelation of HAL's lip-reading ability. In fact the book as a whole, while full of brilliant ideas, is entirely lacking any warm characters, and lacks any of the emotional content of the film - even HAL's 'death scene' is unmoving here.

Still, while it may not succeed 100% as a novel in it's own right this makes the greatest science fiction film ever even better, so that can't be bad...

HAL is just one letter earlier in each instance from IBM, 04 Apr 2007
Another life forming, perspective changing tale. Okay - so you've seen the film but this is a different, more comprehensive medium. It explained much of the film to me and I like Arthur C's easy to read style of writing. The isolation of man when meeting his destiny - the fear, the anticpation and the realisation. But really, all the fun is in getting there and this book is that journey across a million years or so

If and when you've read this a good companion read is "Lost Worlds" ISBN-10: 0283986115 if you can get hold of it - the unpublished reworked chapters from the original draft - a brilliant insight in to how it was conceived and some of the twists introduced. Behind every man there stands a thousand ghosts.

One of the best books I have ever read, 30 Dec 2008
I will not waste your time repeating what so many have said before me. Simply put, this book is one of my favourite books ever. And I am a literary demon, so I do not say that lightly. It is incredibly simply written, yet conveys so much...

The Ender character is, I think, instantly identifiable to anyone, and how OSC conveys his story, theme and mood translates so well through his writing is simply utterly compelling.

And this, of course, leads onto the Ender trilogy which, I have to admit, have helped shaped my existence more than any other fiction I have read. I strive to be Ender. In the Ender series, Orson Scott Card has created a mini masterpiece. It is Sci Fi, yet is barely science orientated at all (which, despite being a devotee of hard science, I find doesn't affect the story one jot) and is something I wish everyone in the world would read.

Ender's Game is the start of something simply amazing.
Don't have any doubt.
Buy it now, for yourself or anyone else (preferably both!) :-)

Harry Potter in Space, 08 Aug 2008
Perhaps I'm being a little unfair to this book. After all, Ender's Game was written well before Harry Potter.

In any case, this is the story of a clever little boy named Ender, who gets bullied at home and at school. But then, he receives an invitation to a prestigious school. At that school, he bullied again by some nasty boys. But he makes some friends and wins people's respect by being very good at a game. Eventually, the world is faced with an impending apocalypse, and the boy ends up saving us all.

Cute story. And Orson Scott Card's unpretentiously simple but effective writing style makes the book a very easy and at times even engrossing read. But it is mostly written as a children's book that adults can enjoy as well.

Having said that, where Harry Potter is ultimately a very likeable character, Ender is not. In fact, one could argue that he's a murdering psychopath. The author suggests that Ender is merely a victim of circumstances and essentially does what is right. The morale of the story seems to be that violence is often the best way out of a tricky situations, and one should "shoot first, ask questions later". If you're looking for a good, reasonably clean adventure story for your kids with a strong pro-military flavour that suggest they should be tough and stay clear of wooly liberal notions of peaceful solutions to problems, then this is an excellent purchase.

ender's game, 28 Jul 2008
I must have read thousands of books in my life. Ender's Game is the only book that I have read from cover to cover three times, and re-read the end over and over again. I read the sequels, and Ender's Shadow is excellent, but nothing compares to the original Ender's Game. It is an amazing book. Every time you read it you discover something new.

Ender's Game, 15 May 2008
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is quite simply a science fiction classic. Orson Scott Card's background in humanities rather than science provides an interesting take on the genre and coupled with some strong underlying themes, this leads to a surprisingly accessible novel even for those with no interest in science fiction.

Earth has survived two attacks by an alien insectal race called "Buggers". In order to ensure Earth's survival all the brightest and most gifted children are taken into service of the International Fleet and are trained to be officers and commanders in space, the youngest based at the Battle School - home of a war game where teams of children compete against each trying to disable the other team's "gate", all in zero gravity with laser quest like weapons. The story follows Ender Wiggin - an extraordinary talented 6 year old - from Earth to Battle School and his career in the game and his grooming to become command of Earth's fleets against the Buggers.

The plot is simple but the underlying themes complex, alienation and loneliness, the nature of games and rules; the capabilities of youth and their relationship with adults; compassion and ruthlessness; power and ethics; what it is to be human and of course war. In the sequels and later writing Card often falls for the common mistake of telling us rather than showing us these themes and lecturing at points however in Ender's Game he makes none of these mistakes leading to a surprisingly tight novel. In its brevity we see Card's writing at its best, well paced, well described - Ender's game is an emotional moral ride which never loses its sense of fun and wonder.


A major disappointment, 21 Mar 2008
Just finished the book, and was glad to see the back of it. I found it very repetitive and shallow. I just couldn't empathise with any of the characters.

One of the best books I have ever read, 30 Dec 2008
I will not waste your time repeating what so many have said before me. Simply put, this book is one of my favourite books ever. And I am a literary demon, so I do not say that lightly. It is incredibly simply written, yet conveys so much...

The Ender character is, I think, instantly identifiable to anyone, and how OSC conveys his story, theme and mood translates so well through his writing is simply utterly compelling.

And this, of course, leads onto the Ender trilogy which, I have to admit, have helped shaped my existence more than any other fiction I have read. I strive to be Ender. In the Ender series, Orson Scott Card has created a mini masterpiece. It is Sci Fi, yet is barely science orientated at all (which, despite being a devotee of hard science, I find doesn't affect the story one jot) and is something I wish everyone in the world would read.

Ender's Game is the start of something simply amazing.
Don't have any doubt.
Buy it now, for yourself or anyone else (preferably both!) :-)

Harry Potter in Space, 08 Aug 2008
Perhaps I'm being a little unfair to this book. After all, Ender's Game was written well before Harry Potter.

In any case, this is the story of a clever little boy named Ender, who gets bullied at home and at school. But then, he receives an invitation to a prestigious school. At that school, he bullied again by some nasty boys. But he makes some friends and wins people's respect by being very good at a game. Eventually, the world is faced with an impending apocalypse, and the boy ends up saving us all.

Cute story. And Orson Scott Card's unpretentiously simple but effective writing style makes the book a very easy and at times even engrossing read. But it is mostly written as a children's book that adults can enjoy as well.

Having said that, where Harry Potter is ultimately a very likeable character, Ender is not. In fact, one could argue that he's a murdering psychopath. The author suggests that Ender is merely a victim of circumstances and essentially does what is right. The morale of the story seems to be that violence is often the best way out of a tricky situations, and one should "shoot first, ask questions later". If you're looking for a good, reasonably clean adventure story for your kids with a strong pro-military flavour that suggest they should be tough and stay clear of wooly liberal notions of peaceful solutions to problems, then this is an excellent purchase.

ender's game, 28 Jul 2008
I must have read thousands of books in my life. Ender's Game is the only book that I have read from cover to cover three times, and re-read the end over and over again. I read the sequels, and Ender's Shadow is excellent, but nothing compares to the original Ender's Game. It is an amazing book. Every time you read it you discover something new.

Ender's Game, 15 May 2008
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is quite simply a science fiction classic. Orson Scott Card's background in humanities rather than science provides an interesting take on the genre and coupled with some strong underlying themes, this leads to a surprisingly accessible novel even for those with no interest in science fiction.

Earth has survived two attacks by an alien insectal race called "Buggers". In order to ensure Earth's survival all the brightest and most gifted children are taken into service of the International Fleet and are trained to be officers and commanders in space, the youngest based at the Battle School - home of a war game where teams of children compete against each trying to disable the other team's "gate", all in zero gravity with laser quest like weapons. The story follows Ender Wiggin - an extraordinary talented 6 year old - from Earth to Battle School and his career in the game and his grooming to become command of Earth's fleets against the Buggers.

The plot is simple but the underlying themes complex, alienation and loneliness, the nature of games and rules; the capabilities of youth and their relationship with adults; compassion and ruthlessness; power and ethics; what it is to be human and of course war. In the sequels and later writing Card often falls for the common mistake of telling us rather than showing us these themes and lecturing at points however in Ender's Game he makes none of these mistakes leading to a surprisingly tight novel. In its brevity we see Card's writing at its best, well paced, well described - Ender's game is an emotional moral ride which never loses its sense of fun and wonder.


A major disappointment, 21 Mar 2008
Just finished the book, and was glad to see the back of it. I found it very repetitive and shallow. I just couldn't empathise with any of the characters.

Do not miss out on this series!, 12 Dec 2008
As a fantasy fan for many years, I can only hang my head in shame that I had missed the Black Company books when they were originally released.

The series tells the tale of the Black Company, "last of the free companies of Khatovar" - a mercenary group with a long history and a proud tradition of working for whoever pays - good or bad. With a few notable expections, the heroes of the Black Company are nothing but, and many of the members have very dark pasts.

When a job protecting a city ruler goes sour, the Company betrays their commission and enters the service of the Lady - the immortal and evil ruler of a reborn empire.

In a refreshing change to the usual fantasy epic, the Company is therefore fighting for the dark side, which creates some wonderful dilemmas for the few men serving who retain a sense of morality.

The strength of the Black Company books are the interesting dilemmas this situation creates, and the excellent action scenes. The writing style is minimalist, which gives the plot an edgy pace and avoids the tedious meandering that sabotages the Lond of the Rings, but sometimes it goes too far - especially in the earlier books, when I found myself wishing for some description to go along with the dialogue. As such, the main characters initially seem flat, because we have no real idea what they look like, or what the world they inhabit is truly like.

Luckily these criticisms (hence the four stars) fade as the series progresses and Glen Cook matures as a writer. It is easy to see here the seeds that would appear to have taken root in the mind of Steven Erikson in the Malazan saga, and in retrospect the recent rennaisance of low fantasy owes a lot to the Black Company.

In summary: if, like me, you missed out before, do not do so again!

Epic Adventure rereleased, 16 Oct 2008
Having been in print for a number of years its come as a huge relief that Gollancz took the step to produce this Black Company Omnibus. No more searching for each book and you have it at a bargain price. Compendiums are cracking things to get. Not only do you get the full series in one go but its something that's to hand so you can flick backwards and forwards in case you want to check a fact or two. Here Glen's work will reach a new generation as it showcases his writing talent. The characters are fascinating in their shades of grey as opposed to being good or evil with plot lines, although a little bit to simplistic in certain respects, at the time they were originally written, pretty revolutionary with a Spartan writing style that is becoming more popular in recent releases.

If youre looking for an action adventure that will more than please that certain someone in your life (either for their birthday or as a Christmas present. This is one that will be hard pressed to beat on numerous levels. It will probably also guarantee a bit of peace and quiet as the reader enjoys the full adventures over the 704 pages within.


RIP Arthur C Clarke, 19 Mar 2008
This novel introduced me to the wonders of sci-fi and opened my mind in so many ways.

Rest in Peace - Arthur C Clarke

copy, 29 Dec 2007
The film upon which the book is based looks so much like a remake of the 1960 Italian film, Assignment: Outer Space, I even have to wonder about the title; 2001: Space Oddyssey is even formulated the same way - word, colon, two words.

Pretty much all of the "ground breaking" ideas in 2001, are already there in Assignment; from hybernation to make it through a long journey to a force to be reckoned with exacerbated by an out-of-control computer that kills a pilot. In Assignment, top secret military information is kept from a reporter. In the 2001 movies, the information is kept from HAL's inventor. Both characters end up solving the problem in the end.

The book of the film... of the book...., 11 Aug 2007
Interestingly the book was written specifically to create a film from and in turn filming changed the book.

The film itself is 2.5 hours of classical music, long shots, little dialogue or exposition. Very much an enigma.

The book is absolutly opposite. Far more dialogue, far more plot, far easier to understand. The book will help lovers of the film to comprehend what their watching.

It's a good story, well told and scientifically accurate... mostly.

2001, 03 Jul 2007
'2001 A Space Odyssey' is a strange beast, in that neither the novel or the film can really claim to be the definitive story, with both being worked on simultaneously by Clarke and Kubrick, but despite the odd differences between the pair they really do work best complimenting each other. Certainly the book scores over the film in terms of clarity of storytelling, and where Kubrick had to rely solely on (gorgeous) visuals only for both the 'dawn of man' and 'through the star-gate' sequences that begin and end the film the novel can give far greater depth to both, so if you are one of those people who has only seen the movie and is slightly confused as to what actually happens at the end this spells it out clearly. Without reading the novel you really have no way of knowing exactly why HAL malfunctioned, or that device seen orbiting the Earth in the film is a nuclear weapons platform, so this book is really essential for a full understanding of the movie. On other points however the novel is less successful - the rejigged sequence leading to the disconnection of HAL completely loses the drama of Dave Bowman's helmet-less re-entry of the Discovery, and the clever revelation of HAL's lip-reading ability. In fact the book as a whole, while full of brilliant ideas, is entirely lacking any warm characters, and lacks any of the emotional content of the film - even HAL's 'death scene' is unmoving here.

Still, while it may not succeed 100% as a novel in it's own right this makes the greatest science fiction film ever even better, so that can't be bad...

HAL is just one letter earlier in each instance from IBM, 04 Apr 2007
Another life forming, perspective changing tale. Okay - so you've seen the film but this is a different, more comprehensive medium. It explained much of the film to me and I like Arthur C's easy to read style of writing. The isolation of man when meeting his destiny - the fear, the anticpation and the realisation. But really, all the fun is in getting there and this book is that journey across a million years or so

If and when you've read this a good companion read is "Lost Worlds" ISBN-10: 0283986115 if you can get hold of it - the unpublished reworked chapters from the original draft - a brilliant insight in to how it was conceived and some of the twists introduced. Behind every man there stands a thousand ghosts.

Good premise, unsatisfying ending, 30 Sep 2008
The idea behind the story is good, but ultimately fails to deliver. There is lots of suspense and it holds interest throughout. However, the ending leaves one a bit unsatisfied as little is explained. We still have no idea what Rama is or what much of what's described about it actually does. Clarke's writing style is rather bland with little character development: very definitely a scientist trying to write a novel. Bit of a curate's egg for me, leaving me a little disappointed, although still worth reading. 3.5 Stars.


Not a great book but a cracking read, 21 Aug 2008
Arthur C Clarke couldn't write for toffee. His characters - inevitably dedicated professionals straight out of a Boy's Own adventure - have all the dimensions of a Euclidean line. His dialogue is heavily expositional or psychologically unbelievable: would a man about to go on what might be his final mission really fill up his last message to his spouse saying things like, "Each lock is a simple revolving cylinder with a slot on one side. You go in through this opening, crank the cylinder round a hundred and eighty degrees - and the slot then matches up with another door so that you can step out of it"?

Clarke's descriptions also tend towards the cold and analytical. Metaphor and simile have little or no place in his worlds. But what worlds they are.

The late knight's linguistic skills may have made JK Rowling look like Proust but he more than made up for them with both his technical expertise and his gift for fast-paced plot. The worlds and technologies he describes may be strange and exotic but, thanks to Clarke's deep understanding of what he is describing, they feel real - far more real, in fact, than the characters that encounter them. As to keeping the plot going, Clarke had enough of the pulp fiction writer about him to end every chapter on a cliff-hanger and to turn more tables on his protagonists than even Aristotle could have asked for.

It's doubtless for these reasons that Rendezvous with Rama is seen as a genre classic. When a vast asteroid hurtles into the solar system, it is at first nothing more than an excuse for academic bickering. When that asteroid turns out to be an alien artefact, possibly even the ark of some interstellar Noah, it becomes the object of a race against time to explore its hidden depths and - possibly - to destroy it before it becomes a threat. Though predictable in form and, frankly, dull in its casting, Rama keeps the reader avidly scanning through it looking for ever more unexpected wonders, just as its characters do. It's not a great book, not even a good book but it is a cracking read.


ok., 11 Apr 2008
i just finishd rading this book to gt to the nd. the story has a sns of wondr and supense about it which carries towards the end.
however ,thd charachters in the book are a great let down . they seem to be two dimensional and never act out of type.
as such it seems like only half a story which boils down to "look how amazing and wonderful this strange land is" and that is about all there is to it.

fab, 06 Mar 2008
arthur c. clarke is a fantastic auther. his ideas and storeys are amazing. this is no exception. A giant object is spotted and a team are sent in to investigate. the first in the series worth a read for sci-fi and none sci-fi fans.

It still evokes that Sensawonder, 13 Feb 2008
A giant cylinder is spotted entering the Solar System and a team of astronauts is sent out to investigate.
The cylinder is unfeasibly vast and (it is discovered) hollow with gravity on the inside of the cylinder produced by centrifugal force. The interior surface is lit by enormous lamps, covered with a variegated landscape and divided in two by a band of sea which exists in a circle around the inside.
Perhaps Clarke's best work, this succeeds (as did Niven's `Ringworld') by its sheer lack of explanation. In fact, the entire novel is, in some ways, an exercise in minimalist adventure, since despite the excitement of the exploration itself and having to rescue a crewmember who becomes stranded on the other side of the central sea, nothing really happens.
One cannot help, however, still being awed by Clarke's depiction of this magnificently vast alien mystery which appears in our Solar System and allows us inside her enormous shell before shortly afterward disappearing.
Again, like Niven's Ringworld, the novel was later lessened by inferior sequels (written in this case in collaboration) and which gradually eroded the awe and mystery which was an integral part of the original books. If you haven't read the Rama sequels you'd be best advised not to bother. The writing is far inferior to Clarke at his best and one suspects that his literary input was minimal.
However, getting back to the original, this is a novel which well deserves the title `classic' and still manages to evoke a sense of wonder set against a background of a universe vast and ultimately unknowable.

Then it came close enough for visual inspection.

"Goliath here", Chandler radioed Earthwards, his voice tinged with pride as well as solemnity. "We're bringing aboard a 1000-year-old astronaut. And I can guess who it is. "

Thus after drifting to an icy death in 2001: A Space Odyssey, the body of astronaut Frank Poole is recovered in the outer reaches of the Solar System. Preserved at near absolute zero, it is a simple task for medical science a millennium hence to restore Poole to life--though strangely for a novel which pits religion against science, the metaphysical implications of technological resurrection are unexamined --and the first half is devoted to Poole's integration into the society of the future. If anything he adjusts with far too little grief or culture shock: apart from mourning his dog, and learning how the new technology works, he faces no major difficulties. Still, the world of the future is drawn with broad, imaginative strokes and apart from a persistent continuity error which makes Poole 6 years old in 2001, this is fascinating stuff. The plot kicks into gear with the revelation that the famous black monoliths may ultimately not have humanity's interests at heart, leading to a perfunctorily presented struggle for survival. Clarke himself notes that the ending is functionally identical to that of Independence Day, though novel and film were created simultaneously. Not the hoped-for late classic, 3001: the Final Odyssey does provide the satisfaction of closure to Clarke's epic Odyssey Quartet.--Gary S. Dalkin

One of the best books I have ever read, 30 Dec 2008
I will not waste your time repeating what so many have said before me. Simply put, this book is one of my favourite books ever. And I am a literary demon, so I do not say that lightly. It is incredibly simply written, yet conveys so much...

The Ender character is, I think, instantly identifiable to anyone, and how OSC conveys his story, theme and mood translates so well through his writing is simply utterly compelling.

And this, of course, leads onto the Ender trilogy which, I have to admit, have helped shaped my existence more than any other fiction I have read. I strive to be Ender. In the Ender series, Orson Scott Card has created a mini masterpiece. It is Sci Fi, yet is barely science orientated at all (which, despite being a devotee of hard science, I find doesn't affect the story one jot) and is something I wish everyone in the world would read.

Ender's Game is the start of something simply amazing.
Don't have any doubt.
Buy it now, for yourself or anyone else (preferably both!) :-)

Harry Potter in Space, 08 Aug 2008
Perhaps I'm being a little unfair to this book. After all, Ender's Game was written well before Harry Potter.

In any case, this is the story of a clever little boy named Ender, who gets bullied at home and at school. But then, he receives an invitation to a prestigious school. At that school, he bullied again by some nasty boys. But he makes some friends and wins people's respect by being very good at a game. Eventually, the world is faced with an impending apocalypse, and the boy ends up saving us all.

Cute story. And Orson Scott Card's unpretentiously simple but effective writing style makes the book a very easy and at times even engrossing read. But it is mostly written as a children's book that adults can enjoy as well.

Having said that, where Harry Potter is ultimately a very likeable character, Ender is not. In fact, one could argue that he's a murdering psychopath. The author suggests that Ender is merely a victim of circumstances and essentially does what is right. The morale of the story seems to be that violence is often the best way out of a tricky situations, and one should "shoot first, ask questions later". If you're looking for a good, reasonably clean adventure story for your kids with a strong pro-military flavour that suggest they should be tough and stay clear of wooly liberal notions of peaceful solutions to problems, then this is an excellent purchase.

ender's game, 28 Jul 2008
I must have read thousands of books in my life. Ender's Game is the only book that I have read from cover to cover three times, and re-read the end over and over again. I read the sequels, and Ender's Shadow is excellent, but nothing compares to the original Ender's Game. It is an amazing book. Every time you read it you discover something new.

Ender's Game, 15 May 2008
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is quite simply a science fiction classic. Orson Scott Card's background in humanities rather than science provides an interesting take on the genre and coupled with some strong underlying themes, this leads to a surprisingly accessible novel even for those with no interest in science fiction.

Earth has survived two attacks by an alien insectal race called "Buggers". In order to ensure Earth's survival all the brightest and most gifted children are taken into service of the International Fleet and are trained to be officers and commanders in space, the youngest based at the Battle School - home of a war game where teams of children compete against each trying to disable the other team's "gate", all in zero gravity with laser quest like weapons. The story follows Ender Wiggin - an extraordinary talented 6 year old - from Earth to Battle School and his career in the game and his grooming to become command of Earth's fleets against the Buggers.

The plot is simple but the underlying themes complex, alienation and loneliness, the nature of games and rules; the capabilities of youth and their relationship with adults; compassion and ruthlessness; power and ethics; what it is to be human and of course war. In the sequels and later writing Card often falls for the common mistake of telling us rather than showing us these themes and lecturing at points however in Ender's Game he makes none of these mistakes leading to a surprisingly tight novel. In its brevity we see Card's writing at its best, well paced, well described - Ender's game is an emotional moral ride which never loses its sense of fun and wonder.


A major disappointment, 21 Mar 2008
Just finished the book, and was glad to see the back of it. I found it very repetitive and shallow. I just couldn't empathise with any of the characters.

One of the best books I have ever read, 30 Dec 2008
I will not waste your time repeating what so many have said before me. Simply put, this book is one of my favourite books ever. And I am a literary demon, so I do not say that lightly. It is incredibly simply written, yet conveys so much...

The Ender character is, I think, instantly identifiable to anyone, and how OSC conveys his story, theme and mood translates so well through his writing is simply utterly compelling.

And this, of course, leads onto the Ender trilogy which, I have to admit, have helped shaped my existence more than any other fiction I have read. I strive to be Ender. In the Ender series, Orson Scott Card has created a mini masterpiece. It is Sci Fi, yet is barely science orientated at all (which, despite being a devotee of hard science, I find doesn't affect the story one jot) and is something I wish everyone in the world would read.

Ender's Game is the start of something simply amazing.
Don't have any doubt.
Buy it now, for yourself or anyone else (preferably both!) :-)

Harry Potter in Space, 08 Aug 2008
Perhaps I'm being a little unfair to this book. After all, Ender's Game was written well before Harry Potter.

In any case, this is the story of a clever little boy named Ender, who gets bullied at home and at school. But then, he receives an invitation to a prestigious school. At that school, he bullied again by some nasty boys. But he makes some friends and wins people's respect by being very good at a game. Eventually, the world is faced with an impending apocalypse, and the boy ends up saving us all.

Cute story. And Orson Scott Card's unpretentiously simple but effective writing style makes the book a very easy and at times even engrossing read. But it is mostly written as a children's book that adults can enjoy as well.

Having said that, where Harry Potter is ultimately a very likeable character, Ender is not. In fact, one could argue that he's a murdering psychopath. The author suggests that Ender is merely a victim of circumstances and essentially does what is right. The morale of the story seems to be that violence is often the best way out of a tricky situations, and one should "shoot first, ask questions later". If you're looking for a good, reasonably clean adventure story for your kids with a strong pro-military flavour that suggest they should be tough and stay clear of wooly liberal notions of peaceful solutions to problems, then this is an excellent purchase.

ender's game, 28 Jul 2008
I must have read thousands of books in my life. Ender's Game is the only book that I have read from cover to cover three times, and re-read the end over and over again. I read the sequels, and Ender's Shadow is excellent, but nothing compares to the original Ender's Game. It is an amazing book. Every time you read it you discover something new.

Ender's Game, 15 May 2008
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is quite simply a science fiction classic. Orson Scott Card's background in humanities rather than science provides an interesting take on the genre and coupled with some strong underlying themes, this leads to a surprisingly accessible novel even for those with no interest in science fiction.

Earth has survived two attacks by an alien insectal race called "Buggers". In order to ensure Earth's survival all the brightest and most gifted children are taken into service of the International Fleet and are trained to be officers and commanders in space, the youngest based at the Battle School - home of a war game where teams of children compete against each trying to disable the other team's "gate", all in zero gravity with laser quest like weapons. The story follows Ender Wiggin - an extraordinary talented 6 year old - from Earth to Battle School and his career in the game and his grooming to become command of Earth's fleets against the Buggers.

The plot is simple but the underlying themes complex, alienation and loneliness, the nature of games and rules; the capabilities of youth and their relationship with adults; compassion and ruthlessness; power and ethics; what it is to be human and of course war. In the sequels and later writing Card often falls for the common mistake of telling us rather than showing us these themes and lecturing at points however in Ender's Game he makes none of these mistakes leading to a surprisingly tight novel. In its brevity we see Card's writing at its best, well paced, well described - Ender's game is an emotional moral ride which never loses its sense of fun and wonder.


A major disappointment, 21 Mar 2008
Just finished the book, and was glad to see the back of it. I found it very repetitive and shallow. I just couldn't empathise with any of the characters.

Do not miss out on this series!, 12 Dec 2008
As a fantasy fan for many years, I can only hang my head in shame that I had missed the Black Company books when they were originally released.

The series tells the tale of the Black Company, "last of the free companies of Khatovar" - a mercenary group with a long history and a proud tradition of working for whoever pays - good or bad. With a few notable expections, the heroes of the Black Company are nothing but, and many of the members have very dark pasts.

When a job protecting a city ruler goes sour, the Company betrays their commission and enters the service of the Lady - the immortal and evil ruler of a reborn empire.

In a refreshing change to the usual fantasy epic, the Company is therefore fighting for the dark side, which creates some wonderful dilemmas for the few men serving who retain a sense of morality.

The strength of the Black Company books are the interesting dilemmas this situation creates, and the excellent action scenes. The writing style is minimalist, which gives the plot an edgy pace and avoids the tedious meandering that sabotages the Lond of the Rings, but sometimes it goes too far - especially in the earlier books, when I found myself wishing for some description to go along with the dialogue. As such, the main characters initially seem flat, because we have no real idea what they look like, or what the world they inhabit is truly like.

Luckily these criticisms (hence the four stars) fade as the series progresses and Glen Cook matures as a writer. It is easy to see here the seeds that would appear to have taken root in the mind of Steven Erikson in the Malazan saga, and in retrospect the recent rennaisance of low fantasy owes a lot to the Black Company.

In summary: if, like me, you missed out before, do not do so again!

Epic Adventure rereleased, 16 Oct 2008
Having been in print for a number of years its come as a huge relief that Gollancz took the step to produce this Black Company Omnibus. No more searching for each book and you have it at a bargain price. Compendiums are cracking things to get. Not only do you get the full series in one go but its something that's to hand so you can flick backwards and forwards in case you want to check a fact or two. Here Glen's work will reach a new generation as it showcases his writing talent. The characters are fascinating in their shades of grey as opposed to being good or evil with plot lines, although a little bit to simplistic in certain respects, at the time they were originally written, pretty revolutionary with a Spartan writing style that is becoming more popular in recent releases.

If youre looking for an action adventure that will more than please that certain someone in your life (either for their birthday or as a Christmas present. This is one that will be hard pressed to beat on numerous levels. It will probably also guarantee a bit of peace and quiet as the reader enjoys the full adventures over the 704 pages within.


RIP Arthur C Clarke, 19 Mar 2008
This novel introduced me to the wonders of sci-fi and opened my mind in so many ways.

Rest in Peace - Arthur C Clarke

copy, 29 Dec 2007
The film upon which the book is based looks so much like a remake of the 1960 Italian film, Assignment: Outer Space, I even have to wonder about the title; 2001: Space Oddyssey is even formulated the same way - word, colon, two words.

Pretty much all of the "ground breaking" ideas in 2001, are already there in Assignment; from hybernation to make it through a long journey to a force to be reckoned with exacerbated by an out-of-control computer that kills a pilot. In Assignment, top secret military information is kept from a reporter. In the 2001 movies, the information is kept from HAL's inventor. Both characters end up solving the problem in the end.

The book of the film... of the book...., 11 Aug 2007
Interestingly the book was written specifically to create a film from and in turn filming changed the book.

The film itself is 2.5 hours of classical music, long shots, little dialogue or exposition. Very much an enigma.

The book is absolutly opposite. Far more dialogue, far more plot, far easier to understand. The book will help lovers of the film to comprehend what their watching.

It's a good story, well told and scientifically accurate... mostly.

2001, 03 Jul 2007
'2001 A Space Odyssey' is a strange beast, in that neither the novel or the film can really claim to be the definitive story, with both being worked on simultaneously by Clarke and Kubrick, but despite the odd differences between the pair they really do work best complimenting each other. Certainly the book scores over the film in terms of clarity of storytelling, and where Kubrick had to rely solely on (gorgeous) visuals only for both the 'dawn of man' and 'through the star-gate' sequences that begin and end the film the novel can give far greater depth to both, so if you are one of those people who has only seen the movie and is slightly confused as to what actually happens at the end this spells it out clearly. Without reading the novel you really have no way of knowing exactly why HAL malfunctioned, or that device seen orbiting the Earth in the film is a nuclear weapons platform, so this book is really essential for a full understanding of the movie. On other points however the novel is less successful - the rejigged sequence leading to the disconnection of HAL completely loses the drama of Dave Bowman's helmet-less re-entry of the Discovery, and the clever revelation of HAL's lip-reading ability. In fact the book as a whole, while full of brilliant ideas, is entirely lacking any warm characters, and lacks any of the emotional content of the film - even HAL's 'death scene' is unmoving here.

Still, while it may not succeed 100% as a novel in it's own right this makes the greatest science fiction film ever even better, so that can't be bad...

HAL is just one letter earlier in each instance from IBM, 04 Apr 2007
Another life forming, perspective changing tale. Okay - so you've seen the film but this is a different, more comprehensive medium. It explained much of the film to me and I like Arthur C's easy to read style of writing. The isolation of man when meeting his destiny - the fear, the anticpation and the realisation. But really, all the fun is in getting there and this book is that journey across a million years or so

If and when you've read this a good companion read is "Lost Worlds" ISBN-10: 0283986115 if you can get hold of it - the unpublished reworked chapters from the original draft - a brilliant insight in to how it was conceived and some of the twists introduced. Behind every man there stands a thousand ghosts.

Good premise, unsatisfying ending, 30 Sep 2008
The idea behind the story is good, but ultimately fails to deliver. There is lots of suspense and it holds interest throughout. However, the ending leaves one a bit unsatisfied as little is explained. We still have no idea what Rama is or what much of what's described about it actually does. Clarke's writing style is rather bland with little character development: very definitely a scientist trying to write a novel. Bit of a curate's egg for me, leaving me a little disappointed, although still worth reading. 3.5 Stars.


Not a great book but a cracking read, 21 Aug 2008
Arthur C Clarke couldn't write for toffee. His characters - inevitably dedicated professionals straight out of a Boy's Own adventure - have all the dimensions of a Euclidean line. His dialogue is heavily expositional or psychologically unbelievable: would a man about to go on what might be his final mission really fill up his last message to his spouse saying things like, "Each lock is a simple revolving cylinder with a slot on one side. You go in through this opening, crank the cylinder round a hundred and eighty degrees - and the slot then matches up with another door so that you can step out of it"?

Clarke's descriptions also tend towards the cold and analytical. Metaphor and simile have little or no place in his worlds. But what worlds they are.

The late knight's linguistic skills may have made JK Rowling look like Proust but he more than made up for them with both his technical expertise and his gift for fast-paced plot. The worlds and technologies he describes may be strange and exotic but, thanks to Clarke's deep understanding of what he is describing, they feel real - far more real, in fact, than the characters that encounter them. As to keeping the plot going, Clarke had enough of the pulp fiction writer about him to end every chapter on a cliff-hanger and to turn more tables on his protagonists than even Aristotle could have asked for.

It's doubtless for these reasons that Rendezvous with Rama is seen as a genre classic. When a vast asteroid hurtles into the solar system, it is at first nothing more than an excuse for academic bickering. When that asteroid turns out to be an alien artefact, possibly even the ark of some interstellar Noah, it becomes the object of a race against time to explore its hidden depths and - possibly - to destroy it before it becomes a threat. Though predictable in form and, frankly, dull in its casting, Rama keeps the reader avidly scanning through it looking for ever more unexpected wonders, just as its characters do. It's not a great book, not even a good book but it is a cracking read.


ok., 11 Apr 2008
i just finishd rading this book to gt to the nd. the story has a sns of wondr and supense about it which carries towards the end.
however ,thd charachters in the book are a great let down . they seem to be two dimensional and never act out of type.
as such it seems like only half a story which boils down to "look how amazing and wonderful this strange land is" and that is about all there is to it.

fab, 06 Mar 2008
arthur c. clarke is a fantastic auther. his ideas and storeys are amazing. this is no exception. A giant object is spotted and a team are sent in to investigate. the first in the series worth a read for sci-fi and none sci-fi fans.

It still evokes that Sensawonder, 13 Feb 2008
A giant cylinder is spotted entering the Solar System and a team of astronauts is sent out to investigate.
The cylinder is unfeasibly vast and (it is discovered) hollow with gravity on the inside of the cylinder produced by centrifugal force. The interior surface is lit by enormous lamps, covered with a variegated landscape and divided in two by a band of sea which exists in a circle around the inside.
Perhaps Clarke's best work, this succeeds (as did Niven's `Ringworld') by its sheer lack of explanation. In fact, the entire novel is, in some ways, an exercise in minimalist adventure, since despite the excitement of the exploration itself and having to rescue a crewmember who becomes stranded on the other side of the central sea, nothing really happens.
One cannot help, however, still being awed by Clarke's depiction of this magnificently vast alien mystery which appears in our Solar System and allows us inside her enormous shell before shortly afterward disappearing.
Again, like Niven's Ringworld, the novel was later lessened by inferior sequels (written in this case in collaboration) and which gradually eroded the awe and mystery which was an integral part of the original books. If you haven't read the Rama sequels you'd be best advised not to bother. The writing is far inferior to Clarke at his best and one suspects that his literary input was minimal.
However, getting back to the original, this is a novel which well deserves the title `classic' and still manages to evoke a sense of wonder set against a background of a universe vast and ultimately unknowable.


Rewarding, but not closely related to the series, 15 Feb 2008
3001 is a very good, well-written book. In my opinion, it's much better than 2061 but nowhere near the first two books in "Space Odyssey" series. Placed one thousand years after 2001's events, do not except too much of a sequel, the first half of it (or maybe more) is pretty much not "Space Odyssey" related but nevertheless is still a recommended book if you're a Clarke fan. I've read it 3 times and while it's not as rewarding as the first two books are after multiple readings, it's still worth bying it.

Weak, uninspired and a big let down, 12 Feb 2008
This is part iv in the Odyssey quartet, it is also the last part, and thank goodness.

2001 and 2010 built up an amazing world, one believable even and thought provoking. If you've read just these two, stop, go no further. There's no big revelation you've been looking for, you will not get answers and you will be dissatisfied with the finale you reach.

3001 is a trojan horse, a gift that looks like a spectacle, it's not. It's a short book that exists only to entertain A.C Clarke's ponderings on future technologies. It's a tale of a possible, far distant future, totally unrelated to the previous books. The problem is that there isn't a story, there's no narrative pushing the story forward.

Hitchcock always had his MacGuffin, the plot device that moved the story forward. This book doesn't have that. For half the book Poole (who was killed in 2001, only to be revived without explanation of how in 3001) does nothing other than 'discover' his new society (hence my remarks about Clarke's ponderings). It is only when he decides to go to Saturns moon and try and make contact with Bowman that things take off, though that may be an exagerration.

Bowman and Hal, who 'live' inside the Monolith on Saturn's moon have somewhere along become captives, now worki