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In this sequel to Ender's Game, Ender Wiggin returns to redeem himself and prevent the xenocide of the race known as the Porquinhos (Piggies). Ender, also known as the Speaker for the Dead, comes to the Catholic, Portuguese space colony of Lusitania to "speak for" xenologers Pipo and Libo and foundry worker, Marcos Riberira. Although a sequel, Card's descriptions and explanations are detailed enough to allow even the novice science fiction reader to take up the story from here. The characters, from the Portuguese colonists to the aliens, are well developed. Truly a multiethnic and multicultural novel, Card makes interesting observations about how humans treat other races. Be prepared to confront religious, social and moral dilemmas.

Reviewed by Michelle G., Scaleybark Branch

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It's May 1942, and war is raging around the world. The Allies and the Axis, in bitter opposition, must put aside their differences to fight a threat to the entire planet, alien invasion. Harry Turtledove's World War series, beginning with World War: In the Balance, presents us with the question, "Could Stalin, Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt and other world leaders work together against a common foe?" Turtledove does an outstanding job of weaving the lives of fictional characters with historical figures as they try to fight the invaders while keeping a distrustful eye on their human enemies as well. A must read for anyone interested in the growing genre of alternate history.

Reviewed by Michael E., Main Library

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In 2019 a radio astronomer hears the seductive songs of extraterrestrials. As when Europe began to explore the New World, the Society of Jesus maneuvers itself into the leadership of an expedition to the planet Rakhat, the origin of these Siren songs. Father Emilio Sandoz, a Jesuit linguist, heads the team of eight men and women sent on this journey; he is the only one who returns home. Sandoz must try to explain why everything has gone so terribly wrong; however, even a priest can't explain what he doesn't understand. Here is the chaos of misunderstanding as experienced by Sandoz, one of the most flesh-and-blood characters in recent fiction. Sandoz is a man struggling with himself, his Church, and his God. Beware, things are rarely what they seem!

Reviewed by Mark B., Main Library

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Reader's comments about this book

I loved this book and its sequel, Children of God. Both books are great for group discussion because they deal with issues ranging from fear, faith, and spirituality to racism/speciesism.
-Heidi, Huntersville, NC

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Earth’s military has been trying to breed child geniuses to train, in hopes of saving Earth from an impending alien attack. Six-year-old Ender is one such child selected to train with other children on a military academy space station. Training is conducted by mental and physical “games.” Excelling, Ender is quickly promoted, leaving behind the few friends he has made and the enemies who are jealous of his talents. Meanwhile, back on Earth, his older siblings are carrying out political plans of their own. The action never slows—multiple viewpoints, good and evil, social interactions—Ender’s stoic spirit and Card’s page-turning writing will leave you breathless!

Reviewed by Donna R., Mint Hill Branch

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Ender Wiggin is different. Ever since he was 3 years old he has had people "monitoring" him. He has to live with his horrible brother, Peter, who hates him because of his "monitor." Ender is about to give up to Peter when he is whisked away to Battle School. There he learns how to fight and to win. His whole life leads up to the dramatic conclusion of this exciting book. If you like battles and sci-fi, this is the book for you!
-Brad, Charlotte, NC

If you like battles and sci-fi, this is the book for you!
-Brad, Charlotte, NC

Mainly I read this story for the politics. This involved, mainly, Peter and Valentine, Ender's older siblings. They, under Peter's control, try to take over the world using false names, Locke and Demosthenis, their vast intelects and a "silver tongue".
-Sam, Charlotte, NC

Ender's Game, written by Orson Scott Card, is guaranteed to be an excellent book for those who like the sci-fi type, without all the complex physics that many of us have quite a hard time fully comprehending. Featuring characters you quickly learn to love, hate, and even love to hate, combine that with an attention-stealing plotline makes this a wonderful book which I have named "My favorite novel of all time."
-Joel, Joanna, SC

This really is an AWESOME book! There's so much drama, so much suspense; you're drawn in. It's so suspenseful and has a great climax. Follow Ender as he goes through battle school learning to kill aliens. The ironic end teaches him exactly the opposite. An AWESOME book!
-Jasmeet, Sacramento, CA

I absolutley love this book! We had to read it for my english class. At first I didn't want to read it, too much sci-fi, but from the first chapter on, I couldn't put it down!!! It is a book not only about science fiction but about survival. I normally read fantasy and historical fiction, but this book is my all time favorite!!!! READ IT!
-Tianna, Layton, UT

This is SUCH A GOOD BOOK!! It actually drags you into a future world, bringing you to battle school along with Ender. It totally made me feel like I was in the book with him! Even though Ender kills two people (although in self-defense) and massacres an entire alien race, you still feel a lot of love for him! I suggest this book for ANYONE, whether you like science fiction or not!
-Rose, Connecticut

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Humanity is embroiled in a galactic war with an alien race, the Taurans, so named because they seem to come from somewhere in the constellation we call Taurus. Because of distance and relativity, the conflict seems to last forever. William Mandella, physics student and reluctant draftee, must somehow endure this war that hurls him blindly through time; one year in his life, may be experienced as decades, or even longer, on Earth. This disjointed sense of time is one way the author portrays the capriciousness of the soldiers’ existence. Haldeman’s award-winning novel explores the chaos of the battlefield, exposes the madness of war, and sings of the beauty and tenacity of the human spirit as embodied by one man.

Reviewed by Mark B., Main Library

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The story of this novel centers around a theme park that is designed to be, and successfully becomes, the true “happiest place on earth.” The park, called Dreamworld, utilizes technology to create a literal dream world. The two main characters are an aging lady and a young boy that live in the park without the knowledge of the owners. They call it going “under.” While they are under they, and the park’s competitors, discover some monkey business that may or may not end the world. While a rather grandiose plot sometimes bogs down an otherwise pleasant story, this is still a quick, and enjoyable read.

Reviewed by Ed M., Morrison Regional

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A paleontologist is given an intact dinosaur head and allowed to dissect it. It is meant as an enticement for a new technology being loaned to humanity by some bird people from our distant future. He accepts and the adventure of his life begins, he may not remember it, it may have never happened, although it did. Such paradoxes are central to the story. Swanwick does not pale from the paradoxical; he frolics in it and frees himself from it. The story becomes more and more interwoven before it collapses in on itself and resolves abruptly with a strong touch of melancholy. Swanwick has created a fantastic and seemingly impossible story that may have already happened.

Reviewed by Ed M., Morrison Regional

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Self-proclaimed mad scientist, Allen Meisner, has created a hyperdrive that can instantaneously transfer a craft across any distance in this novel set in the very-near future. He unleashes his gizmo on an unsuspecting world and its governments are not happy. They force Meisner and a rebellious shuttle pilot into a flight for their lives. Similar in scope to his last novel, this story has a message that mankind’s only hope is for us to leave the cradle of planet Earth and face a future in the stars. Oltion is a very good writer but his theme gets ahead of his story and his plot is a bit too convenient to be believable; however, his realistic and sympathetic characters keep the pages turning.

Reviewed by Ed M., Morrison Regional

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Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land has become a sci-fi classic even though it was considered controversial when published in 1961. Symbolic of the ‘60s generation with its iconoclasm and free-love themes, this novel tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, the sole survivor of the first manned expedition to Mars. After being raised by Martians, Smith returns to Earth as an adult and the legal heir to a financial empire. However, since Smith is human in body but Martian in mind, he has no knowledge and experience with human behavior and culture. His unwillingness and inability to blend into human society ultimately determines his fate. Even though Heinlein’s novel won the 1962 Hugo Award, this original uncut version was not published until 1991.

Reviewed by Kim W., University City Regional

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Arthur Dent wakes up one morning to a series of nasty surprises. His home is being knocked down and his best friend tells him he is from Betelgeuse and not from Guildford! Worse yet, he finds out that Earth is being demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass. We follow Dent as he stumbles from one misadventure to another, never really sure exactly what will happen next. Yet, he always carries his trusty book, "The Guide" with him, that offers advice about trekking through the universe and that has the words "Don't Panic" written on the front cover. Adams has written a humorous, sarcastic, smart sci-fi novel, a real sci-fi classic, filled with excitement and great insight. A true must-read.

Reviewed by Ian R., North County Regional

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The Hitchhiker trilogy continues with this darkly comic novel that follows the adventures of Arthur Dent and his friends. In this book, they get sent to the end of time for dinner, watch as publishing companies get bombed, spend several days trapped in someone's jacket pocket, and finally end up marooned on prehistoric Earth with a shipload of hairdressers and security guards. Actually they are trying really hard to find out the secret of life, the universe and everything. But they already know the answer to it all is the number 42! Humorous and moving romp from a great storyteller who just happens to also be considered as one of the great contemporary sci-fi writers.

Reviewed by Ian R., North County Regional

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The Hitchhiker trilogy enters new ground with this book in the series since it is not based on the original BBC radio scripts. Arthur Dent and Ford Perfect finally find their way off prehistoric Earth (by means of a Chesterfield sofa and Lords cricket ground) only to find themselves in the midst of an ancient plot to destroy all existence. Pausing to grab some fresh towels, attend a party, learn how to fly (the secret is to fall over and forget to hit the ground) and some disturbing but important things about the game of cricket, Arthur and friends do their level best to save the day. Funny, thoughtful book by an accomplished sci-fi novelist.

Reviewed by Ian R., North County Regional

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Arthur Dent is in a bad way. He has lost forever the woman he loved, there's an evil swamp where his planet should be, and he's beginning to think that the universe is deeply unfair. This is the author's darkest book, although it is at different points very comical, yet the tone is a bit less jovial than Adams' other books in the Hitchhiker series. Yet through the solemnity, we touch upon some of Adams' most beautiful writing. A humorous, yet deeply moving book from one of sci-fi's accomplished writers.

Reviewed by Ian R., North County Regional

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Douglas Adams' death in 2001 at the age of forty-nine deprived the reading world of a great sci-fi writer, a passionate thinker and with his demise, the end of the popular Hitchhiker series. The Salmon of Doubt is a collection of the essays that Adams left, along with a tantalizingly and frustratingly incomplete manuscript for the early chapters of a new novel. The book, however, is worthwhile because it offers his fans a way to commemorate his passing. Surely one of the greatest sci-fi writers of our time.

Reviewed by Ian R., North County Regional

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Carmen Dula and her family are Mars bound. Having won the lottery her family will spend five years on the (or rather “in”) the Red Planet’s Earth colony. During the six month voyage out, Carmen will find love and find herself on the wrong side of the Mars side officialdom. Even in space there’s a bureaucracy and it will make you scream. Escaping the strictures of the colony, Carmen is injured on a forbidden jaunt but rescued by (whom else?) the Martians except they aren’t really Martians. Who they are and why they are there we shall leave Mr. Haldeman to explain.

Reviewed by John C., Main Library

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