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Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
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  1. saltmanz recommends City of Pearl by Karen Traviss, "These two books have quite a lot in common: first contact, a Christian human colony, a group of scientists, moral dilemmas, sharply drawn characters, and (see more) even more that I won't get into for fear of spoilers. Both fantastic books."
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Showing 1-5 of 81 (next | show all)
This book is just as good as Ender's Game. It is one of the greatest examples of alien creation in science fiction. Yet it could almost work as a mystery novel. It has all the emotion of Ender's Game, but just like Ender, it has grown up. ( )
  SendersName | Nov 10, 2009 |
I consider this less the second book in a series or even a mere sequel than the second half of Ender Wiggin's story. What began with his troubled childhood in the Battle School concludes on the planet of Lusitania, where the first intelligent alien species in 3000 years has been discovered. The Piggies, as they are affectionately called, are full of mysteries and questions, but they seem friendly enough. However, when two xenologists are found brutally slain by the Piggies, fear and suspicion begin to spread through the human colony. It's another solid story about understanding alien societies, full of memorable and realistic characters. As an added bonus, most of the questions raised in Ender's Game (how did the video game know about Peter, what happened to the Hive Queen etc.) are answered. Definitely an excellent book. I'm surprised people don't praise the pair of novels as much as Ender's Game alone, actually. I'm glad I read this. Highly recommended. ( )
  melydia | Oct 28, 2009 |
A poor attempt to follow Ender's Game -- rapidly veering to fantasy. ( )
  Sherm1 | Oct 23, 2009 |
I think this might be my favorite in the Ender series -- by which I of course refer to the four books ending with Children of the Mind. Because that's all Orson Scott Card ever wrote in this universe. Which is probably for the best. ( )
  bluedream | Oct 18, 2009 |
There are so many formulaic science fiction books out there, most push the boundaries of current technology and knowledge in predictable ways. Speaker for the Dead is refreshingly original even 15 years after its publication date. Though the book had a slow start, and the family at the center of the story is presented as a group of miserable humans that deserve each other, the introduction of the fascinating "piggies" and their mysterious behavior is fascinating. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. ( )
  lbspen | Oct 4, 2009 |
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For Gregg Keizer who already knew how
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Since we are not yet fully comfortable with the idea that people from the next village are as human as ourselves, it is presumptuous in the extreme to suppose we could ever look at sociable, tool-making creatures who arose from other evolutionary paths and see not beasts but brothers, not rivals but fellow pilgrims journeying to the shrine of intelligence.
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Only one rabbi dared to expect of us such a perfect balance that we could preserve the law and still forgive the deviation. So, of course, we killed him.
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Speaker for the Dead

Book description

Amazon.com (ISBN 0812550757, Mass Market Paperback)

Ender Wiggin, the hero and scapegoat of mass alien destruction in Ender's Game, receives a chance at redemption in this novel. Ender, who proclaimed as a mistake his success in wiping out an alien race, wins the opportunity to cope better with a second race, discovered by Portuguese colonists on the planet Lusitania. Orson Scott Card infuses this long, ambitious tale with intellect by casting his characters in social, religious and cultural contexts. Like its predecessor, this book won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:55 -0400)

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