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So a while back I read Ender's game, and I really liked it, and now I want to start working on the rest of the series, but I am conflicted as to how to go about it. I have gotten a copy of both "Ender's Shadow" and "Speaker for the Dead", which would be the next books if I were to read it chronologically or by publication date, respectively.
So here are the choices (as far as I am concerned):
(I'm not counting the book of short stories because idk why)
Chronological:
Ender's Game
Ender's Shadow
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow Puppets
Shadow of the Giant
Ender in Exile
Speaker for the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind
By publication date:
Ender's Game
Speaker for the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind
Ender's Shadow
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow Puppets
Shadow of the Giant
Ender in Exile
So basically, those of you that have read a significant portion of the series, how did you go about it? And how do you suggest that I go about it?
Please no spoilers.
And by 'please no spoilers' I mean that if you spoil even a little bit I will dispatch Shallow[BaY] to your house to kill you in some sort of Canadian military way that would both impress and arouse you. (but it would also destroy you)
Not putting a poll because I am more interested in your reasons for saying your order.
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Basically the book splits off into 2 series, one about Ender and his sister doing whatever in space, and the other about the aftermath of Ender's Game.
Personally, I love strategy and war and what not, so the Bean's series was much more enjoyable for me as it picked up where it left off.
I didnt even bother reading the Ender's series, but that is just my bias.
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I read Ender's Game
Ender's Shadow
Speaker for the Dead
Xenocide
and that's it. Shadow was my favorite.
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Ender's Game
Speaker for the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind
Ender's Game
Ender's Shadow
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow Puppets
Shadow of the Giant
Ender's Game
Ender in Exile
why that way? because that's how I purchased them, and there was a long enough time frame between books that I needed to reread the original.
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South Africa4316 Posts
I read it straight up by date of publication. It's a bit like Star Wars, and just like with Star Wars, I think it should be watched in the order they were released in rather than in chronological order. The way I see it, the books are actually more entertaining if you read the by release date, because you follow the larger storyline in Ender's series, before having the details filled in by the Shadow and newer Ender books.
I dunno, it's a bit like watching Memento chronologically rather than in the order the film is presented, Chronologically it might make more sense, but in the order it is presented in, it's better paced and the new information is more surprising and interesting.
And as it has been said, remember that the Ender's series is much slower than the Shadow series, so some people didn't enjoy it. I think it is quite good 
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I've never read Ender in Exile so I don't know how it fits in with the other books, but the Ender sequels and the Bean books have absolutely no overlap (besides Ender's Game/Shadow of course). Therefore, if you plan to read them all anyway, which series you read first isn't important. You might be pretty fed up with Orson Scott Card after reading Xenocide and Children of the Mind though.  The Bean series is very good, the Ender sequels not so much (Speaker for the Dead is all right).
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I've never read these books (I want to though!) but for most everything else, reading/watching something by how it was released/published/broadcasted is more enjoyable than doing it chronologically. If you're really really into series, then read/watch it again in chronological order just to pick up nuances, details, etc. But the first time should be in order of release.
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IMO, the branching storyline really means it does not matter. Same universe, same characters. Completely different story arc. It just starts from the same place.
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use the publication date order. when you read something in the order it was published you can "get off the ship" if the series starts to go south, or when it seems like the author is cranking them out for money. it's also harder to miss gems this way, since usually the inspiration for a universe dries up long before demand for that series dries up.
also you get to read speaker for the dead sooner, and it's rad.
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ender's game
ender's shadow
shadow of the hegemon
shadow puppets
shadow the giant
ender in exile
anything about ender past speaker for the dead isn't worth reading imo (speaker is borderline itself)
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I read Ender's shadow first and it was so awesome to do it in that order...
Seriously if you are planning on starting to read this series, consider reading ender's shadow first.
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Wow everybody either loves shadow and hates speaker or loves speaker and hates shadow. In this thread and in irc. I'm probably going to do publication date, but if I don't like speaker I might read shadow right after it and just kinda wing it from there.
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They have another Ender book coming out soon this year if I'm not mistaken
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I only read Enders Game and Speaker For The Dead. I loved both of them.
[edit] I think Card said he always wanted to write Speaker For The Dead and had the idea in his mind for a long time. Enders Game was just the prelude.
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i never read ender in exile because i checked out the summary and it looked dumb. Ive listened to all the others on audio book and I enjoyed it just going through the ender series first and then the bean series. Seemed nice to me. Infact it seemed like it would be better reading all of the Ender's series first because then you kind of know what will be going on in the Bean series = )
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On February 12 2010 18:25 ShadowDrgn wrote:I've never read Ender in Exile so I don't know how it fits in with the other books, but the Ender sequels and the Bean books have absolutely no overlap (besides Ender's Game/Shadow of course). Therefore, if you plan to read them all anyway, which series you read first isn't important. You might be pretty fed up with Orson Scott Card after reading Xenocide and Children of the Mind though. The Bean series is very good, the Ender sequels not so much (Speaker for the Dead is all right).
This is true. I hated that bitch from Path. Han Qing-Jao. God she pissed me off SOOOOOOOO MUCH. Messing with Jane was irritating - _-
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Sadist you are encroaching on spoil territory.
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On February 12 2010 21:24 Lemonwalrus wrote:
Sadist you are encroaching on spoil territory.
there was no spoiler there = )
edit: for the record what made her annoying was the whole "god spoken" thing.
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Xenocide and Children of the Mind I actually enjoyed, but they're very different from the other books. I'd say give Xenocide a shot, and if you don't like it don't get Children of the Mind.
Ender in Exile I very recently read, and found that it too was different. All three of the mentioned books were seriously philosophical, and personally I felt that Card matured as an author. I'm still in love with every single book, so I may be delusional, but I still recommend them.
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EPT
