Five Books that Shaped Me—Utilizing Every Space

DAY 078 - 26/19/3 -

Recently I came across this question on my social media, "What five books inspired your writing?" I previously wrote about the second novel and its authentic dialogue. Now, it's time for the third.

#3 - Ender's Game

- Orson Scott Card

"You should read Ender's Game." Several of my friends and teachers told me. "You'd like Ender's Game." In truth, I wanted to read it, but I never knew when the right time would be. That was, until I saw Ender on his movie poster. He looked fierce. His stance was ready for battle, and written under his boots were these chrome numbers, "11.1.13." His film was set to launch in autumn, and fortunately for me summer wasn't over yet. I had time.

My mission was clear: acquire Ender's Game from the library, read it during any break I got, finish it before September, and then review the film for my school newspaper. Never before had I tried to read a 300-page novel with a deadline. Before Ender, I only read when I felt like it, which meant I'd either finish a book in a month (if it was shorter than 200 pages) or a year (400 pages). But Ender was a goal; one I intended to meet. So that summer, my friends often saw me with the book up to my nose. I read it in the car, at stores and anytime I was waiting in line. I was making progress, but time was running out.

Then, one evening, I finished it—but not before it finished me.

The first stand-out aspect in Ender's Game was in its opening lines. Chapters didn't begin with narration. They started with dialogue between two unidentified speakers. There's nothing to establish where they are or what they're discussing. It's just a transcript, as if it was an audio recording. I wasn't expecting a novel to have anything technical in it. Typically, the books I read would have a map or a newspaper clipping, but definitely nothing from a computer. I had no idea the written page could be so versatile; able to embody technologies both past and future.

Ender's story was gripping, between his days at Battle School and his encounters with its tough students. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. But the novel kept throwing me into puzzling scenes. Anytime it seemed it was going to jump ahead to the next training session, Ender would walk back to his barracks alone. What did he do? He'd sleep or play computer games. The first few times, I figured the author was just creating slower moments amidst the action. But after the third, I realized something was up. If everything else in the novel was purposeful, then those dream sequences had to matter somehow. This had to be going somewhere. Right?

Indeed, it was all leading to something. That's when those slower moments became some of my favorite scenes. They were even more intriguing, once the unidentified speakers started referencing them. How could they know what was on Ender's mind? Who were they?

These questions and many others brought me from the start of the book all the way to its exciting climax. I was thoroughly entertained by Ender's journey; the difficult challenges he faced, the cunning plans he made, and the tactical friendships he kept. With wide eyes, I reached page 340. Only 20 pages left; not enough space to start another battle. Soon, it dawned on me: This was the end.

I admit, the book's climax was satisfying, but it felt hollow. "Was this it?" I asked myself. "Have I come all this way just to have to read the sequel?" There weren't enough pages to answer all my questions. It seemed this book was only the beginning of Ender's journey.

Then, I read page 341. Nothing was the same.

Everything in Ender's Game was building to a monumental conclusion. It was laid out before my eyes, on every page. I didn't see it, until I learned the truth—a powerful secret revealed in one paragraph. A plot twist! And in the last couple of pages. I didn't figure that the final chapters could be used so effectively. I always saw them as a "wrap up" or "sequel bait." But ever since Ender's Game, I've changed my perspective. As long as there are pages to be read, the story isn't over.

And this blog isn't over either, so make sure to read my next post, where I'll take a look at a fairy tale that was edited (whole chapters removed) without the author's permission...or was it?

Mission Accomplished