I may be strange and part of the few…but I definitely liked “Speaker for the Dead” better than “Ender’s Game.”
Don’t get me wrong, “Ender’s Game” was a great book as I mentioned previously. Yet, in all it’s glory, “Ender’s Game” is really nothing more than a long prologue to the real story – the one about human nature and how we deal with people who are different then we are – the story of hurt, pain and choices that come to rule you despite everything you do – the story about the freedom of truth and the healing touch of transparency – being real with people and sharing the pain within.
“No human being, when you understand his desires, is worthless. No one’s life is nothing. Even the most evil of men and women, if you understand their hearts, had some generous act that redeems them, at least a little, from their sins.” -Andrew Wiggin
“Once you know what people really want, you can’t hate them anymore. You can fear them, but you can’t hate them, because you can always find the same desires in your own heart.” -Andrew Wiggin
“I’m not one to despise other people for their sins. I haven’t found one yet, that I didn’t say to myself, I’ve done worse than this.” -Andrew Wiggin
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” –St. Paul
In addition, I would say that next to the “Ugly American” this is the best cross-cultural book out there as it highlights the different viewpoints of life between humans and the aliens. No matter how hard we try, we usually end up trying to fit the actions and values of the foreign cultural into our own framework. Unfortunately this does not work…
If we really want to understand someone, we must step outside of ourselves and try to see the world from through their eyes, their values and beliefs. It is hard thing to do…but it is something that our Lord Jesus did when He came from Heaven to Earth to walk among us and to show is the Way forward.