[ddanieltan]

I remember being very disappointed reading Speaker for the Dead, in that it's a total change of pace from the more "hero's journey" structure for Ender's Game, but now looking back, I really appreciate how it expanded the themes and brought a more nuanced flavour to the whole series.

And yes... I try to separate the art from the artist too when it comes to OSC.

[mooreds]

I think I recall reading that he wanted to write "Speaker For the Dead" first, but wrestled with it so much that he had to write the prequel.

Ender's Game is definitely a classic.

[jhbadger]

Although if you read the Frank Herbert's Dune books you see that Card was kind of doing the same thing with Ender as Herbert did with Paul. The first books of both series set up the protagonist as a hero, and the later books deal with the fact that "heroic acts" often have consequences.