Xenocide
Third book in the Ender's Game series.
Xenocide, the third novel in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series, came out in 1991. Its themes of communication, fear of the foreign, and the risks of powerful technology mirror the era's growing global connections and focus on cultural divides. The book earned nominations for the Hugo and Locus Awards for Best Novel in 1992.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Orson Scott Card
- Cover artist
- John Harris
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Series
- Ender's Game series
- Genre
- Science fiction
- Published
- 1991 (Legend), 1992 (Tor Books)
- Format
- Print (Hardcover, Paperback & ebook)
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Card incorporated elements from his earlier publication, Gloriously Bright, from the January 1991 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact, into the novel.
- Xenocide refers to the 'killing or attempted killing of an entire alien species.'
- The word 'Xenocide' combines the Greek 'xeno-' meaning 'stranger, foreigner, or host' and the Latin-derived '-cide' meaning 'a cutting, a killing.'
Plot summary
In Xenocide, the planet Lusitania faces destruction by the Starways Congress, which sends a fleet armed with the Molecular Disruption Device. The planet hosts the alien Pequeninos, the Hive Queen, and humans including Ender Wiggin. Meanwhile, genetically engineered inhabitants of Path grapple with religious devotion and mental conditioning. The Lusitanians work to neutralize the Descolada virus and discover faster-than-light travel using the Outside, transporting endangered species to safety and thwarting the Congress's fleet.
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