Ender’s Game #1

I am reading a science-fiction book called “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card and so far I read 100/396 pages.

The story takes place first on planet Earth, and later in a special space station that is located far out in space. The setting of the story is in the future. The author accurately describes some scientific principles. He also writes about some things that are still impossible for humans to do today.

A good description of a scientific principle which we understand today is the propulsion of the space shuttle.  Space shuttle is one of the scientific discoveries known today.  In the book, and therefore in the future, it is used to reach the space station. The same principle is used in the present day in order to reach the International Space Station.  The motors of the space shuttle make use of many kinds of scientific principles. Some of these principles allow the space shuttle to fly straight when it is in space.  Flying straight is not so complicated in the atmosphere because air helps the spacecraft.  But in space, there is no air and it is very easy for the spacecraft to spin in many directions.

But, I also don’t agree that the author describes some scientific principles well. For example, on a space station today you would normally float.  However, in the book, the people who are on the space station, walk and live like if they were on planet Earth. It is known that on a starship or on a space station there is no gravity.  Apparently, people of the future have found out ways to manipulate gravity, but I think that this should have been better explained in the book.  I had to do additional research in order to understand how to generate gravity.

The space station, which the author in the book calls battle school, is a special school where the brightest kids from Earth are taught to be military commanders. Ender is the main character in this book and he is one of the kids that goes to this school.

“They say that weightlessness can cause disorientation, especially in children, whose sense of direction isn’t yet secure. But Ender was disoriented before he left Earth’s gravity. Before the shuttle launch even began.” (Orson Scott Card page 56)