I really loved this book - it's one of those books you wish didn't have to end. Perhaps the best thing about this book is that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't figure out the twist at the end so it was a real and unpredictable surprise ending which I love. Never could I have imagined reading a book in which I care so much about the aliens (maybe more than the people!). The alien characters, aka the "Piggies" are extremely complex and mysterious while at the same time very lovable. (I think I also picked up a bit of Portuguese from reading this book!) There are so many new and wonderful human characters in this book and each has their own separate identity I both loved and hated most of them. We are now on the planet Lusitania and we're even further in the future. Much of this story takes place before Ender even arrives, which gives the reader a great chance to acclimate to the new surroundings. Rather, I'm all about the aliens in this one. Unlike the first book, my favorite parts of this book have almost nothing to do with Ender. The setting is new, the characters are mostly all new and Ender is 3,000 years older (sort of). Orson Scott Card's Speaker for the Dead is quite a different story from Ender's Game, but it's a great one. It's easier to understand after reading Ender's Game, the first book in the series, but everything is explained well enough that Speaker can be read independently. I highly recommend this book, even for people who usually don't read science fiction books. The characters interact with each other and the plot realistically. The plot is slow at first as the characters and setting are introduced, but picks up speed quickly enough that the book doesn't become tedious. Once I got into it, I couldn't put it down until I finished. The book also does a good job of showing how unreasonably selfish people can be at times.
Speaker shows how contempt for other intelligent creatures, human and alien, can blind people from the truth. Meanwhile, the humans learn interesting things about a new species and give nothing in return.
The aliens aren't seen as aggressive or threatening to humans, but they are denied knowledge of anything that humans know about. This book brings up the point that humans seem to think everything else exists only to be studied and learned about. When their knowledge about humans gets out of control and the aliens start learning more than they would know naturally, the planet and everyone on it is forced to rebel against the interplanetary regulations to keep all the inhabitants alive. Intelligent, friendly aliens are kept behind fences and denied any contact with humans except the minimal amount for them to be studied. The book Speaker for the Dead, by Orson Scott Card, is a gripping and intense story about understanding other life forms.
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