As I signed up for this class I happened to be reading the first few books in the Ender's Game / Ender's Shadow series. Ender's Shadow runs parallel to Ender's Game, following Bean and his experiences on Earth through command school in space. While Bean is a supporting character in Ender's Game, only coming in about halfway through, Ender's Shadow is told completely from Bean's perspective. This story compliments and enhances Ender's Game.

*BOOK SPOILERS AHEAD*

Bean is a young child, growing up on the streets of Rotterdam in the late 2100's. He is exceptionally smart and is able to survive by analyzing and learning from everything. After his remarkable intelligence is discovered, he is sent to Battle School on a space station where he is the smallest yet smartest student. We learn that Bean resulted from DNA experiments conducted by a corrupt scientist who, by "turning Anton's Key", will cause Bean to never stop growing. His superior intelligence is a result of this.

Major themes:

trust (Bean's lack of it)

empathy (Something he is learning. After all, he isn't completely human)

intelligence

survival

relationships (with Ender, his teachers, the military, Sister Carlotta, Achilles)

Ender's Shadow - image 1 - student project

Covers for Ender's Shadow go in the sci-fi direction, ranging from outer space and ships to the war simulations. The Ender and Bean series were also made into graphic novels by Marvel in 2008. My goal is to move away from the sci-fi genre and provide a cover that can be ageless.

Marge R.

Graphic Designer

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