^At a mere 38...he doesn't age so beautifully.
So I completed a short story and full book.
Short story was called Investment Counselor, a brief little tale about how Ender meets Jane. 400 years after Ender's big moment, he comes into adulthood. He remains alive through distant journeys at near lightspeed, enjoying the benefits of time compression. As an adult, he now has to pay taxes, but the massive trust fund set up in his name has led to numerous difficulties, including someone who decides to track his past and blackmail him while he's at it. But with the help of a special investment counselor, his finances and his history are preserved. Simple, fun, enjoyable. I really like Jane's character.
I read Speaker for the Dead for the first time in 12 years. I definitely enjoyed it a lot more for various reasons. Simply my own aging has allowed me to appreciate a slower story better. I also have a greater appreciation for various cultures and an understanding of the issues and themes that permeate this and several other stories in the series (most notably the drive for reproduction and survival of the fittest, empathy, selflessness, and the need for communication). I understood more basic concepts better as well, such as the scientific theories behind much of it and the Catholic/Portuguese culture of the planet. I could understand the Portuguese fairly well, since now I speak Spanish. Overall, a much better book for a 30 year-old than an 18 year-old. Still, it did get a bit weird to me at times. But all in all, a good book. I remember enjoying the next in the series better. We'll see if that holds up this time round.
SPOILER SECTION:
Briefly, I will say that the book is interesting from a theological perspective. The author and I share the same religion, yet the protagonist is an atheist/humanist in an all-Catholic colony. Card handled the characters and the beliefs well and with respect. The rivalry between the clergy and the monastic scientists was interesting to me as well. When I first devised my username, I decided based on my adoration of the child genius. Now I finally can relate to the adult, the Speaker for the Dead. The one who always tries to see the truth about a person, not just the good, not just the bad. The one who is both logical and emotional, rational and empathetic. The one who can bear burdens for others. I really enjoyed this perspective of the same character, and though fictional, he is worth emulating (except that I choose to remain a Mormon ;)