Visitors (novel)

Visitors is a science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card,^[1] who is best known for his novels, Ender's Game (1985) and Speaker for the Dead (1986). This novel continues the story of Rigg and his evolving ability to see and travel to the past, in an attempt to save the future. It is the third and final book of the Pathfinder series, preceded by Ruins and Pathfinder.

Visitors was published on November 4, 2014.^[2]

Summary

In Visitors, Rigg, Umbo, and Param have finally found that which will cause the end of their world. Humans. As they struggle to determine how to prevent their impending doom, they are forced into an impossible moral dilemma: Whether it is justified to sacrifice one world for another, especially when one of those worlds is Earth, the Cradle of Humanity. In their struggle, they travel through the history of Garden and each Wallfold, hoping to uncover the reason for their possible doom and save their world without resorting to damning another. Their skills and abilities are put to the ultimate test as they try to end the war between two worlds before it can begin in this epic and explosive conclusion.

Reception

Visitors received mixed reviews, scoring lower in ranking according to Goodreads than the previous two books in the series.^[3] The book was criticized by readers as being overly convoluted and being less engaging to the reader as the previous novels. While praised for its innovative look at science fiction and the possibilities of time travel and causality, something Orson Scott Card is known for, Visitors received heavy criticism over its rushed feel to the ending of its story, and the inconclusive side plot lines in the story.

References