Shadow of the Hegemon
Encyclopedia
Shadow of the Hegemon is the second novel in the Ender's Shadow series (often called the Bean Quartet) by Orson Scott Card
. It is also the sixth novel in the Ender's Game series. It is told mostly from the point of view of Bean, a largely peripheral character in the original novel Ender's Game
. Shadow of the Hegemon was nominated for a Locus Award in 2002.
, return to Earth in approximately 2170 A.D. Ender's brother Peter
, using his online pseudonym Locke
, arranges for Ender to be sent into exile on another planet so that the world's leaders won't be tempted to fight over his military genius. Shortly after their return, the members of the unit Ender commanded (called his Jeesh, an Arabic
word meaning 'army'; because they fought under Ender, those 10 children are considered the greatest generals on the planet), with the exception of Bean, are kidnapped to be used as strategists in an upcoming struggle for world dominance
that ensues after the Formics are defeated.
The mastermind behind the kidnappings is Achilles
, (ah-SHEEL) a brilliant, ambitious, and psychotic Belgian orphan. He subjects them to solitary confinement so they will help him in his plans for world domination. Bean had imprisoned Achilles in the previous novel, so in retaliation Achilles attempts (unsuccessfully) to kill Bean, along with Bean's family. The Delphikis go into hiding, while Bean joins forces with Sister Carlotta. After he discovers an encoded message in an e-mail sent by Petra
confirming that the Russians are Achilles' backers, he works to free her and the others, while helping Ender's brother Peter come to power under his own name so he can eventually be appointed Hegemon and work against Achilles.
When Peter publishes a column under the Locke pseudonym revealing Achilles for the psychopathic murderer he is, the Battle Schoolers are released—except for Petra, whom Achilles brings captive with him to India
, where he has secured a position of power. From there, he requests plans for an invasion of Burma and then Thailand
. Indian Battle School graduates serving their country, including Sayagi and Virlomi, develop plans for brute-force attacks involving long supply lines. Petra, for her part, arranges a different plan, involving stripping India's garrisons along her borders with Pakistan
—something she expects will never happen, until Achilles takes her to a meeting with Pakistan's prime minister, in which he encourages the two great Indian nations to declare peace on each other and war with their other neighbors. Nonetheless, her plan is not used, but for a different reason: Achilles is secretly working for China
, and has convinced India to move the bulk of its forces to the border of Thailand, giving China the opportunity to annihilate the Indian army. At that point, Achilles plans to leave India for China, and continue his efforts towards world domination.
Petra finds an ally in Virlomi, who manages to get word to Bean that Petra is being held an unwilling prisoner, and eventually escapes the military compound to bring rescue. Bean, for his part, has allied himself with Peter Wiggin. Courtesy of Bean's and Sister Carlotta's assets, "Locke" is nominated publicly for the position of Hegemon, allowing Peter to unmask himself in a way that does not compromise (and, in fact, increases) his prestige. Meanwhile, Bean, courtesy of Peter's assets, moves to Thailand to get in Achilles's way. He enters the Thai military under the patronage of Suriyawong (or Suri), a fellow Battle School graduate and (nominal) head of Thailand's planning division. Bean trains his own force of 200 Thai soldiers for special operations against India. When the Thai Commander-in-Chief betrays Suriyawong and Bean by attempting to kill them, it becomes clear that Achilles' reach has grown; thankfully, Bean's hunches save him and Suri, and he hides them in the barracks of his troops, e-mailing his few real-life contacts to arrange rescue. Thailand is declared in a State of Emergency and prepares for war. However, Achilles gets the last laugh: Sister Carlotta, flying to Thailand, is killed by a Chinese SAM fired from inside Thailand. As her last act, Bean receives a time-delay message from her, revealing the nature of Anton's Key that had been turned inside him and that he has given up many years of his life for his genius.
Bean and Suriyawong use the troops Bean has trained to help halt Indian supply lines. While striking a bridge, they meet Virlomi. Virlomi defects, bringing news of Petra; the three band together and, with the aid of Bean's soldiers and Locke's distinguished connections, move on Hyderabad, arriving just as the Chinese do. Bean foils Achilles again and rescues Petra, though the Chinese manage to extract Achilles successfully. Furthermore, "Locke" publishes an essay detailing the Chinese betrayal just as it is happening, and on the basis of this prescience (and other miracles over the years) Peter Wiggin is elected Hegemon over the world. Finally, Petra approaches Bean and makes clear the attraction she feels for him, setting the stage for the remainder of the series.
and Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India by Lawrence James
. In addition to these two books he was also inspired by Phillip Absher, who was one of the readers of the first draft. Phillip suggested that the Petra
arc of the novel was anti-climactic. Upon hearing this criticism, Card rethought this entire book and decided to split it into two books. At the time of publication, Card thought the Bean series (Shadow series) of the Enderverse
would only be four books long.
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
. It is also the sixth novel in the Ender's Game series. It is told mostly from the point of view of Bean, a largely peripheral character in the original novel Ender's Game
Ender's Game
Ender's Game is a science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. The book originated as the short story "Ender's Game", published in the August 1977 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. Elaborating on characters and plot lines depicted in the novel, Card later wrote additional...
. Shadow of the Hegemon was nominated for a Locus Award in 2002.
Plot summary
In Shadow of the Hegemon, all of the Battle School graduates, except EnderEnder Wiggin
Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is a fictional character from Orson Scott Card's science fiction story Ender's Game and its sequels , as well as in the first part of the spin-off series, Ender's Shadow...
, return to Earth in approximately 2170 A.D. Ender's brother Peter
Peter Wiggin
Peter Wiggin is a fictional character in the science fiction novel Ender's Game and its sequels, written by Orson Scott Card. He has appeared in the novels Ender's Game, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind and in an upcoming short story to...
, using his online pseudonym Locke
John Locke
John Locke FRS , widely known as the Father of Liberalism, was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Francis Bacon, he is equally important to social...
, arranges for Ender to be sent into exile on another planet so that the world's leaders won't be tempted to fight over his military genius. Shortly after their return, the members of the unit Ender commanded (called his Jeesh, an Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
word meaning 'army'; because they fought under Ender, those 10 children are considered the greatest generals on the planet), with the exception of Bean, are kidnapped to be used as strategists in an upcoming struggle for world dominance
Hegemony
Hegemony is an indirect form of imperial dominance in which the hegemon rules sub-ordinate states by the implied means of power rather than direct military force. In Ancient Greece , hegemony denoted the politico–military dominance of a city-state over other city-states...
that ensues after the Formics are defeated.
The mastermind behind the kidnappings is Achilles
Achilles de Flandres
Achilles de Flandres is a major character and the primary antagonist in Orson Scott Card's Shadow series . It is part of the universe created in the novel and short story Ender's Game...
, (ah-SHEEL) a brilliant, ambitious, and psychotic Belgian orphan. He subjects them to solitary confinement so they will help him in his plans for world domination. Bean had imprisoned Achilles in the previous novel, so in retaliation Achilles attempts (unsuccessfully) to kill Bean, along with Bean's family. The Delphikis go into hiding, while Bean joins forces with Sister Carlotta. After he discovers an encoded message in an e-mail sent by Petra
Petra Arkanian
Petra Arkanian is a main character of the books Shadow of the Hegemon and Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card. She is also a major character in Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Giant.-Ender's Game:...
confirming that the Russians are Achilles' backers, he works to free her and the others, while helping Ender's brother Peter come to power under his own name so he can eventually be appointed Hegemon and work against Achilles.
When Peter publishes a column under the Locke pseudonym revealing Achilles for the psychopathic murderer he is, the Battle Schoolers are released—except for Petra, whom Achilles brings captive with him to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where he has secured a position of power. From there, he requests plans for an invasion of Burma and then Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Indian Battle School graduates serving their country, including Sayagi and Virlomi, develop plans for brute-force attacks involving long supply lines. Petra, for her part, arranges a different plan, involving stripping India's garrisons along her borders with Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
—something she expects will never happen, until Achilles takes her to a meeting with Pakistan's prime minister, in which he encourages the two great Indian nations to declare peace on each other and war with their other neighbors. Nonetheless, her plan is not used, but for a different reason: Achilles is secretly working for China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and has convinced India to move the bulk of its forces to the border of Thailand, giving China the opportunity to annihilate the Indian army. At that point, Achilles plans to leave India for China, and continue his efforts towards world domination.
Petra finds an ally in Virlomi, who manages to get word to Bean that Petra is being held an unwilling prisoner, and eventually escapes the military compound to bring rescue. Bean, for his part, has allied himself with Peter Wiggin. Courtesy of Bean's and Sister Carlotta's assets, "Locke" is nominated publicly for the position of Hegemon, allowing Peter to unmask himself in a way that does not compromise (and, in fact, increases) his prestige. Meanwhile, Bean, courtesy of Peter's assets, moves to Thailand to get in Achilles's way. He enters the Thai military under the patronage of Suriyawong (or Suri), a fellow Battle School graduate and (nominal) head of Thailand's planning division. Bean trains his own force of 200 Thai soldiers for special operations against India. When the Thai Commander-in-Chief betrays Suriyawong and Bean by attempting to kill them, it becomes clear that Achilles' reach has grown; thankfully, Bean's hunches save him and Suri, and he hides them in the barracks of his troops, e-mailing his few real-life contacts to arrange rescue. Thailand is declared in a State of Emergency and prepares for war. However, Achilles gets the last laugh: Sister Carlotta, flying to Thailand, is killed by a Chinese SAM fired from inside Thailand. As her last act, Bean receives a time-delay message from her, revealing the nature of Anton's Key that had been turned inside him and that he has given up many years of his life for his genius.
Bean and Suriyawong use the troops Bean has trained to help halt Indian supply lines. While striking a bridge, they meet Virlomi. Virlomi defects, bringing news of Petra; the three band together and, with the aid of Bean's soldiers and Locke's distinguished connections, move on Hyderabad, arriving just as the Chinese do. Bean foils Achilles again and rescues Petra, though the Chinese manage to extract Achilles successfully. Furthermore, "Locke" publishes an essay detailing the Chinese betrayal just as it is happening, and on the basis of this prescience (and other miracles over the years) Peter Wiggin is elected Hegemon over the world. Finally, Petra approaches Bean and makes clear the attraction she feels for him, setting the stage for the remainder of the series.
Characters in Shadow of the Hegemon
- Julian "Bean" Delphiki
- Petra ArkanianPetra ArkanianPetra Arkanian is a main character of the books Shadow of the Hegemon and Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card. She is also a major character in Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Giant.-Ender's Game:...
- Achilles de FlandresAchilles de FlandresAchilles de Flandres is a major character and the primary antagonist in Orson Scott Card's Shadow series . It is part of the universe created in the novel and short story Ender's Game...
- Sister Carlotta
- Peter WigginPeter WigginPeter Wiggin is a fictional character in the science fiction novel Ender's Game and its sequels, written by Orson Scott Card. He has appeared in the novels Ender's Game, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind and in an upcoming short story to...
- Hyrum Graff
- Suriyawong
- Virlomi
- John Paul WigginJohn Paul WigginJohn Paul Wiggin is a fictional character from Orson Scott Card's Ender's game series. He appeared in the original novel Ender's Game, and in several of its sequels: Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, and Ender in Exile. John Paul is a central character in two of the prequel short stories:...
- Theresa WigginTheresa WigginTheresa Wiggin is a fictional character from the Ender's Game series of novels by Orson Scott Card.She is the mother of Peter, Valentine and Ender Wiggin, and the wife of John Paul Wiggin....
History
Card accredits two books in particular as being profoundly influential in the writing of this novel: Thailand: A Short History by David K. WyattDavid K. Wyatt
David K. Wyatt was an American historian and author who studied Thailand. He taught at Cornell University from 1969-2002, where he became the Chair of the Cornell University Department of History. His book Thailand: A Short History has become the chief authority on Thai history in the English...
and Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India by Lawrence James
Lawrence James
Edwin James Lawrence , most commonly known as Lawrence James, is an English academic, notable for his works as a writer and historian. He has written several works of popular history about the British Empire...
. In addition to these two books he was also inspired by Phillip Absher, who was one of the readers of the first draft. Phillip suggested that the Petra
Petra Arkanian
Petra Arkanian is a main character of the books Shadow of the Hegemon and Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card. She is also a major character in Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Giant.-Ender's Game:...
arc of the novel was anti-climactic. Upon hearing this criticism, Card rethought this entire book and decided to split it into two books. At the time of publication, Card thought the Bean series (Shadow series) of the Enderverse
Ender's Game series
The Ender's Game series is a series of science fiction books by Orson Scott Card. The series started with the novelette "Ender's Game", which was later expanded into the novel Ender's Game. It currently consists of eleven novels and ten short stories...
would only be four books long.
See also
- List of characters in the Ender's Game series
- Concepts in the Ender's Game series
- List of works by Orson Scott Card
External links
- About the novel Shadow of the Hegemon from Card's website
- Shadow of the Hegemon at Worlds Without End