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Space Boy
Is it space that children dream of, or merely visiting other worlds? Todd had always set his heart on being an astronaut, but when he meets an alien and travels to another world, he doesn't use a spaceship, he just hangs out in his own back yard. In Space Boy, Orson Scott Card, author of Ender's Game, takes readers into a strange and wonderful future, where people from another world regularly visit Earth - usually without being noticed. And when humans travel to their world, they find themselves dangerously weak and powerless. Until Todd finds a way to set both worlds to rights. By turns funny and painful, Space Boy is Card at his best, exploring human nature for the entertainment of readers young and old.
95 pages, Hardcover
First published August 20, 2007
5 people are currently reading
452 people want to read
About the author
Orson Scott Card
616 books20.7k followersOrson Scott Card is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is (as of 2023) the only person to have won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for his novel Ender's Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986). A feature film adaptation of Ender's Game, which Card co-produced, was released in 2013. Card also wrote the Locus Fantasy Award-winning series The Tales of Alvin Maker (1987–2003).
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
July 12, 2020
On our epic road trip from the UK to Italy (post pandemic lockdown), we found this short story to listen to on Audible’s Stories website, which is stories for kids for free to stream.
Despite disliking Card’s political and moral prejudices, the man can write a good story. This one was quite humorous at times, explaining monsters in closets, elves and missing socks all in one fell swoop. Excellently narrated by Stefan Rudnicki.
Don’t read on if you don’t like spoilers. Listen to it first (it’s only 1 hour and 50 minutes long) and come back!
But what was with the extended bit about sticking a hose up the worms anus?!? For someone who’s stance on homosexuality is ever so clear, it’s a bit disturbing that the whole rescue operation involved inserting various objects through the worm’s anus. Ah well, I’m sure 8-13 year old boys find it just hilariously funny. Bathroom humor, you know?
Despite disliking Card’s political and moral prejudices, the man can write a good story. This one was quite humorous at times, explaining monsters in closets, elves and missing socks all in one fell swoop. Excellently narrated by Stefan Rudnicki.
Don’t read on if you don’t like spoilers. Listen to it first (it’s only 1 hour and 50 minutes long) and come back!
But what was with the extended bit about sticking a hose up the worms anus?!? For someone who’s stance on homosexuality is ever so clear, it’s a bit disturbing that the whole rescue operation involved inserting various objects through the worm’s anus. Ah well, I’m sure 8-13 year old boys find it just hilariously funny. Bathroom humor, you know?
September 25, 2015
I got this title the same time as I did the Subterranean Press edition of Sky Horizon by David Brin and I must admit having read one after the other I am feeling a little disappointed by this book - I struggle to see what the audience was for this book and even what the reason for it was. Now without going in to details of the book - to quote evening small parts of it would do it justice and would probably promote even more searching questions than there are already.
I am not sure if the story is fantasy, science fiction, written as a fable, a prophetic warning or if it was fulfilling some deep seated issues with the author- what I do know is that it feels like that Mr Card was approached by the publisher for some special and rare material suitable for Subterranean's limited and numbered production runs - and this was all that was at hand at the time.
I wont say I was disappointed with the book but I was left a little confused - this is certainly a book for the Orson Scott Card completist and fan - it is not going to be another Enders Game - which I think caught me out the most - as I have read a lot of his work (okay so I guess I fit the completist category) and though his work does vary - after all whose does not - I think this is way of his usual mark and that was a surprise.
I am not sure if the story is fantasy, science fiction, written as a fable, a prophetic warning or if it was fulfilling some deep seated issues with the author- what I do know is that it feels like that Mr Card was approached by the publisher for some special and rare material suitable for Subterranean's limited and numbered production runs - and this was all that was at hand at the time.
I wont say I was disappointed with the book but I was left a little confused - this is certainly a book for the Orson Scott Card completist and fan - it is not going to be another Enders Game - which I think caught me out the most - as I have read a lot of his work (okay so I guess I fit the completist category) and though his work does vary - after all whose does not - I think this is way of his usual mark and that was a surprise.
March 21, 2015
A fun YA short story about an interdimensional problem that explains some fantasy, lost socks, & other perennial issues. It had a strong moral point about the importance of family & what truth is, but didn't lose anything by it. Nothing religious. Well worth listening to & read, as usual, by Rudnicke.
July 12, 2014
I listened to this on audiobook. It's a brief little story that reminds me, in many respects, of the reams of sci-fi short stories I read as a boy and as a young adult, and that I still enjoy from time to time. It's a bit long to be a "short story" and it's a bit short to be a "novel", though; it falls somewhere in between.
To briefly synopsize, the story focuses on a boy named Todd who has two primary driving characteristics: (1) he wants to be an astronaut when he grows up, but is convinced that there is no way he will ever qualify, and (2) his mother disappeared four years before the beginning of the story, and nobody knows what happened to her or where she went. Over the course of the story, we learn that Card has humorously taken the concept of "wormholes" quite literally; the characters must travel through the bodies of actual interstellar worms to reach their destinations. This leads to frequent use of words like "anus" and "poop" which some adult readers seem to find offensive. I see that stuff as part of the mildly scatological juvenile humor of the book; it places it squarely in the realm of fiction written for the tween boy crowd. It's certainly no worse than the potty humor in the Shrek movie series.
This book is not particularly typical of Card's writing; his plots are usually quite complex, and this story is very simple and linear, with very few twists and turns. What does show as a Card trademark is the character of Todd, who like Card's other young male protagonists (Ender and Bean from the Ender's Game series, for example) is very self-aware; his inner life is described in a high level of detail. Card's boy protagonists value loved ones extremely highly, and I think this expresses Card's own love for family. And the central plot point for this story is not a worm's anus, and it's not even the imaginative portrayal of what might happen if someone traveled to a universe with different properties of physics than our own (similar to when the children in A Wrinkle in Time travel to a world with only two dimensions and almost suffocate); the central plot point is that a boy loves and misses his mother and will do anything, even risk his life, to get her back. His plan to rescue her requires creativity and courage, and his success would provide any boy with a satisfying catharsis.
This book isn't particularly a representative example of Card's other work; it's too short and simple to be that. But the protagonist and the strong emphasis on family are pure Card.
To briefly synopsize, the story focuses on a boy named Todd who has two primary driving characteristics: (1) he wants to be an astronaut when he grows up, but is convinced that there is no way he will ever qualify, and (2) his mother disappeared four years before the beginning of the story, and nobody knows what happened to her or where she went. Over the course of the story, we learn that Card has humorously taken the concept of "wormholes" quite literally; the characters must travel through the bodies of actual interstellar worms to reach their destinations. This leads to frequent use of words like "anus" and "poop" which some adult readers seem to find offensive. I see that stuff as part of the mildly scatological juvenile humor of the book; it places it squarely in the realm of fiction written for the tween boy crowd. It's certainly no worse than the potty humor in the Shrek movie series.
This book is not particularly typical of Card's writing; his plots are usually quite complex, and this story is very simple and linear, with very few twists and turns. What does show as a Card trademark is the character of Todd, who like Card's other young male protagonists (Ender and Bean from the Ender's Game series, for example) is very self-aware; his inner life is described in a high level of detail. Card's boy protagonists value loved ones extremely highly, and I think this expresses Card's own love for family. And the central plot point for this story is not a worm's anus, and it's not even the imaginative portrayal of what might happen if someone traveled to a universe with different properties of physics than our own (similar to when the children in A Wrinkle in Time travel to a world with only two dimensions and almost suffocate); the central plot point is that a boy loves and misses his mother and will do anything, even risk his life, to get her back. His plan to rescue her requires creativity and courage, and his success would provide any boy with a satisfying catharsis.
This book isn't particularly a representative example of Card's other work; it's too short and simple to be that. But the protagonist and the strong emphasis on family are pure Card.
November 1, 2011
WARNING - this review is explicit and not for sensitive ears.
Having just finished Ender's Game, I stopped by the library to pick up the sequel but got sidetracked by this incredibly weird novella in the Orson Scott Card section. It should have been titled "The Space Enema." Card really ought to consider a psych eval. No, really.
In essence, what we have here is a story about two interstellar worms (not wormholes, mind you, actual worms) whose mouths are on one planet and anuses are on the other. Going in the mouth and out the anus is the method of travel between planets (I'm not kidding). Well, the young protagonist's mother naturally gets sucked into the mouth of one worm while trying to prove to her young son that there's no monster in his closet. Unable to find the mouth of the other worm to get back to Earth, she is stuck there. But wait! Big brother and Dad hatch a plan to get her back by ... wait for it ... inserting a garden hose into the worm's anus on Earth and turning on the water full force so she can find the worm's other end and return to Earth. When that doesn't work, they also try sticking a garden rake up its butt (and have to push with some force as the worm is resisting the insertion).
OK, let's stop right there for a minute. Yes, I know this is geared toward a male adolescent audience and I'm a 40-something female. Granted. But hey, I can appreciate a good rectal story now and again. This was just too much. Homo-erotic, pedophiliac, creepy and just plain weird. In 95 short pages, Card managed to use the words anus or rectum at least 200 times. Does the giggle factor extend that far for 10 year old boys? I think not. Not to mention that his descriptions of putting the hose and rake up the worm's rear were far from innocent. Feeling resistance? Push a little harder. A gush of liquid escaping from the worm's anus and running down his arm? Eeeew. I'm sorry, but if I had a son in the age category this was meant for, I would not be recommending that he read it.
Mr. Card, please consult with your psychiatrist or just admit that you harbor fantasies of having small children give you enemas. Absolutely Disgusting.
Having just finished Ender's Game, I stopped by the library to pick up the sequel but got sidetracked by this incredibly weird novella in the Orson Scott Card section. It should have been titled "The Space Enema." Card really ought to consider a psych eval. No, really.
In essence, what we have here is a story about two interstellar worms (not wormholes, mind you, actual worms) whose mouths are on one planet and anuses are on the other. Going in the mouth and out the anus is the method of travel between planets (I'm not kidding). Well, the young protagonist's mother naturally gets sucked into the mouth of one worm while trying to prove to her young son that there's no monster in his closet. Unable to find the mouth of the other worm to get back to Earth, she is stuck there. But wait! Big brother and Dad hatch a plan to get her back by ... wait for it ... inserting a garden hose into the worm's anus on Earth and turning on the water full force so she can find the worm's other end and return to Earth. When that doesn't work, they also try sticking a garden rake up its butt (and have to push with some force as the worm is resisting the insertion).
OK, let's stop right there for a minute. Yes, I know this is geared toward a male adolescent audience and I'm a 40-something female. Granted. But hey, I can appreciate a good rectal story now and again. This was just too much. Homo-erotic, pedophiliac, creepy and just plain weird. In 95 short pages, Card managed to use the words anus or rectum at least 200 times. Does the giggle factor extend that far for 10 year old boys? I think not. Not to mention that his descriptions of putting the hose and rake up the worm's rear were far from innocent. Feeling resistance? Push a little harder. A gush of liquid escaping from the worm's anus and running down his arm? Eeeew. I'm sorry, but if I had a son in the age category this was meant for, I would not be recommending that he read it.
Mr. Card, please consult with your psychiatrist or just admit that you harbor fantasies of having small children give you enemas. Absolutely Disgusting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 4, 2020This book was okay I guess it was very childish. In the end, it seemed to be very rushed with very little description. Them of the story was great it just could be presented more mature. It is a very quick read but it is not interesting. I would recommend to fifth graders I picked this book up very quickly because I need a book. I did not notice how short it was.
September 13, 2010
This book was a big waste of time by the author, the publishers, and the reader. I don't recommend this book to anyone. I cannot figure out who the intended audience is for this book...maybe someone with an anal/rectum fixation. The whole book was about sticking things into the anus of a worm with a lot of potty humor. I am not kidding.
April 23, 2019
This is essentially a short story. I enjoyed the story itself well enough, but I didn't appreciate the bathroom humor.
2019 challenge: Two books that share the same title (other title by Stephen McCranie)
2019 challenge: Two books that share the same title (other title by Stephen McCranie)
April 15, 2022
Would not recommend this book. I have enjoyed Card’s other books but this story just was not up to par.
April 22, 2010
wow was this story really about an interstellar anus? yes, yes it was.
January 3, 2012
Orson Scott Card is so hit-or-miss for me. This one was a definite miss. I've never been a big fan of his urban fantasy, but I thought this one was science fiction (being called Space Boy and all...) and was hoping for an Ender-esque novelette. But, no.
So there are these interstellar worms, and for some reason they keep their head on one world and their anus (yes, the anus) on another world. Travel between worlds is possible by entering a worm's mouth and exiting its anus. It's also possible to shove something (especially fluid) up a worm's anus and have it exit the other side.
Two brothers (10 and 7) have to figure out how to travel to the other world after their mother accidentally gets sucked into the worm's mouth and disappears. And they're hindered by an elf, a little man who comes from the other world and wants to keep the boys' mother there for his own unexplained reasons.
Because this book is apparently written for prepubescent boys, all travel through the worm is done naked (elf, mother, boys, etc.). And the words that these kids used...I wanted to wash their mouths out with soap. I'm sure this book will be beloved by boys who love to use bad words and watch things poop.
So there are these interstellar worms, and for some reason they keep their head on one world and their anus (yes, the anus) on another world. Travel between worlds is possible by entering a worm's mouth and exiting its anus. It's also possible to shove something (especially fluid) up a worm's anus and have it exit the other side.
Two brothers (10 and 7) have to figure out how to travel to the other world after their mother accidentally gets sucked into the worm's mouth and disappears. And they're hindered by an elf, a little man who comes from the other world and wants to keep the boys' mother there for his own unexplained reasons.
Because this book is apparently written for prepubescent boys, all travel through the worm is done naked (elf, mother, boys, etc.). And the words that these kids used...I wanted to wash their mouths out with soap. I'm sure this book will be beloved by boys who love to use bad words and watch things poop.
June 26, 2012
I grabbed this off the shelf at the library when I was picking up an Ender book (all of which I've enjoyed, if not loved) and thought it'd be nice to have a shorter book to read as well.
I'm not exactly sure who this book is aimed at. The protagonist is a teenager, so I'm assuming it's Young Adult, but the jokes seem juvenile (moving the worm's anus is giggled at as "hauling ass") and the whole story seems to talk down to the reader.
All in all, I expected more from this book, and what there was didn't match up with my taste.
I'm not exactly sure who this book is aimed at. The protagonist is a teenager, so I'm assuming it's Young Adult, but the jokes seem juvenile (moving the worm's anus is giggled at as "hauling ass") and the whole story seems to talk down to the reader.
All in all, I expected more from this book, and what there was didn't match up with my taste.
February 4, 2015
I've always enjoyed the books I've read by Orson Scott Card, until this one. I would have given it 1 star, but I feel like the idea behind the book was good. The book is written as a kids book (I thought), so I wanted to read it and see if I could put it in my classroom library. I can't. It's just too inappropriate. The vocabulary and the need for nudity just don't strike me as something geared towards kids. Maybe I was wrong about the suggested age range.
June 23, 2012
Incredibly juvenile with a lot of unnecessary potty humour. I usually love Orson Scott Card's novels and short stories, but this one was almost a complete waste of my time. I didn't hate it (hence two stars instead of one), but it is certainly not one I'd recommend.
June 9, 2011
This slight tale of a boy rescuing his mother from another planet (she was accidentally sucked through a bedroom-closet wormhole) is more reminiscent of a Heinlein "juvenile" than of the masterful storytelling that is Card's hallmark. Not actually terrible, just not up to his usual standards.
July 4, 2008
Not Card's best work. Sticking things in a space worm's anus. Repeatedly. Right. Read Ender's Game instead.
June 23, 2009
Very good book.
August 8, 2009
Not one of Cards best. Actually this is one of his more forgettable books. Although the worm concept and the density issues is fun to explore, I just think that it could have been done better.
December 11, 2014
It was cute.
Very short. I listened to it 2x speed and finished it in a single run. Not much complex at all, but different.
Very short. I listened to it 2x speed and finished it in a single run. Not much complex at all, but different.
August 2, 2021
There are two things you should know about Todd: 1. He wants to go to space, but doesn't think he'll ever be smart enough or fit enough to be an astronaut 2. His mom went missing 4 years ago and nobody knows where she went.
This was a short, fun story of a boy who dreams of space.
Space Boy is an adventure story, where a kid is the hero. But, unlike most other adventure stories of this type, the parents aren't absentee, but are very much involved in the action. Instead of going off on his own, Todd asks his dad for help. Then Todd's dad helps him make and execute his plan Honestly, the change felt refreshing.
This was a short, fun story of a boy who dreams of space.
Space Boy is an adventure story, where a kid is the hero. But, unlike most other adventure stories of this type, the parents aren't absentee, but are very much involved in the action. Instead of going off on his own, Todd asks his dad for help. Then Todd's dad helps him make and execute his plan Honestly, the change felt refreshing.
September 28, 2019
This was a fun quick little read. It’s perfect if you are reading any heavier or more involved works and would like a short easy-to-read break. Kind of a Sci-Fi intermission. Get up, stretch a bit, use the bathroom, get some popcorn and jujifruits, and come back to the show mentally refreshed and more alert for the next act.
It was kind of warming how it showed how important family can be to a child. Also, overall, it brought me back a bit to that time in my life.
If you refrain from comparing it to his deeper work, as so many seem to have done, you will find that it’s a great book that accomplishes exactly what it set out to do.
August 10, 2021
Orson Scott Card is my favorite author of all time, and it is not even close. This book was short, and in my opinion not very good. Maybe it just a little weird for me, I don't know how to put into words why I think it is only a 3 star short story. A kid losses his mother, no one believes why, and some strange stuff happens and I don't know.
If you like the weird this book might be for you.
If you prefer your sci-fi to have a little more realism I wouldn't spend the couple hours reading it.
If you like the weird this book might be for you.
If you prefer your sci-fi to have a little more realism I wouldn't spend the couple hours reading it.
September 29, 2024
Based on the title, this was not at all what I was expecting. I think this was a very clever idea and it was executed well. This is one of my favorite authors, so I’m always happy to listen to a tale he has spun. The narrator was excellent and had a very smooth, easy to follow tone to his voice. The voices were not over the top nor were they underdeveloped. Overall, this was a fun, unexpected and welcome experience. Recommend.
June 2, 2018
I'm afraid that I found this rather under-developed. It's trying for the same kind of story-telling that Neil Gaiman used in books such as "Coraline" and "The Graveyard Book", but it's just too short and too quick to really give the characters and the situation a chance to breathe. It probably needs twice the length to do the premise any real justice.
July 31, 2019
I am a HUGE OSC fan. I read anything with his name on it. I listened to this as an audiobook only having read the summary. It was a cute story, very short. As a result, Card didn't have enough space to get into the details who usually flushes out in his books. I assume that this was written for children, and I think kids might really enjoy it.
May 24, 2020
Totally a goofy silly book. Thank you to audible for allowing us to stream for free during the pandemic. It was listed under tweens, and they probably would enjoy. But it might actually be middle grade appropriate if parents are okay with the word anus and enema being used. But overall the silly cute story with a happy ending
January 9, 2021
This short story was just plain weird and really showcases OSC’s stilted & repetitive dialogue that makes it difficult to care about the characters.
I am not a YA, so young readers should take this review with a grain of salt - it might actually be relatable and enjoyable and I’m just an old fart thar thinks I know more than I do.
I am not a YA, so young readers should take this review with a grain of salt - it might actually be relatable and enjoyable and I’m just an old fart thar thinks I know more than I do.
August 1, 2022
Not going to lie, this one was a little out there… 😅 pun intended. Love OSC, but if this weren’t so short, it probably would made its way to the dnf pile. I mean, a space worms ass in your closet, that’s mouth is in an aliens garden on another planet that your mom got sucked into and she’s literally been thought to have been dead for YEARS….
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2024
...death is like going backwards through the colon? what?! and to bring the mother who died "back to life" father and son need to find the "anus" (of some worm/wormhole) and go through it to the other side/world...
this was just bad, not a good story...
Ender's Game was good (at least the movie), i was expecting more from this author.
this was just bad, not a good story...
Ender's Game was good (at least the movie), i was expecting more from this author.
January 16, 2020
Cute, short sci-fi/fantasy story about a boy whose mother disappeared four years ago - in his brother's closet. When the boys and their dad realize that wormholes are real, they have to figure out how to rescue mom from a world where people are much more physically dense.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews