Science fiction has long been fascinated by the brilliant child hero—young minds navigating high-stakes futures, often under the heavy gaze of powerful adults. For many readers, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card remains the gold standard in this niche. But if you’re looking for a novel that echoes its emotional complexity while offering a modern lens, Vincent Piana’s Immensus is your next must-read.
Here’s why.
Gifted but Vulnerable: Brian and Ender Compared
Both Ender Wiggin (Ender’s Game) and Brian Salman (Immensus) are child prodigies—genius-level thinkers whose brilliance sets them apart and makes them targets for manipulation.
Ender is trained to fight.
Brian is trained to build, explore, and feel.
Ender is a tactical genius raised in a military complex. Brian, on the other hand, is a grieving boy taken in by a private space-tech empire. Both face enormous expectations, but Brian’s emotional arc is what sets Immensus apart—he doesn’t fight an alien race, but instead battles grief, isolation, and the complexities of trust.
Emotional Realism vs. Martial Conditioning
Ender’s Game is known for its psychological intensity, but Immensus brings emotional trauma to the forefront. Brian has lost his mother. He’s angry, intelligent, withdrawn—and deeply human.
The novel doesn’t shy away from raw moments: breakdowns, therapy, tears, and vulnerability. Readers see not just a genius mind, but a fractured heart. And that feels real.
Who’s Pulling the Strings?
Behind both boys are charismatic adult forces:
- Colonel Graff manipulates Ender for military ends.
- Killian Wells, the tech billionaire in Immensus, offers mentorship—but also hides personal and political motives.
- Is Killian a visionary or a manipulator? Is Brian being helped or used? These questions simmer throughout the novel, echoing the moral ambiguity of Ender’s Game.
Found Family Over Isolation
Ender’s journey is one of strategic loneliness—he’s isolated to ensure his loyalty. Immensus flips the script. Brian slowly finds belonging through friendships, mentorship, and even first love.
By the end, he’s surrounded not by enemies or rivals, but by peers who lift him up. It’s a healing sci-fi story without losing its edge.
A More Modern Take on the ‘Chosen One’ Trope
In many ways, Immensus is a challenge to the very trope Ender’s Game helped define. Brian isn’t perfect. He doesn’t win every battle. But he’s trying, growing, and—importantly—he is allowed to be a kid.
It’s the kind of emotionally grounded, high-tech narrative that feels necessary today.
Final Thoughts: A Successor Worth Reading
If you’re a fan of Ender’s Game, you’ll find so much to love in Immensus:
- Gifted youth tested by circumstance
- A high-stakes futuristic setting
- Emotional and intellectual depth
- Themes of ethics, leadership, and trustBut you’ll also discover something new: a gentler, more emotionally authentic take on what it means to come of age in a world dominated by technology and ambition.
Ready to meet Brian Salman?
Click here to read more about Immensus or get your copy now.