304: Nighttime Stories

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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Nighttime Stories
Cue angry letters from all seven fans of Xenocide.
Title text: Cue angry letters from all seven fans of Xenocide.

Explanation

This comic shows Cueball who observes Megan walking around at midnight reading a book that he can't see. After wondering what book she's reading, he leaves his apartment to ask her. It is revealed that she is reading Orson Scott Card's book Xenocide, the third book in the Ender's Game series behind Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. Xenocide is widely regarded by fans as one of the weakest books in the series, while Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead received extreme positive praise. When he discovers that she likes Xenocide more than the other two books, he instantly withdraws to his apartment, his opinion of her shattered. The joke is that Xenocide is so bad that he can't be with anyone who considers it a good book.

The title text pokes further fun at Xenocide by saying that there are only seven people in the world who like Xenocide, a pathetically small number.

Transcript

[Cueball sitting in an armchair in a darkened room, behind him a bookshelf and an open window. Megan is seen outside reading a book by an eerie glow.]
For a few weeks now, sometime past midnight, a girl has wandered past my apartment reading by flashlight.
[Outside, Megan walking down the street passing under a street lamp.]
I wonder why shes up so late.
Maybe shes restless
Like me.
I wonder what story shes wrapped up in.
I wonder if she lets anyone into that island of light.
[Cueball sitting in dark room.]
[Dark room minus Cueball.]
[Cueball standing on his doorstep at the top of a small flight of stairs, near the bottom of which Megan has stopped, no longer reading.]
Cueball: Hi! What are you reading?
Megan: Orson Scott Card's 'Xenocide.' It's my favorite in the series!
[The same, only Cueball looks more dejected.]
Cueball: Wait, you like it more than Speaker for the Dead OR Ender's Game?
Megan: Yeah!
[The same, only man has withdrawn.]
[Cueball back sitting in the chair within dark apartment.]
And to think I loved her.
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Discussion

Why is it out of six books? How was that number reached? Depending on your point of view, it could be out of four (counting only Ender's Game and the Speaker-Xenocide-Children of the Mind trilogy) or nine (if we include the Shadow books, sans Shadows Alive) or eleven (if we include the Earth as-yet-unfinished trilogy) or fourteen (if we include the lesser books like A War of Gifts) or even sixteen if we include the as-yet-unreleased books - but I can't see how someone got six. To do this you'd have to take away part of a series, like only counting Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Hegemon, but not the other Shadow books. I guess you could include only the main quartet and the Earth books, but if you're going to include the Earth books why not include some of the others? --173.245.55.72 17:33, 9 March 2014 (UTC)


This is true. At the time of this comic there where only published 4-5 books in the series. The fifth came out in 2007. I have deleted the (out of 6) comment as the 6. came out in 2008 and more have followed since. The important issue is that the three books mentioned are the first three.Kynde (talk) 19:49, 28 March 2014 (UTC)


I think they wrote out of 6 because there are 6 main books with Ender in them. Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, Ender in Exile, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the mind. 108.162.219.159 13:13, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

Xenocide *is* my favorite. 108.162.221.150 04:27, 15 August 2015 (UTC)

Part of the joke is that both are fans of the Ender series and should have much in common and to talk about, but Cueball gives up on her before even hearing her explanation. Sebastian --162.158.92.11 14:16, 8 November 2016 (UTC)

I'm more upset that he is implying Speaker for the Dead is any less bad than Xenocide. — Kazvorpal (talk) 23:13, 3 November 2019 (UTC)

That's a hot (and bad) take there, Kazvorpal. I question the judgement of someone who implies Speaker for the Dead is bad than someone who calls Xenocide their favorite in the series. I'm just speechless at how bad that opinion is.


C’mon, Children of the mind was way worse. Xenocide. — User:Waddle Deo