Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

On one level, Ender's Game functions as a straightforward SF 'interstellar war' yarn, of your basic Earth vs. Insects variety. On this level, the book is certainly a pleasing read. But much of the book's merit derives from its thematic underpinnings: as much as it is about interstellar war, the book is also about childhood, pedagogy, technology, simulation, strategy, ethics, and, perhaps primarily, empathy. The interplay of these themes suffuse the book with a certain richness, and yet do not slow down the forward motion of the plot.