Orson Scott Card is a man of many thoughts. He enjoys exploring concepts & conclusions. His best books are centered around What If ideas, like How would a teacher force a prodigy to become the greatest admiral to ever live? or What if time travel erases the future? What if we live in an altered timeline? He enjoys exploring deep questions about philosophy & science. The Ender's Game books ask "Is xenocide necessary if an alien enemy is utterly impossible to communicate to?" The Ender's Shadow series is more psychological, asking about the people who gain the power to make decisions with far-spanning effects. & the Empire books are about the chance of a second civil war between the United States' right & left, though some feel Card's politics have colored the story. (I haven't read them, so I can't comment.) Luckily he doesn't just ask the questions & leave them hanging. He answers them & argues for them as best he can. It is up to the reader thus, if they disagree, to formulate arguments by their own research, which is still a triumph of a writer. Even if you disagreed with him, he still got you wondering about the important question, & so benefitted his audience with his writing.

However, Card's thinking can sometimes overthinks. Bean in Ender's Shadow muses that it's too convenient his Air Vent Escape led him to find both a password & a hint about his origins. We could have suspended our disbelief but Bean keeps thinking "maybe they planned my escape, maybe I made my own luck", tainting the fourth wall by calling too much attention to it. Rigg wonders why "paths" stay connected to their native planet, something nobody would have thought about if Card hadn't brought it up. He gives no answer, creating his own Plot Hole.

I read Card's reviews, liking the perspective he brings. But he always writes from an author viewpoint & it shows. Only once has he said a movie looked good & he hated it. He also leaves out filming technique & cinematography, hence why he doesn't appreciate Citizen Kane (in addition to believing disproven arguments.) Decide if you agree with him. But he makes you think.