First Meetings

In the Enderverse

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: Gabrielle De Cuir, Amanda Karr, Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

First Meetings is a collection of three novellas (plus the original "Ender's Game") that journey into the origins and the destiny of one Ender Wiggin.

"The Polish Boy", a novella written especially for this collection, begins in the years between the first two Bugger Wars when the Hegemony is desperate to recruit brilliant military commanders to repel the alien invasion. In John Paul Wiggin, the future father of Ender, they believe they may have found their man. Or boy.

In "Teacher's Pest", also written especially for this collection, a brilliant but insufferably arrogant John Paul Wiggin, now an American university student, matches wits with an equally brilliant graduate student named Theresa Brown.

It is many years since the end of the Bugger Wars in "The Investment Counselor". Ender's reputation as a hero and savior has suffered a horrible reversal. Banished from Earth and slandered as a mass murderer, 20-year-old Ender Wiggin wanders incognito form planet to planet as a fugitive, until a blackmailing tax inspector compromises his identity and threatens to expose Ender the Xenocide.

Also here is the original landmark "Ender's Game", which first appeared in 1977.

First Meetings is Orson Scott Card at the height of his considerable powers, featuring his most compelling character.

©2003 Orson Scott Card (P)2003, 2004 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic reviews

"Character, setting, plot: Card does them all right, and makes it look effortless....For newcomers to Ender's universe and long-time fans, this book will hit the spot and whet the appetite for more." (School Library Journal)
"Even those who are intimately familiar with the concepts of the Game from later Ender books will be struck anew by Card's virtuosity. His powerful voice and startlingly clear vision will draw many new readers into a lifelong love of science fiction. This accessible collection will impress even non-sci-fi buffs, besides being a must-have for Ender saga devotees." (Publishers Weekly) "These stories demonstrate the assured scene setting, apparently effortlessly sustained suspense, and moral preoccupation with the responsibilities of kinship and friendship that distinguishes Ender's entire saga." (Booklist)

Distracting Music

I enjoyed the short stories very much and the narrators did a great job. However, the schizophrenic music that played at integral parts was so loud and distracting, it made it impossible to focus on the spoken words.

Reference: ch. 2 @ 1:15:30, ch. 3 @ 2:28:30, ch. 4 @ 3:42:17, ch. 5 @ 5:13:24

Good reading marred by loud background music

I have listened to most books in this series. The readers are great as always, but the intro and outro music of the stories is a bit loud compared to the reader's voice at times.

Provides some back stories for the Ender universe that will provide new perspective on rereading of the other books of the series. Also it's nice to hear the original short story that would become Ender's Game.

doesn't follow enders game very well.

the first stories were great but the one about ender did not follow the original book very well

Good book - music too loud!

The music at that bookend the chapters nearby ruins it, as you strain to hear the final narrative. otherwise great stories as usual.

disappointed I paid for this!

As always, the narrator did a great job, but as so many have said, WTH is up with the ridiculous music playing louder than the narrator? They remastered it once, how about doing it right this time? Either take off the cheesy "music" or put it only where narrator is NOT speaking!
Perhaps I missed the purpose of the book, but other than explaining a couple backdrops, over half the book is a repeat of the other books! Why?

Not Bad Bsides the Music

I have to agree with the other reviews that the "music" at the end/beginning of a section is to much it overpowers the book and you can barely hear the book at that point all and all it is not a bad series, the Ender's Game novella was not needed though.

Fun Background on the Enderverse

Al the stories were interesting, although, the background on Ender's father was a little incongruous with the book, Ender's Game. If you liked Ender's Game, this is worth listening to.

orson scott card rocks

I must say Mr card keep it up. I'm a big fan of the enderverse. .start with enders game and read them all

Loud music

The bumper music is way too loud. Great story though. Part of it is just an older version of the main story

A little more insight

Card does a good job at providing yet a little more insight into the characters we have come to love, cherish, admire, and sometimes despise.

I have been very thankful the cast has remained unchanged throughout the production of the Ender series found on Audible. It has provided a great listening experience.