Ender's Game

Special 20th Anniversary Edition

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki, Harlan Ellison, Gabrielle de Cuir

Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards

In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut - young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister. Is Ender the general Earth needs?

But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.

Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

Browse more titles in the Ender Wiggin series.

©1977, 1985, 1991 Orson Scott Card (P)2002 Fantastic Audio, an imprint of Audio Literature

Critic reviews

• Nebula Award Winner, Best Novel, 1985

• Hugo Award Winner, Best Novel, 1986

"'Intense' is the word for Ender's Game." (The New York Times)

I loved it

I gobbled this audio book quickly. I consider this my introduction to Sci-Fi and now I'm searching for more books that will give me such a satisfying experience. Not only was the story totally engaging, but the narration team of this book, especially the lead narrator, made this a joy. Recommended for everyone, not just sci-fi fans.

Wow!

If you like good books, regardless of your taste.
Thriller, spie or adventure. This one is a must.

Extremely clever and riveting plot.

Orson Scott Card Understands

There is something that most educators do not understand and that is how a gifted child's mind works. Mr. Card does. Many gifted children have read this book and agree. My own gifted child read it when he was ten and feels like he knows Ender. He identifies with Ender like no other fictional character.

Tough to put down

I've never read Orson Scott Card -- picked up "Ender's Game" based on Audible recommendations and had a tough time putting it down. Excellent ... hang on to your seat and try catch your breath ... a great ride ... UP until the end. I thought the final conclusion was a bit facile and the conversion of a formative character unrealistic. Nonetheless, it was a terrific book and I look forward to the rest of the trilogy.

More military than sci-fi. Fun yet dark.

If you could sum up Ender's Game in three words, what would they be?

Exciting, grim, fantastical.

What did you like best about this story?

The stratagems were fun to hear as they developed. Themes of friendship and teamwork are also refreshing though the book is about Ender and his journey. Having said that, this is not a coming of age story or even a hero's journey… mostly it's about survival.

What about Stefan Rudnicki and Harlan Ellison ’s performance did you like?

The voices were crisp and clean with exact inflection where needed. Yet, it got a bit confusing as they switched back and forth.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Some scenes were violent which surprised me. I guess the violence is needed to punctuate the reality of the grown-up world these kids (especially young Ender) are thrust into. In a strange way, as the protagonist grows colder, so did I. This distanced me from caring about other characters. It is a clever tecnique but it did leave me feeling strange.

Any additional comments?

If your looking for a Harry-Potter-in-space book, this may fit the bill. Be aware that the characters are not as endearing and humor is sparse. If you do read/listen, be prepared or some grim scenarios and cold-hearted fight sequences. Having said that, it's a bit more Jack Reacher than Harry Potter. This is an interesting book for kids to seek on their own. Giving it to them as a recommendation may be strange as it deals with odd issues and, for some strange reason, has nudity.

Deeper than you might think

Just finished Ender's. I found the book interesting from many different viewpoints. It is both a psychological thriller as well as a military "text book." The story runs it's course, seldom getting bogged down too deeply. When compared to books like "Hunger Games" and "Harry Potter," it is clear that this is the grandfather of those books.

As far as the performance goes, Stefan Rudnicki and Harlan Ellison were incredible. Gabrielle de Cuir was annoying. She is overly breathy and dramatic. While the other narrators focus on delivering the story, it seems like de Cuir focuses on making the part about her performance. She would be good for some ridiculous romance novel or vampire story. I searched her portfolio and she in fact, is the narrator of some vampire stories. I guess that is okay if that is your thing but her delivery was way off for this part. All in all though, she is only in a small portion of the book but be prepared to be distracted when she narrates.

BRILLIANT.

I've always loved reading Ender's Game (and the rest of the books in the series), and was a bit hesitant to allow a narrator to "spoil" my vision of the characters. Not only was the story unspoiled, but greatly enhanced by the narration. Simply the BEST audio book I have yet had the pleasure of experiencing, and I can hardly imagine that anybody could out-do this one.

The narrators are magnificent. I can't say it enough. Their pacing, characterization of each individual in the story, and emotion are all exactly perfect for this book. And it's a large cast - I counted six skilled narrators, maybe more, each who read from a different character's point of view.

If you are a huge fan of Ender's Game, you WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED - BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW. If you have never read Ender's Game, don't hesitate - this is probably the best sci-fi book written and deserves a look.

Misunderstandings

This book is excellent.

The negative reviews can be summed up as:

-it glorifies dehumanization and brutality in children
it does not, the entire point of the book is that dehumanization is bad, it's about how taking advantage of the naive nature of a child can destroy them. I am convinced that people who had this as an opinion did not think critically about how ender reacts to the suffering he is forced to inflict, and how that relates to the theme. It is honestly bafflingly dumb that someone would say this.

-this book is brutal for a child
It is, however this is not a children's book, it literally talks about mass genocide. Just because the main character is a child does not mean it is a children's book. He is a child because it is important to establish the characters innocence and lack of authority through age

-the pacing of the performance is weird at times
This is entirely subjective, however at times I agreee and others I think the emotion conveyed by the narrator is very good, so it's give and take I guess

-the children are supposed to be smart but they talk like they are dumb
The slang in the battle school represents the emotional barrier the kids put up to not show weakness, it is a junxtapostion to how they are emotionally being destroyed.



Some of the negative reviews are fair but a lot of them I literally threw my hands up in the air in exasperation. I hope this helps someone who decides based on reviews to buy this book.

Amazing story

I have read this book and now listened to the book multiple times. I have seen the movie. This story is unlike any other. So fantastic I can’t stop coming back every few years

Wow

This was the best book I have ever read out of all the books in audible!