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)

So far so good

I started this at the same time I started another long series, so far it is pretty good (but I went back to finish the other series so that one won out). If you are a hard core scifi fan, I think this would be a good choice. For me, I'll wait till I can get through the whole thing before deciding one way or the other.

Really great

Classic story, great reading. A must for all fans of sci/fi. Make sure to listen to the Mr. Scott Card after the last chapter as well.

Fantastic story!

Any additional comments?

Excellent story, twists and turns, edge of my seat! Loved it! The performance was great. I highly recommend it.

Masterfully Performed

This is a prefect example of what an audio book can be. Not only is it beautifully performed, but it is a text that lends itself wonderfully to narration.

Not perfect but I enoyed it

This book takes places in the early-ish 80's and is partially about a game programmer (ATARI, C64, PC, etc.) and his family (strong focus on problems with the 7 year old son). This was a particularily interesting topic in all aspects to me personally, this is when I started using computers and teaching myself to program, so I knew the timeframe and computer platforms and I personally and a programmer, so, for at least these reason I was interested. The story about the father son blossoms really well. When it finally comes to fruition it does a good job. It should be noted the final blossom doesn't seem as polished as with writers who are more native to the genre (I believe Card is more of a SF writer), BUT, he is clearly an excellent writer. There are things about the conclusion I might have changed, but I did, in general, like the entire book and was glad I read (listened to) it. I am a huge fan of Ender's Game and I don't think this was AS good, but it is a solid book.

My notable thoughts: The accent of the reader is kind of odd but livable. It is not bad or distracting just different from what I am used he. He does a solid job... please doen't read this as a complaint, just something that I noted.

Finally, and MAYBE importantly: there is a STRONG Mormon theme within this book, the family the book is about are devout Mormons, but, they seem genuine. If references to religion through a book turns you off don't read this book. I am not Mormon but I thought it added an interesting tone to the characters.

Incredible

This novel is inspiring beyond words. Fun, intriguing and thought-provoking. I have read and listened to every novel in the Enderverse and find myself constantly coming back for more. I love it, my kids love it, and we always quote and talk about our favorite parts. The Swarm, The Hive, The Queens and Shadows Alive are very much anticipated. Thanks OSC!

Amazing Story. Real Life Readers.

The use of several voices bring this story to life. This futuristic story appeals to boys and girls, both young and old. The level of intelligence of the characters cause you to forget they are children and you truly are drawn into the world of the Bugger Wars and Ender's mind.

Predictable Ending - Fun Story

What made the experience of listening to Ender's Game the most enjoyable?

I really enjoyed hearing Ender's thoughts as each situation occurred. It explained why he did something ruthless, why he was kind, and even when he was at war with himself and not yet sure why he was doing what he was doing.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The plotline itself was fairly weak. Admittedly, I saw the movie before listening to the audiobook, so I knew it was coming. In both the movie and book, however, it was painfully clear what was going to happen in the finale long before it arrived. When they stated that he had the empathy of the sister who washed out, you already knew what the twist was going to be.

Great Book

I read this book in Elementry School or Jr High and loved it. I listened to it just a few months ago. Both times I loved it! One of the best books ever writen.

You can't put it down!

I watched the movie first which I really liked. It got me interested in the book. I'm glad that the book is a lot different than the movie; also much better. The book gives a much clearer picture of what's going on through the story. It's not just a good story but also a thought-provoking one. You want to read the following books to learn more about Ender and his world. The performance was very good. The different narrators can create inconsistencies in the characters sometimes.