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)

An Excellent Listen

I'd heard of Ender's Game but just never got around to reading it. When I ran across it on "Audible", I figured what did I have to lose. Now was my chance to see what everyone has been raving about for 20 years. I can assure you I wasn't disappointed.
I took me about 10 minutes into the book to become completely engaged. I'm now reading the 3rd book in the Ender Saga! I usually don't like audio books with more than one person doing narration, but again I was surprised. It somehow works for this book. This novel exceeded all my expectations and broke down some barriers for me. It is an excellent read that I would, without hesitation, recommend to anyone.

An awesome intelligent and captivating story

Where does Ender's Game rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near the top. I've read, or listened, to so many now that its hard for me to put an exact number on it but I'd put it in the top 5 I think.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Obviously Andrew "Ender" Wiggin. He was the hero all of us want to be. He acted exactly the way we often wish we had acted like after the deed is done.

Which character – as performed by Stefan Rudnicki and Harlan Ellison – was your favorite?

Hmm, I don't know which narrator did which part but from those male names I'm assuming a male character. I have to say Colonel Graff. The performance of Graff was spot on. It fit his character very well.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Ender Wiggin is the greatest hero mankind has ever produced but will he be enough to save them from the enemy as well as themselves?

Any additional comments?

This is a sci-fi book but you don't have to be a sci-fi fan to enjoy it. This book can entice readers from across different genres and it is almost unfair to limit it to being only a sci-fi book.

A great audiobook

Enders Game is a classic science fiction book made better by the audio format. The readers do a first-rate job, and the story is so compelling that the story ends much too soon. Fortunately, there are many books in the Enders Game line; I have read them all, and I look forward to listening to the rest.

one of my favorites

very good story
very good read
and the voices make the story come live as a movie

Incredible! How did I miss this one?

WOW! What a great story. 20th Anniversary. How I could have missed this one? I am going to read the whole series. This first book, Enders Game, was well written, with great characters, and masterfully narrated by different voices. What a treat. No need to say any more. Just get it and enjoy! [Smile]

Ender's Game: Science Fiction, yes, but much more.

I found this wonderful story totally captivating. This is an intense exploration of the characters of 3 gifted children and their complex relationships to each other. It leaves you surprised and wondering time after time, and just when you think you have been surprised for the last time, the author does it to you again!

I am looking forward with baited breath to picking up the next book in the series.

Good Book

I'm not a sci-fi fan, but I did like this book quite a bit. The plot was engrosing, and it was difficult to put down even though the climax was pretty transparent. My only complaint is that it should have ended sooner; too much fluff at the end.

Out of this world

It takes such amazing talent to be able to create, not just a fictional universe, but another universe within, and fit it all in 324 pages. I really felt like I was on another planet. This book will blow your mind.

Amazing story! Audio version is fantastic!

A superb story about a boy who is manipulated/ guided by the adults around him into being (hopefully) the savior of the planet from an invading race of aliens. Earth has twice been invaded and barely survived, and now is training its youth to form the best gallactic battle force it can to defend against a third attack. Ender is tagged as the future general, and the story poses some interesting questions about the limits to the price victory, and about knowing your enemy.
Great character development, and an exciting story for teens and adults alike. The narration cast is fantastic, and bring real depth to the story. This is a story that I think is better narrated, than on the page. I strongly recommend Ender's Shadow next.

Worth every second

Great story. Great narration. Worth the money and the time. Highly recommended to science fiction lovers.