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)

Great rendition!

I love the way its read; very theatrical. The book its self plays like a movie in your mind. it was a good read and I highly recommend it for any age over 10.

What a great audiobook

I read this book in print 20 years ago and loved it then...and I think I like the audiobook even better. In fact, I found myself on Sunday night looking forward to commuting to work in the morning. I've read a fair amount of sci fi, and this title is an absolute classic in the genre. The main narrator has just the right inflection for a six year old boy going on thirty. All the readers are convincing and the production is seamless...with the exception of the narrator for Ender's sister - I found her voice and intonation completely irritating. All in all, this audiobook is a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Very good

Complex and involving. Very good. I don't agree with the calls for a boycott of the movie, because I found nothing objectionable to gay people in the book.

Fantastic performance of a great story!

Fantastic performance of a great story!
The multiple narrators will keep you engaged the entire way through.

I remember reading this as a young kid so I was hesitant to use my monthly credit on it, but there's something very satisfying about when it's finished and you know you made the right choice. Despite the second time througb, I managed to have that same feeling for this one.

If you're thinking about it, buy it.

Crowd Pleaser

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes because the production was absolutely awesome. I believe there were a couple of narrators but you lose track of them and immerse in the story.

What did you like best about this story?

Ender as a super smart kid.

What does Stefan Rudnicki and Harlan Ellison bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Probably dramatic effect.

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

It made me laugh in a lot of places.

Very well done!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The book itself (Nebula and Hugo award winner) needs no one's recommendation. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the care given to the audiobook performance. The use of multiple voices to represent the multiple points of view in the story. The attention to casting (I cannot imagine a more empathic Valentine), and the nuance and creativity in delivery make this a very worthwhile listen. Easily five stars.

Classic book, give it a listen

I read this book when I was in high school, and the audiobook definitely does it justice. My girlfriend listened to this and really enjoyed it too, and she likes some, but not much sci-fi stuff. She really enjoyed it, wound up listening to it in about 5 days and can't wait to listen to the rest of the series.

Absolutely Amazing

I started this book at work and I was completely drawn into the story. The experiences and emotions Ender felt in battle school reminded me of my basic training days in the Army. The voice actors on this book were amazing and truely brought this book to life.

Excellent but misleading

Enders Game deserved to win the awards it did. It makes you believe in the child Ender and grips you, if not to the end, at least most of the book. The full cast promised by the special edition is disapointing and although there are different voices its not up to what you would expect from a radio play or title like Pulman's Dark Renown series. That aside its still a worthy piece of fiction and the narration is good, but not great.

Great story. Narration could be better

My cousin recommended this book to me. It was his favorite book. So, I decided to download the audible version so I could listen to it in the car at work.

I loved the story. Very thorough and compelling, yet not over explanatory. I, however, found the narration distracting. There are three different narrators in this audio book and they voice different parts of the book seemingly at random. The characters don't even have a consistent voice actor. On top of it all the voice acting was very awkward at some points.

I would definitely recommend the book. But, I would be weary of listening to this audiobook version. As it may hamper your experience. Especially if it is your first experience with the book.