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)

Superior story about manipulation and leadership

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

Keen insight into the experiences of leadership, self-motivation, and the associated drive to be victorious. Many military parallels, including insight into the fine line between leading people and manipulating them. The least believable portion of the story lies in the fact that they key players are of such a young age. Personal experience has shown me that these types of thoughts/ feelings/ ideas are still embryonic in the late teens - even junior military officers miss some of the concepts that author Card attributes to 7 and 8 year old children.

Frequent action punctuated by cerebral sessions of insight make this a quick listen. The

What other book might you compare Ender's Game to and why?

Not unlike Arthur C. Clark's

Which scene was your favorite?

When Ender (the little guy) finds a way to defeat (an aggressive classmate/ a competing team/ an opposing army), Card's description of the thought processes involved are immensely rewarding and consistent with personal experience.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would have listened to this book in a single sitting, but I had to settle for piece-meal in between backseat arguments and bathroom breaks for my children on a VERY long roadtrip.

Any additional comments?

Would recommend this book for junior, midlevel, and senior leaders alike - some good examples of how to (and how NOT to) lead others.

Very engaging

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

It's a great story and was mostly very well read, although a little overproduced with dramatic music, etc, for my taste.

Any additional comments?

Skip the Card remarks at the end of the book

GREAT scifi listen

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

I've already purchased this as a gift for one friend and recommended it to another. The production is very well done but the story is superb.

What did you like best about this story?

The character development and storyline combined with the great production led to fantastic mental imagery.

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

I laughed out loud a couple of time, winced often, and even cheered once.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend. It's a great listen.

Ender's Game

A great book, with lots of fantacy and while taking the reader through a great learning process.

Too cool...

I fully enjoyed this novel. Once I started it, I couldn't stop listening. I found the use of multiple people reading the story a nice touch, I'd like to see more novel's brought to life as well as this one was. Ender's Game rocks the house!!!

Do your selve a big favour and download this

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

A great story brilliantly told

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bean a great counter point

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

A realism to some interesting and challenging plot ideas

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

I was really sad when it ended

Science fiction and philosophy

Would you listen to Ender's Game again? Why?

I would not listen to Ender's Game again because I like to hear other new stories and books.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The ending of Ender's Game was surprising. I think the very conclusion was not polished and was rushed to give the reader or listener some answers which Mr. Card would later make more books. Many of the comments about his other books give me concern..

such as broken timelines and recommendations to not read the books in the order in which Mr. Card wrote them. Some readers stated that the books felt like short stories put together.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene was not the conclusion to the formic wars (I will not go in depth on that because it would ruin it) but on Ender dealing with the constant unfair treatment at the battle school and his ability to lead "Dragon" to victories even in the face of overwhelming odds.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Ender went back to Earth and talked with his Sister.

Any additional comments?

I'm very hesitant to read anymore of his books. People seem to like them but what I see seems too disappointing. I'm not going to read to find out what happens like seeking answers I want to be entertained not disappointed because the author can't do as well as he did the first time...

A Great New Classic

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

entertaining, gripping and great characters

What other book might you compare Ender's Game to and why?

This is a unique story like none other in its genre

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

They both made the characters come alive and made it fun to listen to the story, enhancing the listener experience.

Science Fiction at its Best

I LOVE this book. I read the book several years ago and I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed "reading" it again. Orson Scott Card is amoung the best in science fiction and for those who are true scifi lovers this is a must read series. The narrators make this book very enjoyable and I look forward to listening to the rest of the series.

I would rank this series up there with the Lord of the Rings series. A sure Science Fiction classic.

Why bother seeing the movie?

This is simply a terrific, well-read story from start to finish. I have no interest in seeing the movie after listening to this book. I have a clear visual representation in my mind about what I experienced as a listener- I can still picture many of the scenes when I think about them. This is a creative sci-fi thriller with coming of age overtones (not a coming of age story in the traditional sense), where wisdom unfolds in such a way that you experience it in your past and present and it pushes you think about the future. Definitely worth your time- the postscript by Orson Scott Card at the end was an additional treat.