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)

Fabulous narration of an excellent book

This is a wonderful book. Although it has all the elements of "hard" sci-fi (aliens, space battles and doomsday devices), the plot is almost entirely driven by the challenges faced by the battle school children, their families, and even the adults who manipulate the children.

Furthermore, the narration is unbelievably good. Several readers are used, but it avoids the "radio play" sound by having all scenes written from each character's point of view read by a certain reader. (Except for the debates that begin each chapter, which are read as a dialogue by two readers.) This gives it nice clarity and continuity.

I've downloaded about 30 titles from Audible, and this one is my favorite, in part because I love this book, but especially because the narration was so well done.

Ender's Game April 1, 2004 Gilmer, Texas

I am not usually a sci-fi fan, but Ender's game was so engrossing that I have listened to it twice and had to get the sequel "Speaker for the dead". Ender is easy to identify with if you have a streak of determination and don't plan on letting the big guys win. I did find the voice of Valentine irritating at the end, I felt the speech should be more straight-forward and less dramatic.

one of my all time favs

8 have read this book and enders shadow at least 4 times each. I hear some armed forces are required to read it

One of the best sci-fi audiobooks around!

The book is a sci-fi classic on its own, the audio performance takes it to the next level. I'm not typically a fan of "full cast productions" since they move into dramatizing more than narrating and I suppose that record is intact because that isn't really what this is. There are multiples voices, but the bulk of the book is one reader. Can't say enough about how good this was. I listened to it twice in a row!

Beautiful Book

Orson Scott Card, an amazing writer. Truly gifted to write such a book as this! It speaks to the hearts of many young and older alike.

Everything that's supposed to be

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

Yes. It’s beautiful story that shows all the facets of human nature.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ender's Game?

I especially liked the part when Valentine and Peter reach an agreement and start working together to influence the minds of others.

Which scene was your favorite?

The narrator does a beautiful job in bringing the scenes of the battle school to life.

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

The most emotional moment for me was when Ender talk to the Bugger queen.

Excellent, Enjoyable with Strong Preformance

Production is one of the finest.
Mix if SiFi and physiology with strong charters.
Mister Card and his virtual children rule again.
It only gets better with Speaker for the Dead.

Took me 30 years but I'm ready for the Enderverse!

I'll keep it short and sweet. I'm only 31 so this book came out about the time I was born. I had expectations of a Divergent or want to be Hunger games , but wow was there so much more!

The story is engaging and jeeps you interested, the characters are very complex and deep, and the narration is spot on.

I would say for a Sci fi fan, YA, or just plain good story telling it's worth a credit.

Good

I liked the story. It took me a while to get into the story but it ended well.

Addictively brilliant

There should be warning on the cover of the Enderverse series stating that once started life will take a backseat until its done.
Doesn't get better.