Ender’s World

Fresh Perspectives on the SF Classic Ender’s Game

By: Orson Scott Card - editor

Narrated by: Gabrielle de Cuir, Janis Ian, Arthur Morey, Stefan Rudnicki, Orson Scott Card

Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game is a classic of science fiction. Though it began its life as a short story, it was later expanded into a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel, served as a springboard for a much larger universe of stories, and finally has been made into a feature film.

In Ender’s World over a dozen writers of science fiction, fantasy, and young adult books offer new perspectives on the 1985 novel, along with insights gleaned from other Ender stories that fit within the Ender’s Game chronology, including Ender in Exile and Ender’s Shadow. In addition, military strategists Colonel Tom Ruby and Captain John Schmitt offer insight into the human-Formic war. Also included is a contribution from Aaron Johnston, the coauthor of the Formic Wars prequel novels.

The collection's insightful analyses and moving personal essays are rounded out with short pieces answering more technically oriented questions about the Ender universe, including why the Battle Room is a cube and why the military recruited their soldiers as children.

Edited by Orson Scott Card himself, who also provides an introduction to the anthology as well as to the individual essays, Ender's World is aimed both at listeners who have kept up with the many books that came after and at those who simply want to revisit the original novel.

©2013 Orson Scott Card (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc

Critic reviews

"Ender's Game is an affecting novel full of surprises that seem inevitable once they are explained." (New York Times Book Review)

"A chorus of writers and military experts weigh in on why Card’s Ender’s Game is a work of genius.…Contributors recall with awe their first encounters with the story, offer detailed analyses of Ender’s psyche and Card’s writerly technical chops, demonstrate that Ender is a classic mythic hero, or mull over the nature and costs of victory." (Kirkus Reviews)

If its Ender, I will read it

I really love the Ender series, including Enders Shadow so this was right up my alley. This was an interesting collection of essays surrounding the world of the book itself. I was somewhat surprised by the impact it made on military leaders as well as the others. Enders Game was recommended to me by a Navy buddy back in the late 80s and has stayed with me ever since. It appears that it has stayed with quite a number of people as well, and it was fun to listen to how others have been touched in this way by Ender and his crew.

Great insight and new perspectives

Great insight and new perspectives into the life and world of Ender and the book's characters.
Sadly, I didn't read the book in school, but rather, as an adult - the only blessing being that I don't know that I'd have gleaned as much, reading as a child. My mind was too busy and scattered to get past much wrapped up in a sci-fi world on the surface. Things happrn and unwravel as they should, however,and Im glad I found it. eventually. Being better late than never.

Just let Stefan Rudnicki read... Seriously.

I've read and listened to the entire Ender cannon... So, when another book comes up I have to read it, if only to "complete" the series. If you love all things Ender this is a must and a repeat listen. My biggest complaint is too many readers, or the lack of Rudnicki's narration.

Warrning, it's just bunch of reviews!

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet sanctifietur nomen tuum whatever just read the heading and that's all.

It's fine for hardcore fans, otherwise pass it up

This is a pleasant little audiobook about the experience different people had with Ender's Game. It's interested to listen to how some authors learned from the novel, how military members benefitted, and how people reflected on multiple reads. After a while the listen gets a little awkward. It starts to just beat the dead horse on how fantastic Ender's Game is and what a God OSC is in the literary world. I would listen to each essay and then step away for a time or you'll be overwhelmed.

The inside story

I loved Enders Game... one of my favorite books ever! Listening to this Fresh Perspective narrative just added a new level of depth to the story... the fact that the United States Marines use it to train their Commanders says it all.

Now what I was hoping for

As a huge fan of the Ender's Game books, I was interested in hearing analytical and outside takes on the book and its influences.
Although some entries were interesting and informative, not all were.
I do think the the bridge from print to audiobook may have lost its intention. I think if you are interested in this book for obvious reasons, check out the print version instead. A bit disappointed.

Great book, only one pet peeve.

Would you consider the audio edition of Ender’s World to be better than the print version?

The essays collected here are very good and cover a variety of aspects of the Ender books with a concentration on Ender's Game.

The only real problem I had was that one name was consistently mispronounced. It's not the narrators' fault; most people would pronounce "Bonzo" like the chimp that acted with Reagan, but as Petra clearly pointed out in Ender's Game: "Not bahn-zoe, pisshead. bone-so. The name's Spanish. Bonzo Madrid. Aqui nosotros hablamos espanol, senor gran fedor."

The producers* should have known this and told the narrators. Normally audio versions of Card's work are exceptionally good so an obvious error like this is particularly jarring.

*Especially if Stefan Rudnicki produced it since he read the above line himself in the Ender's Game audio. Can't remember if he did this one, but he's produced several of the Ender titles.

Familiar Echoes

While this book is NOT a novel or another story set in the Enderverse it is a powerful exploration of the themes, lessons and emotions that draws so many of us back to Ender's World. The authors of each essay highlighted echoes of the experiences I felt when I first read--and repeatedly reread each of the Ender, Speaker, and Shadow books.

While I would have loved to hear these essays read directly by their authors, using the narrators of the Ender's series audiobooks tied it all together for me.

For fans only

Any additional comments?

This is a series of book reports about the book Enders game so if you have not read Enders game you should before reading this. At first I was somewhat disappointed waiting for the story to start but these are book reports from really interesting people with interesting ideas. If you are an Ender fan you will enjoy it but it's not for everyone.