Speaker for the Dead

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: David Birney, Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 14 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

In the aftermath of his terrible war, Ender Wiggin disappeared, and a powerful voice arose: the Speaker for the Dead, who told the true story of the Bugger War. Now, long years later, a second alien race has been discovered by Portuguese colonists on the planet Lusitania. But again the aliens' ways are strange and frightening...again, humans die. And it is only the Speaker for the Dead, who is also Ender Wiggin the Xenocide, who has the courage to confront the mystery...and the truth. Orson Scott Card infuses this tale with intellect by casting his characters in social, religious, and cultural contexts.

This, the author's definitive edition of the sequel to Ender's Game, also includes an original postscript written and recorded by the author himself, Orson Scott Card!.

Browse more titles in the Ender Wiggin series.

©1986, 1990 Orson Scott Card (P)2002 Fantastic Audio, an Imprint of Audio Literature

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award Winner, Best Novel, 1987
• Nebula Award Winner, Best Novel, 1986

"The most powerful work Card has produced. Speaker not only completes Ender's Game, it transcends it." (Fantasy Review)

Need better human charachters' sketches.

Good, but harder to listen to than Ender's Game. got lost on human charachters' names.

A best

Great book that I’ve reread and feel inspired to live better because of the concepts it tackles in a unique sci fi fantasy mystery drama. Can’t endorse enough.

The best!

Perhaps the best story among quality sci Fi outside of Dune. Better than Ender's Game? I say so, but I'm a biologist.

Must read after Ender's Game

Outstanding audiobook. love the multiple narrators. One of the greatest science fiction novels ever. Yet deals with human emotions, powerful questions on existence and what sentience means

Deeper than most sci fi.

This book was well read with no over acting. It was soothing. The content itself was pretty great. It dealt with adult struggles that gave insight on true suffering. - Moore

A Very Interesting Book

Would you consider the audio edition of Speaker for the Dead to be better than the print version?

I cannot give an informed answer as I have not read or seen the print version of this book.

For myself, I remember a character's name better when I see them compared to hearing. So that is the only draw back I see to the audio edition.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I enjoyed the audio performance. The narrators were clear and read the book well. The only thing that took getting used to was the fact the multiple narrators took turns - reading a whole chapter at a time.

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

Almost every chapter had a moment that moved me. It was a very compelling book.

very well told story

very well told story, narration was well done , and looking forward to next book.

Fantastic book!

The story and the narrators were compelling and beautiful to listen to. I definitely recommend this book.

Wow!

Amazing book, thought provoking.... Amazing readers, an experience you should not miss.... Worth every second of it all, loved it

Know what you’re listening to first

Orson Scott Card is brilliant. I love this book because I read Ender’s Game and appreciated his cerebral writing and introspection. If you want a military space adventure then this isn’t the book for you. But the majority of the reviewers calling the book “boring” or “not enough like Ender’s Game” should know that this is the book Card wanted to write all along. Ender’s Game was only a prequel and originally was a magazine short story. If you want more of that then get Ender’s shadow or even Ender in exile.