Ender's Game
Special 20th Anniversary Edition
Summary
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card's 1985 science fiction novel, remains one of the most influential and beloved works in the genre. Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, this military science fiction novel follows child prodigy Ender Wiggin as he trains to defend Earth from an alien threat. The book spawned a successful series and was adapted into a major motion picture in 2013 starring Asa Butterfield and Harrison Ford. Ender's Game continues to resonate with readers and is often included on military reading lists.
Plot
In a future where Earth has been attacked by an alien insectoid species called the Formics, the military recruits gifted children to train as commanders. Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, a young boy, is selected for this program and sent to Battle School, an orbiting military academy. There, Ender quickly proves himself a tactical genius in the school's competitive war games, rising through the ranks despite being isolated and facing hostility from other students.
As Ender continues to excel, he is promoted to Command School at a very young age. There, he participates in increasingly difficult space combat simulations against a revered war hero, Mazer Rackham. Unknown to Ender, these simulations are actually controlling real fleets in battles against the Formics. In a final test, Ender sacrifices his entire fleet to destroy the Formic homeworld, unknowingly winning the war and committing xenocide.
Upon learning the truth, a devastated Ender exiles himself to a distant colony world. There, he discovers a dormant Formic queen egg and learns about the aliens' history and motivations. Ender takes on the task of finding a new home for the Formics to rebuild their civilization, while also writing a sympathetic account of their history under the pseudonym “Speaker for the Dead.”
Themes
• Leadership and strategy
• Isolation and alienation
• Morality of violence and war
• Empathy and understanding the enemy
• Manipulation of youth by authority
• Sibling relationships and rivalry
• Balancing individual needs with greater good
Setting
The events of Ender's Game take place in Earth's future, several decades after humanity has fought off two invasions by an insectoid alien species nicknamed “the buggers.” The exact year is not specified, but advanced space travel and orbiting battle stations are commonplace, suggesting a time at least 100-200 years from now.
Much of the story unfolds in off-world military facilities, particularly the orbiting Battle School where gifted children are trained as future commanders. This sterile, isolated environment serves as Ender's home for years as he progresses through increasingly difficult war game simulations. Later scenes shift to the even more remote Command School on the planetoid Eros, where Ender faces his final tests.
Back on Earth, we get glimpses of a tightly-controlled society living under the constant threat of alien invasion. Population growth is strictly limited, and the government closely monitors gifted children as potential military assets. Through Ender's siblings, we see how global politics play out across computer networks, foreshadowing the rise of social media and online discourse.
Characters
• Andrew “Ender” Wiggin: The young protagonist, a child prodigy trained to become Earth's greatest military commander against an alien threat.
• Colonel Hyrum Graff: The gruff commander of the Battle School who recruits and mentors Ender.
• Valentine Wiggin: Ender's compassionate older sister who becomes a political influencer on Earth.
• Peter Wiggin: Ender's sociopathic older brother who pursues political power on Earth.
• Mazer Rackham: The legendary hero of the previous alien war who becomes Ender's final instructor.
• Bean: A brilliant and tiny Battle School student who becomes one of Ender's key lieutenants.
• Petra Arkanian: A skilled Battle School student who befriends and supports Ender.
• Alai: Ender's friend and fellow commander at Battle School.
• Major Anderson: Battle School administrator who works with Graff to train Ender.
• Bonzo Madrid: An aggressive Battle School student who clashes violently with Ender.
Quick facts
• The novel began as a short story published in 1977 in Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine.
• Orson Scott Card wrote the full novel specifically to establish Ender's character for the sequel Speaker for the Dead.
• The book won both the Nebula Award and Hugo Award, two of science fiction's highest honors.
• Ender's Game was the first science fiction novel published entirely online before print publication.
• The U.S. Marine Corps includes the novel on its Professional Reading List for certain ranks.
• Card made revisions to the novel in 1991 to reflect changes like the decline of the Soviet Union.
• The book has been translated into 34 different languages.
• A film adaptation starring Asa Butterfield as Ender was released in 2013.
• Marvel Comics published a limited series comic book adaptation of the novel.
• An audioplay version featuring a full cast was produced in 2013, expanding on elements from other stories in the series.
About the author
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an acclaimed American author best known for his science fiction novels, particularly the Ender's Game series. Born in 1951, Card began his writing career in the 1970s and quickly established himself as a major voice in science fiction. His novel Ender's Game won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, science fiction's top honors, as did its sequel Speaker for the Dead - making Card the first author to win both awards in consecutive years.
While primarily known for science fiction, Card has written prolifically across many genres including fantasy, biblical fiction, and contemporary fiction. Some of his other popular works include The Tales of Alvin Maker series and Enchantment. Card's writing often features young protagonists with special abilities who must make difficult moral choices. Themes of sacrifice, community, and the interplay between children and adults are common in his works.
Card's Mormon faith has been an important influence on his writing, though he initially tried to keep his religious beliefs separate from his fiction. His Homecoming Saga is a science fiction adaptation of the Book of Mormon. Card has also written extensively on writing craft, including the Hugo Award-winning How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy. He has taught writing workshops and courses at universities.