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)

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.

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.

See if you can find the essays, Q&A online first

Having recently re-read the classic Ender's Game, I thought a venture into assorted essays examining the book and its impact on SF and society at large would be worthwhile. Sadly, this book did not live up to expectations. The essays, all well-written, did not evoke thoughts or perspectives that are not unusual for SF books in general, much less one as well-known as Ender's Game. I found many of the analyses to be overly generalized, describing experiences and perspectives that can be easily applied to just about every book out there. Some of the essays were more an opportunity for the writer to vent their own personal experiences with the book rather than focusing on a meaningful, through-provoking theme to be explored by the reader. The exception is an essay written by a Marine Captain who was assigned the task of writing the master instruction manual for the entire Marine Corps on how to make war using a methodology that mirrored the tactics and leadership practices that Ender used in Battle School and beyond. That is a VERY fascinating read into how Ender's Game can relate to real-life instances of leadership and warfare and is perhaps on its own worth the price of the book. The Q&A at the end of each chapter is the best part for fans of Ender's Game. Questions are asked directly to Orson Scott Card regarding his thoughts and plans behind various aspects of Ender's Game and the entire Enderverse, and Card reads the answers himself. Those same questions and answers, as well as the topics of the articles in the books, could probably be found online in other forums. If you're a hardcore Ender fan like me, I guess this book is worth the time ... barely.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"ender's world" analyzes "ender's game".

"ender's world" analyzes "ender's game" from various perspective by different professionals in their respective fields.

This is not the book. Title is misleading

What disappointed you about Ender’s World?

I purchased this thinking it was Ender's Game and was extremely disappointed. I was 2 hours into a 12 hour car trip without cell service and realized my mistake. I had to stop near a tower to download the correct book. If you want to listen to Essays about the actual book this is the one for you.