First Meetings

In the Enderverse

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: Gabrielle De Cuir, Amanda Karr, Stefan Rudnicki

First Meetings is a collection of three novellas (plus the original "Ender's Game") that journey into the origins and the destiny of one Ender Wiggin.

"The Polish Boy", a novella written especially for this collection, begins in the years between the first two Bugger Wars when the Hegemony is desperate to recruit brilliant military commanders to repel the alien invasion. In John Paul Wiggin, the future father of Ender, they believe they may have found their man. Or boy.

In "Teacher's Pest", also written especially for this collection, a brilliant but insufferably arrogant John Paul Wiggin, now an American university student, matches wits with an equally brilliant graduate student named Theresa Brown.

It is many years since the end of the Bugger Wars in "The Investment Counselor". Ender's reputation as a hero and savior has suffered a horrible reversal. Banished from Earth and slandered as a mass murderer, 20-year-old Ender Wiggin wanders incognito form planet to planet as a fugitive, until a blackmailing tax inspector compromises his identity and threatens to expose Ender the Xenocide.

Also here is the original landmark "Ender's Game", which first appeared in 1977.

First Meetings is Orson Scott Card at the height of his considerable powers, featuring his most compelling character.

©2003 Orson Scott Card; (P) 2003, 2004 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic reviews

"Character, setting, plot: Card does them all right, and makes it look effortless....For newcomers to Ender's universe and long-time fans, this book will hit the spot and whet the appetite for more." (School Library Journal)
"Even those who are intimately familiar with the concepts of the Game from later Ender books will be struck anew by Card's virtuosity. His powerful voice and startlingly clear vision will draw many new readers into a lifelong love of science fiction. This accessible collection will impress even non-sci-fi buffs, besides being a must-have for Ender saga devotees." (Publishers Weekly) "These stories demonstrate the assured scene setting, apparently effortlessly sustained suspense, and moral preoccupation with the responsibilities of kinship and friendship that distinguishes Ender's entire saga." (Booklist)

Great set of stories

This is a great addition to the Ender series! Very entertaining.

Not sure what I heard

Kinda a spoiler: so the book starts as if it’s going to be an origin story to Enders parents. But then it jumps to Ender after Enders game, then goes back to Ender at the end of his original story. I’m not sure if there was an error in audio book or if that is how it was written. If that’s how it was written, why cover a lot of info that was already in Enders Game? Also, having loud music over power narration in some important sections was pretty lame.

disappointed

the beginning was well written. I feel after chapter 2 it went down hill fast. the change background information for main character and change the overall perspective of bean and ender. I feel chapter 3-5 was not needed and wish there was more on the first two chapters.

Another fine addition

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of reading stories from this universe, with these rich, interesting characters.

The volume levels were a little off in the music vs voice tracks in the final chapter, but that was a minor issue.

Stefan Rudnicki and the other voice actors were brilliant as usual.

the background music was hella loud!

loved the story and voices,
hated when the background music was really loud
idk why one of the stories incorrectly says "Wiggins".