First Meetings

In the Enderverse

By: Orson Scott Card

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

Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

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)

Was good, but the music...

...in a few parts, the music was overpowering the voices, you could hardly hear the reader and when they spoke low, impossible. Who ever put this book and music to audible did a poor job.

If you (audible.com) want better reviews on this one, redo the sound or take the music out.

Other then that, I liked it. Gave an insight into a few areas I didn't know about. Such as where Jane came from, and Enders parents meeting.

3 Good Short Stories

If you have read Ender's Game, this is a must read! I admit, there are a few things that do not exactly coincide with Ender's Game, but they are barely even noticable. I really enjoyed them and I hope you do to. If you have not read any of the Ender's Game series, do not start with this one.

Great but…

There’s transitional heading music that runs too long and overpowers the reader. It’s awful and squelchy and serves no purpose. Gave me a headache.

I adore this series

These audiobooks define for me why this medium is so good. The details and words of the actual printed boom, with the pronunciation and accuracy from proven professionals.

This book, even a short, is just so good at the highlights.

Wiggins

why for the love of GOD does every narrator in this story change Ender's last name to WigginS??? I can't for life of me understand, but continuously throughout this whole book it happens. this seems extra strange because by the time this had come out many many audiobooks had been made about this IP, and were performed by some of these very people, and I really don't understand why. it was aight tho, p good. sorta got an alternate ending to the primary book.

Enderverse Fans Will love this

This is a collection of short stories that explain some of the backstory from the Enderverse and is very well written. Some of the material is either very close or duplicate material from earlier Ender books but this doesn't detract from the overall piece.

Can't seem to get enough Ender

Was great to hear more about Enders Parents but left me wanting more really, and the intro to Jane was cool too but noticed Speaker for the dead contradicted a few things from the short story other than that great, The first published Enders Game where alright was sure glad he did the novel, Over all not sorry I added this to my collection at all!
Oh and the narration was great also.

Volume control

I cant recommend this one enough, how ever the audio master needs to get ahold on the background music asap .. not only it is a massive distraction but makes the entire last chapter unaudible .. people buy audio books to listen to the spoken words not overly loud overutilized intros and outros .. very disappointed that this ever made it past any reviewer with out being addressed .. final marks 4/5 story 1/5 editing

Meh

Beginning was decent, then some stuff didn't particularly match with the original stories but was still acceptable, just stretched a bit. Also, the last story was pretty much a repeat w/ some minor details and the Jane story could've been so much more. I've never disliked the music at the end/beginning of a chapter in the other books, it would sometimes give it a majestic feel if it was just the right music and scene but in this book the music was overbearing and in poor choice. You could barely hear the characters talking while it played, it played for too long, and it was so loud I'd have to lower the audio and in turn hear even less of the dialogue. Overall it's still part of the enderverse and I'd still listen to it knowing it's shortfalls.

great stories bad music

These are great stories that make fine additions to the Enderverse. However at the beginning and end of each story there is this overpowering loud vaguely oriental music that drowns out the narrator. Another drawback, the chapter breaks don't match up with the book WTF they don't even match up with the beginning and end of each story