Ender's Game

Special 20th Anniversary Edition

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki, Harlan Ellison, Gabrielle de Cuir

Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards

In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut - young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister. Is Ender the general Earth needs?

But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.

Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

Browse more titles in the Ender Wiggin series.

©1977, 1985, 1991 Orson Scott Card (P)2002 Fantastic Audio, an imprint of Audio Literature

Critic reviews

• Nebula Award Winner, Best Novel, 1985

• Hugo Award Winner, Best Novel, 1986

"'Intense' is the word for Ender's Game." (The New York Times)

The Enemies Gate is Down

This is a classic by Orson Scott Card and is the first book in the Enders series. This was originally written as a standalone book but the author has gone back to expanded the universe. So if you enjoyed this one and would like to see what happens next there are several more books to follow this one. In Ender's Game humanity finds itself at war with space aliens that are basically giant bugs. I found myself forgetting at times how young the "soldiers" were. When Ender starts at the War School he is only 6 years old, but Ender and the other soldiers there are unlike any child you know. They are all genus children being trained to command an Army against hostile bugs. If you haven't read this one yet I would definitely pick this one up. Plus Hollywood is making a movie based on this book and is due out in November of 2013.

Good balance between sci-fi and thriller

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I'm not a huge fan of science fiction, but with the movie coming out soon and the positive reviews 'Ender's Game" received I decided to give it a try. The plot was fast- paced and exciting, although there were times when the story stepped a little too far into science fiction territory for me (lots of anti- gravity situations that didn't further the plot).
The writing style is quite cynical and at times very dark, and I definitely think there is some political commentary, or at the very least Card subconsciously projects his cynical views of government into the plot.
Criticisms aside, I thought the book was very thought provoking, and extremely entertaining. It's definitely worth a read!

A universal story about love and fear

Andrew Wiggins is a very smart child who would love nothing more than being a nice boy, but who is forced to be the loneliest person because he must grow strong and fight another interstellar civilisation. This is the story of the inevitable conflict that must arise when no communication is possible.

If you have a hard time to get into the story, you're in for a HUGE surprise so hang on. It shouldn't be hard, however, as the story is so entertaining and one gets so attached (and so sad) for Ender, that as it unravels you can't help getting captivated. The whole story makes a lot of sense, from a science-fiction point of view. Yet it's really about war, politics, and the moral imperative of a species to protect itself.

When you start think of the global issue, you're where the author wants you. The other three books of the series are really a continuation on this theme and get more and more philosophical (while retaining a story). The author is a profoundly moral person, who wants you to get thinking about what makes us human and how you'd react to a truly alien contacts. Which is not useless, after all, as the question will have to be discussed if it ever happens.

As others have said, there are three other books (Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind) the latter not yet in audiobook. Do not however listen to abridged version. You will regret it. There are two other books that explore a different aspect of Ender's story (Ender's Shadow, and Shadow of the Hegemon) which you do not have to read to understand the main series, but actually happen right after Ender's Game while Speaker of the Dead takes place long afterwards (thanks to relativistic delays in galactic travels). They are in audiobook, but abridged. I trust the author that they are all worth it, although I only have listened to the Speaker's series, not the Shadows.

By the way, the reading is superb, which is probably another reason why this audiobook is so popular.

Superb Science Fiction - a deserving classic.

I recently panned Frank Herbert's Dune in a review. I hated it. Somebody recommended this classic to me as an alternative and boy oh boy am I glad I listened. This is a classic deserving of that title.

I was aware of much about Ender's Game for a long time -- the young boy, the battle school, the training to fight an Alien War -- but that's only half the book. The other half is a wider picture of the world of this time -- of human nature at it's best and worst in a wonderfully realized world.

The pacing of this book is strange: The first 3/4 of it are predominantly focused on the Battle School and War -- and then the 'denouement' changes into something completely different. It becomes a poignant and philosophical book about morals and human nature -- and it extends beyond where a 'typical' novel would leave off.

If you finish this book, and like me, find the "Game" part of Ender's Game good, but what comes after it much much better, then please listen also to SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD, the sequel, which is more in this vein. This is shaping up to be my favorite science fiction series of all time.

Not for Sci Fi Lovers Only

I'm an avid reader of science fiction and love the hard stuff but the Enderverse is a good example of a series of science fiction novels which is also a good read for people who wouldn't usually touch the stuff with a ten foot pole.

Ender's Game can be read as a stand alone novel but it is especially meaningful as the first part of a 6 novel series in which Ender's world is explored in several directions. The first four novels all feature Ender, while the last two feature one of his battle school cohorts, Bean.

Ender's Game is a beautifully crafted mystery with great science fiction credentials, full of characters that are believable and who resonate for the reader in 3D living color. Card's storytelling skills are legendary and I always have a hard time putting any of his novels down once I read the first page.

But, it's his compassion and unstinting depiction of harsh reality from the point of view of a child which speak to me most in much of his work and Ender's Game is one of his best. (I also recommend the first three books in the Alvin Maker series and Songbird, a standalone novel, to anyone who likes Ender's Game for the reasons just stated.)

You gotta listen to this book!

I'd heard sterling reviews of this book from lots of folks, but - until now - had not made time to read or listen to this book. My mistake! The story was SO much fun, and the characters are SO engaging - I didn't want to stop listening. I actually started looking forward to my daily commute, just so I could continue this book! In fact, the author (in his comments at the end of this audio version) even says that he himself actually prefers that people listen to (vs. read) this book. I can see why! The narration (using various voice talents) was great - and really helped bring the characters alive. One of the best credits I have spent so far.

Starts out 'hot' and ends 'cold'

This book pulls you in from the first few pages. The writer does an excellent job of getting the reader to immediately empathize with the main character - 'Ender'. The story is interesting and intriquing, and the author develops many of the other characters fairly well. The book was enjoyable, and I would have given it "5", but for the fact that the last hour or so of the audio book (i.e., the last couple chapters) had me wondering if the author just rushed the ending to meet his publisher's deadline or something.

We follow Ender through his many trials and tribulations, and then the ending seems just like a walk in the park for the kid. Its as if we've figuratively zoomed forward in the character's life and find him changed and don't fully know (or care) why. Throughout most of the book, the author takes great pains to involve the reader in all aspects of Ender's life and make us 'care'. However, he seems to have forgotten to do so at the conclusion of the story.

Must read for Sci-Fi fans

If you enjoy sci-fi, this title is a must read. This is usually recommend as a teen/ young adult title, but think that it is appropriate for all ages. I am in my late twenties myself. I found the characters enjoyable and was absorbed by the plot. I've enjoyed the universe created in the book so much, that I have continued on the other titles that exist in it. I enjoyed the narration and will be looking at other titles by the cast.

What took me so long?

I have no excuse for waiting so long to listen to/read this book. But it all worked out in the end, because this 20th anniversary edition of the audiobook was brilliant. The narrator was simply perfect, keeping me entranced throughout the whole book. Mr. Card can write, oh, yes he can.

Unlikely Masterpiece

This audiobook grabbed me right away. I understand why this book is famous. It reminded me of Dune, because it has a similar theme, but this book is slimmer and tighter, the author more disciplined.

Others may disagree, but I think this book appeals more to boys than to girls, because of the constant themes of battle, and because all but one of the main characters are boys.

The narration is generally excellent. Most of the story is told from the title character, Ender's point of view. But some parts are from other characters' POV, and these parts have their own narrators. A few scenes were acted out. We could have been spared this these bits, but there aren't that many.

Stefan Rudnicki, who narrated Ender's story was the best. As the story takes us into the mind of this very special little boy, Mr. Rudnicki makes us hear his voice. So I'm glad most of it is read by him. The others are ok, including a woman who narrates from a female character's POV.