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)

Don't wait for the movie!!

While I'm sure I'll be first in line to see Hollywood's version (due out in November 2013), there is no way a movie can capture the intrigue and vital inner monologue that is so important to this book. I first read it in paperback probably 20 years ago and found it original, thought-provoking and entertaining. On a whim I decided to re-visit it, and I'm so glad I did! With the benefit of an advanced degree in security studies and a subsequent decade studying military leadership theory and security strategy, I can see so much more in Card's writing than I did as a teenager, virtually oblivious to the larger themes in this story. It is by no means a philosophical work; there is no mention of Hobbes, Thucydides, Machiavelli or Clausewitz, nor even discussion of any major academic ideas. Ender's Game can be enjoyed simply for its entertainment value, however it is addresses questions of politics, philosophy, ethics, anthropology, international relations, leadership, security strategy and military tactics in ways that are interesting to both young people and not-so-young-anymore adults.

It's worth pointing out that Card published this book in 1985, before lay-people had ever even heard of the internet as a theory, never mind a ubiquitous element of daily life. Not only did he predict the emergence and relevance of "nets" and interactive "desks" (which came to fruition in the form of the internet, laptops, tablets and smartphones), but he understood the how these media would become salient parts of our political and cultural spaces and moreover how their inherent anonymity would make them (and us) vulnerable to exploitation by those who wish to hide their identities or their true agendas.

My assessment of the performance is mixed. There are multiple narrators, particular to the characters, and I'm not sure who did what. Whoever voiced Ender, Col Graff and Mazer Rackham did an amazing job. Major Anderson and some of the other adults and students were not nearly as believable. The woman who portrays Valentine Wiggin (I hope it wasn't Card's daughter!) had a very pleasant voice, but was relentlessly singsongy, pleading, and strangely breathless. It was just too much emotion--and always whiny emotion--all the time.

Ender's Game

Not one for adventure or "boy" stories, this tale so gripped me that I'm still thinking through and talking about the things I'm learning from it (and I'm a middle-aged, relatively enlightened woman!)! On to Speaker for the Dead. I want to know more about this character's thoughts; he lives in that amazing space between one's heart and one's mind, that most effective place which leads us to our destiny despite ourselves.

Old time radio play

What made the experience of listening to Ender's Game the most enjoyable?

I liked the many different voices for characters. It felt like the old radio stories of the 40's & 50's with different people reading different characters. Made it come alive more. Nice job!

There's a reason it's a classic

If you love Sci-fi and have not read/listened to this book, you must give it a go. This audio version is great. The use of different voice actors for different scenes is very well done.

Can't go wrong with Card

Would you listen to Ender's Game again? Why?

This is only the third book that I have reread (listened to) in my live. Orson Scott Card can write the pants off most contemporary authors.

What did you like best about this story?

The character development is great fun. How the adults describe the characters is strange, but makes me think of a Greek Chorus.

Which scene was your favorite?

Interestingly enough, it is probably when the main character is resting at the lake. I needed a break from the intensity of the start of the book.

Any additional comments?

This one I would strongly recommend.

Amazing story

The book is amazing and the narrators really capture the characters well. I found myself dreaming about this story.

Amazing book, wonderful audio rendition

Ender's Game is the kind of book you will remember forever. This audio effectively captures every aspect of the book. A winner.

One of my favorites....!

This story is very well read by multiple actors that do a great job! The story itself is sci-fi perfection. It ranks (to me) next to Stranger in a Strange Land for originality and believability.

Missed this classic as a kid, still enjoyed it!

What made the experience of listening to Ender's Game the most enjoyable?

I really loved the narration of this book. The narrator did a great job of giving each character their own voice & engaging the listener in the story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's hard to choose just one. Each character adds their own element to the story.

Which scene was your favorite?

I don't want to spoil the story for anyone.

Any additional comments?

I missed reading this classic as a kid growing up. I always heard about it but never read it. I figured "what am I waiting for?" so I picked up a copy on Audible. I'm glad I did. Even as a 30 year old female, I enjoyed listening to the story & imagining that I was Ender. It's obviously written for a younger audience but this classic absolutely blows the current drivel for young audiences out of the water. If you missed this one as a kid, listen now-- you won't regret it!

I loved this book!

This was such a great book! I absolutely recommend it to sci-fi nerds and fiction-lovers alike. A great story line with believable and enjoyable performances by most of the narrators, with the exception of the sole female narrator (unfortunately, she over-acted and I actually became a bit irritated with her performance by the end....luckily she's only one of several narrators).

Orson Scott Card is an awesome author, and I really appreciated listening to his blurb at the end. He was intelligent, eloquent, funny and interesting. I look forward to listening to more of his books.