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 story felt shorter than when I read it.

the story is fantastic, however for the audio ebook costing about 30 dollars and only lasting 3 days, it was over far too quickly.

Never gets old.

I love this book, the whole series really. Shadow included. I couldn't tell you how many times I've listened and re-listened to this book. The cast is perfect the voices are nicely done and the story is wonderfully written.

Sad but compelling

Would you consider the audio edition of Ender's Game to be better than the print version?

I would rarely say yes to this but with the full cast performance I would have to agree that in this case the audio is better!

What about Stefan Rudnicki and Harlan Ellison ’s performance did you like?

I loved their performances.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book had several locations where I laughed but mostly it just made me cry and feel pity for ender.

Best Listen Ever!

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

Great Book! Great Story! Great Listen!

What did you like best about this story?

Characters were excellent and the story was wonderful!

Which scene was your favorite?

Entire Book was great!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

NA

Any additional comments?

NA

Worth reading.

Great book. My only complaint is that after the ending, which was great, he kept on going. It is clear that he only tacked this on so that his second book, which was already writen, would fit into a series.

Good start

My son got really really into this, me not so much. This is a good start to a much larger series. We enjoyed the reading and are looking forward to more.

Very Good Performance

The varied voices for different primary characters really adds depth to this characterization. The book is, of course, quite wonderful, and I got more listening to this after reading the book than I expected to.

great read!

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

Yes and I can't wait to get into the next one in the series.

Which character – as performed by Stefan Rudnicki and Harlan Ellison – was your favorite?

Ender was a well developed character. I could easily put myself in his shoes.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Ender realized he was ultimately being used and he was afraid he was more like his brother than he originally believed.

Very Gripping story!!!

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

I would highly recommend this audiobook. I loved the interview with the author at the end and he states that this book was meant to be read aloud. And I agree. The story was brilliant and absolutely gripping. I'm so glad I decided to choose this book. I'm very picky about science fiction and this book is so well done.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

The narrators were amazing and very talented. When I first read the description, I wasn't sure I would like it. I imagined a radio drama type of performance where the characters go back and forth. But it wasn't like that at all. I enjoyed the performances of all the narrators.

A winner

Great story, even better when you consider how long ago the book was written.

Worth the download.