Ender's Game

by Orson Scott Card

Book Overview

From New York Times bestselling author Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game is the classic Hugo and Nebula award-winning science fiction novel of a young boy's recruitment into the midst of an interstellar war.

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.

THE ENDER UNIVERSE

Ender Quintet series
Ender's Game / Ender in Exile / Speaker for the Dead / Xenocide / Children of the Mind

Ender's Shadow series
Ender's Shadow / Shadow of the Hegemon / Shadow Puppets / Shadow of the Giant / Shadows in Flight

Children of the Fleet

The First Formic War (with Aaron Johnston)
Earth Unaware / Earth Afire / Earth Awakens

The Second Formic War (with Aaron Johnston)
The Swarm /The Hive

Ender novellas
A War of Gifts /First Meetings

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812550706
• ISBN13: 9780812550702
• Release Date: July 1994
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Probably my favorite book!

Easy and really fun read with some heavy concepts, great book!

Great book for any scifi fan

The pacing, concepts, themes, and ideas of this book have stuck with me for over two decades now. While the movie adaptation was meh the source material is something worth your time. The characters, conflicts, struggles, and goals are all relatable and understandable. Highly recommend.

A story for all ages

Ended Wiggin is an extraordinary child placed in an impossible position. Years after an alien race wreaked havoc on earth, they have returned and if we are to survive ender must succeed while the fate of the world rests on his shoulders

Great book, sometimes predictable but still amazing story.

If you haven't read it and you like Sci fi it's def a must read, better than the movie

Very good

Arrived quickly and in good quality; fantastic story by great author.

Worth the read a thousand times over.

I've never read an entire book in a day. Until this book. Very immersive and intense.

Top ten favorite

Orson scott does a brilliant job developing characters and illustrating the surroundings. He makes you feel like you are inside Enders head

Oh wow!

Such a fantastic book by such a fantastic author! I've read all the Ender books and what a pleasure that was! His ability to create vivid images of outer space and places I'd never imagined is so amazing! And the images clung to me like the strange yet endearing and real characters he creates. I'd need a whole new vocabulary to say everything brimming over that wants saying! He's just absolutely spectacular! And this wonderful book is only the beginning! He's a wonderfully prolific author! Oh have spectacular time! I know you will!

I haven't got to read it yet because I'm reading Stephen king's werewolf novel but this is my next g

I'm excited to see how the character progresses and looking forward to hearing about the space and technology.

Warning: once you start reading, you can't stop!

My friend brought this book to sleepaway camp a few years ago, and lacking anything better to do, I decided to read it. What followed was a mind explosion that made me take the book to every meal, activity, and even field trip, until I finished it. Then I read it again. And again. When camp ended I immediately took out a copy from the library along with every other Orson Scott Card book it had. Usually sequels aren't as good as the original book, but with this series (and every other spinoff series from this book) I had the same reaction; mind bending awe. This book is for all the sci-fi lovers out there, and I can guarantee it will be mind boggling in the best way possible. I have to keep buying new copies because whenever I lend it to someone the amazed look on their face is too much for me and I end up just giving them the book to keep. So clear out an afternoon and don't stop reading until you finish or your eyes stop working. Whichever comes first. Cheers

Just finished this

No reviews in over 16 years... and here I am; not well with words, no writer, very bland with my reviews. So I’ll leave you with this. I’m a 23 year old girl who grew up with Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Twilight; I love sci-fi fantasy. I saw this recommended on Reddit and after I finished reading Shogūn last week I just needed an easy read. I picked up Ender’s Game and 3 chapters in I immediately purchased the rest of the quintent. Amazing book, extremely easy read after something so large like Shogūn, but at the same time so deep and full of thought processes. The imagery was probably the best thing in this book. Enough to have the movie play in your mind but not enough to where your mind makes up its own scenes. 5/5 I can’t wait for the rest of the books to get here. (PS Orson, I loved your introduction; I don’t normally read them and the intro to the intro made me giggle) I needed this book in my life right now. Thank you for this meditation.

The Epitome of Science Fiction

This was a book recommended to me by a friend who also happened to tell me the ending before I read it. Remind me to give him a nasty stare!Anyway, this book starts off with a rather long introduction which the author wrote himself about his influences and motivation for writing Ender's Game. The author has had the idea of a Battle Room since he was sixteen. Only much later did he piece together the story of Ender and his mission to save the earth. Ender Wiggin is a special boy. He is the youngest (6 yrs old when the story starts) of a family of child geniuses (Peter being the eldest, then Valentine). This story is set in the future where aliens (called Buggers because of their physical and mental traits) have tried to invade the earth twice. Twice the Earth defeated them, but at great cost. The government is scrambling to make sure this never happens again by training the next set of star fleet commanders from childhood.In this futuristic world, only the government could sanction the birth of a third child (for population control reasons). In a way, Ender was born for a purpose. Peter and Valentine were both tested for giftedness and they both possessed it; however, he was ruthless and evil, and she was too soft and kind. Ender was a perfect balance of decisiveness and innocence, and so chosen from the beginning to go through Battle School. It is in Battle School that Ender learns military strategy and the history of wars between the Earth and the Buggers. It is also in Battle School that Ender makes friends and molds the perfect platoon leaders.What's really unique about this story is that Ender is forced to grow up so quickly by the "adults." The teachers of the school and high government officials all have one thought in their minds. And that is to eliminate the alien threat at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing the health and sanity of a child. Ender is subjected to so much isolation and abuse throughout the story, that I felt really bad for him. He has to learn to think like an adult through the eyes of a child. His biggest fear is becoming like his brother Peter (who, in Ender's eyes, is a cold blooded killer -- keep in mind that we're talking about the thoughts of a child who hasn't even reached puberty) is slowly becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy as he matures. The ending of this story is just amazing. I will not give it away!I recommended this book to a 13 year old boy before having finished the book. Now I'm thinking twice about my recommendation. Although this book's main characters are children and centers around the premise that child geniuses will save the world, there are a lot of adult themes and references to ancient history that probably only an adult would appreciate. I believe references to the Warsaw Pact, the League of Nations, Locke and Demosthenes will confuse the younger readers. Also the themes of murder, deception, isolation, rules of engagement in battle might be viewed as inappropriate

Very impresive

Recently, I went on vacation. My close friend asked to borrow a book of mine and in return, he shoved his battered copy of Ender's game into my hand. I shoved it into my suitcase.I hate science fiction! I have read hundreds of books and can count on one hand how many were science fiction. But a funny thing happened on my trip. I finished the two books I had with me..uh-oh. So I rummaged through my suitcase and dug out this book.This book is about a young boy, Ender Wiggin, who is a genious, a frowned upon "third", or a third child, in a society where NO ONE has three children. He goes off to military school and is destined to become a great miliary leader in the war against the "buggers", a harsh alien race. He is pulled away from his family, his hated brother and loved sister. This book was absolutely absorbing. I read the whole thing in two days, pretty good for me, who scrutinized books and reads them many times.I highly recommend this book to people of all ages who need to escape the real world and meet ender and his feirce group of first grade friends, and read all about their accomplishments.

What? You havent read this yet?

How can you consider yourself a fan of Science Fiction if you've never read Ender's Game? Actually... I only just read it a month ago- but boy am I ashamed of myself for having waited so long! I had to read it again a week ago since I couldn't believe I'd loved it so much, and when phrases like, "The best book I've ever read!" come to your mind- you'd better be pretty certain. It goes high on my list with Dune and very few others. It will enrapture you. The story is simple. It is the future. The Earth has had a severe run-in with a race of hostile aliens we call the "Buggers". They have invaded our planet twice, nearly wiping us out if it weren't for some amazing luck. Now, decades later, the Earth prepares to retaliate against the Buggers- defeat them before a third invasion can be launched against us. We have a massive fleet, but need a leader. With that in mind, the military turns to children for salvation... filtering out the most brilliant strategic minds and molding them into commanders with what it takes to win the war. At age 6, Andrew Wiggen (ENDER) is their best hope. This is the story of his trials and training and SO much more. Card does everything right in Ender's Game. As a 24 year-old, I couldn't recommend any book higher. If you are new to sci-fi, this will get you addicted. ............

Enjoyable and Ingenious

Whenever I talk about this book, it's hard not to make it sound like I am a science fiction junkie. I love and defend sci-fi, but I am not limited to the genre. Neither, I think, is this magnificent book. To label it simply a sci-fi classic would be like labeling "Moby Dick" a great book about boats. All great books, regardless of the genre, say something truly profound about the human condition. "Ender's Game" not only manages to have a strong message, but it is also a joy to read. The plot is enthralling, the characters are complex and realistic, and the descriptions of the battleroom fill your head with fantastic images that make you wish your school had been like this, without the burden of saving humanity. The subplot involving Valentine and Peter is superb and cannot fail to inflame every reader's megalomaniacal side. Though the book is about children, it never condescends and gives kids the credit for the intelligent creatures they are (a big plus for teenage readers). The characters are exceptionally bright, but they are still identified as five- to twelve-year olds, not as mini-adults. It's no wonder that so many gifted young readers have made the statement, "I am Ender." I hope "Ender's Game" is able to make the rare crossover from lowly sci-fi to recognized, so-called "legitimate" literature.Not only will you not be able to put the book down, you won't be able to read this book just once.

The Author Says a Few Words About Style

First, I'm embarrassed, as the author, that I have to give a rating in "stars" in order to comment here. But since I do have to do so, I'm not about to bring down the average by rating my own book any less than five .For those who didn't believe the storyline, I can't offer much help. It IS fiction, but people have different levels of tolerance for extravagant variations from their experience in everyday life. As Johnny Carson used to say, "Buy the premise, buy the bit."For those who have commented that the reason the book is awful is because I don't describe, or my language is so very direct and plain, I must point out that there are several stylistic traditions available to a writer. I, for one, have little patience with writers who show off and try to dazzle readers with their language. The style I choose to use has been called "The American Plain Style," in which the author tries to become as invisible as possible, bringing the reader to see things as if experiencing them along with the character, instead of having a writer constantly commenting and interrupting the flow of the story. Moreover, ever since my days as a playwright I have preferred the bare stage to a realistic set: I found that the less I put on the stage, the more the audience would imagine a much more compelling set than I could ever build. Likewise, in my fiction I describe only as much as is asbsolutely necessary in order to understand what is going on; the rest, the readers create in their own imagination, if they're willing to use it. I try never to describe anything that the point-of-view character would not notice, because such extraneous descriptions take you out of the story. However, when I find it necessary I do describe, and when it is useful (especially at moments of denouement or release) I use more evocative language; some of my story endings (though not Ender's Game) are written as blank verse, though of course I run the lines together so as not to distract the reader. I am also constantly aware of the sound and rhythm of the language, so that it flows and remains pronounceable, since at an unconscious level readers all "read aloud" even if their lips don't move - the written word is inexorably tied to the spoken.In short, there are many aspects to style, and while those who complain about the style of Ender's Game are entitled to their preferences, it's rather parochial to condemn a book because the author is following a stylistic tradition with which they are unfamiliar. Of course, they are hardly to be blamed for this, since so many literature teachers in American colleges and universities teach as if there were only one way to write well, and one kind of story worth telling.Of course, those who approached Ender's Game skeptically or because they were "forced" to read it can hardly imagine their response is valid for those who read it as volunteers or with belief: No book, however good, can survive a hostil