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Ender's Game

Special 20th Anniversary Edition

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Ender's Game

By: Orson Scott Card
Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki, Harlan Ellison, Gabrielle de Cuir
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About this listen

Andrew "Ender" Wiggin thinks he is playing computer-simulated war games at the Battle School; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. Ender is the result of decades of genetic experimentation, Earth's attempt to make the military genius that the planet needs in its all-out war with an alien enemy.

Is Ender the general Earth needs? The only way to find out is to throw the child into ever-harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six-years-old when his training begins. He will grow up fast.

But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. 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, Peter and Valentine, 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.

This Special 20th Anniversary Edition of the science fiction classic is now digitally remastered with a full cast production. It also contains an exclusive bonus original postscript written and recorded by the author himself, Orson Scott Card!

Browse more titles in the Ender Wiggin series.
Click here to see our top 10 Cult Classics.©1977, 1985, 1991 Orson Scott Card (P)2002 Fantastic Audio, an imprint of Audio Literature
Classics Science Fiction & Fantasy War Science Fiction
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Critic reviews

"'Intense' is the word for Ender's Game." ( The New York Times)
"If you have not yet read Ender's Game you most definitely should: it is believed by some to be the best science fiction book ever written, and a strong contender for 'Great Book' status." ( Amazon.com)

What listeners say about Ender's Game

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Engaging story

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this story and finished it pretty quickly. Ender is an unusual character that you quickly become invested in and want to know how his story ends.

The multi-actor performance works well - in his postcript at the end the author says he writes from a stageplay background, so the spoken performance suits his work well.

As a tiny note, the main narrator's voice is very deep so I found it difficult to listen to on my phone using the speakers (it got lost too easily in background noise) and needed to use headphones to make it louder. Maybe I'm just getting old!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great scifi

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

I'd certainly listen to this again as it's a gripping story, well written and well read by the voice actors.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ender's Game?

Without giving anything away, the best part is around the beginning of the final quarter of the book when we find out what Ender's and the other youngster's training has really been for.

Have you listened to any of Stefan Rudnicki and Harlan Ellison ’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I have now listened to most of the Ender's series, all of which have the same voice actors, and they're all really good, would recommend them to anyone who enjoys scifi.

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

I enjoyed the questions raised on ethics / morality and the rights of other species in this book, more so in latter books in the series. Although it does confuse me that the writer is apparently quite the homophobe, but is skilled in bringing the reader's thoughts to matters of ethics.

Any additional comments?

I would highly recommend this book, for any age 15+ and I think that even listeners who don't necessarily look for scifi audiobooks would really enjoy it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent narration.

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

This book was brilliantly read. I do not usually read this type of book. I was bored and decided to try something different. It was totally different with an unusual sci fi / fantasy perspective. The story line started slowly and I initially wondered what I had done but after a short time it gripped me and kept me listening well into the night.
If you like sci-fi and something very different I would certainly reccomend this book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Although this starts out with children in a future time, Ender was my favourite character because the story takes you through his childhood years and how he develops mentally and physically even though some times it seems a bit to far fetched it all weaves together well.

Have you listened to any of Stefan Rudnicki and Harlan Ellison ’s other performances? How does this one compare?

This is the first of Stevan Rudnicki and Harlan Ellison's I have heard but will defiantly look for more.

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

Shocked Empathy with the young Ender when he was mentally and physically abused made me cringe but it is fantasy and real life can be worse.

Any additional comments?

Excellent listen or read would reccomend it to any sci-fi addict a very good teenage read also.
No sex was quite a change.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Awful narration Amazing story

I actually can't bear the voice of the main narrator, I have no idea how I got through the first two chapters it was so bad. Why would they get a guy with such a deep voice narrating a child? Why does he make all the female characters sound the way men sound when they're doing an impression of a nagging wife!? Why is the speed and pace so bizarre!? His pauses and inflections just make no sense... He seems to swallow some of the ends of his words so they tail off. Arrggghhhhh hated it!! His child speak is also the WORST. Just the worst choice and ruined an otherwise amazing book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Sci-fi for all ages

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

Enders Game has just been released as a movie but do yourself a favour and listen to this before you go to see it.
I read the book when I was 12 and working my way through the library. I loved it then and devoured the others in the series, this re-read (listen) did not disappoint and as such it is a science fiction book that anybody who is interested in the genre should enjoy.
A fantastic story that has been well produced as an audio book. I was worried before I started listening that having more than one narrator would be jarring but instead it is flawless and adds to the overall enjoyment immensely.
When you get to the end make sure you listen to the author Orson Scott Card talking about the book and the film as he is incredibly engaging.

What other book might you compare Ender's Game to, and why?

If you enjoy this you should try Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

Have you listened to any of Stefan Rudnicki and Harlan Ellison ’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I haven't listened to either of the narrator's before but, I will definitely be looking out for them now.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened to this book in two big chunks if I didn't need sleep it would definitely have been perfect for one sitting.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Harry Potter in space

I really enjoyed this book, and i got hooked into it very quickly. While i enjoyed the middle part and build up to the climax alot, the ending was a little weak. It tries to build up to the next book in the series, Speaker of the dead. But i feel from the ending in book 1 that the theme and content will be quite different.

While i could enjoy the partly supernatural strategic powers of Ender in the book, towards the end it got a little out of hand with all of his friends sharing in the 10-12 year old awesomeness vs. adults, and i thought some of it as rather outright silly. Over the top is the correct term i presume.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Yes, but no

Ender's Game has a lot going for it as a book, but it is also flawed. It takes the reader (well, at least me) a lot to believe the ages of the children. When you listen to Orson Scott Card's explanation at the end of the book (stay listening, it's worth it), he makes a lot of sense, but it's difficult to accept without some kind of explanation in advance.
The book should have finished earlier as well - the last chapters were added later and the book would be better without them (although they could have made a good book in their own right).

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Jump in feet first!

What a wonderful book! Orson Scott Card has crafted a fantastic yet believable setting in which child prodigies are trained to command the military forces of the future. The story combines a coming of age yarn with moral and ethical questions of war. All this combines to create a science fiction classic.

Joint narration of this book is fantastic. Different voices enrich the story and help the imagination fly, which created a perfect audiobook for me.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Surprisingly good

Admittedly I wasn't sure I'd like this but I did. I enjoyed the audio version for all the usual reasons including the freedom it gives to get on with other things. I'd say the downside was trying to visualise the complexity of fight scenes, of which there are many. Other than that the story was awesome and very engaging, loved the twist. You're in for a treat.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Phenomenal

If this is what sci-fi is, I want more if it! I adored it so much and it was utterly addicting!

I loved the authors note at the end, I wish more books would include a little explanation of what was the lesson they were trying to teach!

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