Ender Wiggin is a very bright young boy with a powerful skill. One of a group of children bred to be military geniuses and save Earth from an inevitable attack by aliens, known here as "buggers," Ender becomes unbeatable in war games and seems poised to lead Earth to triumph over the buggers. Meanwhile, his brother and sister plot to wrest power from Ender. Twists, surprises and interesting characters elevate this novel into status as a bona fide page turner. It captured the Nebula and Hugo Awards.

From Publishers Weekly
For the 20th anniversary of Card's Hugo and Nebula Award–winning novel, Audio Renaissance brings to life the story of child genius Ender Wiggin, who must save the world from malevolent alien "buggers." In his afterword, Card declares, "The ideal presentation of any book of mine is to have excellent actors perform it in audio-only format," and he gets his wish. Much of the story is internal dialogue, and each narrator reads the sections told from the point of view of a particular character, rather than taking on a part as if it were a play. Card's phenomenal emotional depth comes through in the quiet, carefully paced speech of each performer. No narrator tries overmuch to create separate character voices, though each is clearly discernible, and the understated delivery will draw in listeners. In particular, Rudnicki, with his lulling, sonorous voice, does a fine job articulating Ender's inner struggle between the kind, peaceful boy he wants to be and the savage, violent actions he is frequently forced to take. This is a wonderful way to experience Card's best-known and most celebrated work, both for longtime fans and for newcomers. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The New York Times Book Review, Gerald Jonas
. . . an affecting novel full of surprises that seem inevitable once they are explained. The key, of course, is Ender Wiggin himself. Mr. Card never makes the mistake of patronizing or sentimentalizing his hero. Alternately likable and insufferable, his is a convincing little Napoleon in short pants.

From AudioFile
The author declares that this book is meant to be heard, and this reviewer agrees. Re-released in honor of the twentieth anniversary of its publication, it offers a postscript from the author, which discusses not only the origins of the book, but also an upcoming film that tells the next generation of the story. Stefan Rudnicki, Harlan Ellison, and a full cast, including the author, give the definitive performance of this work. The characters are memorable and the pace quick. An Earphones Award winner when originally released, this audiobook is well deserving of listeners' time. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Review
“This Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel is given award-winning treatment as an audiobook....Ender's Game offers outstanding production and first-rate narration. Don’t miss it.”


Review
"Card has taken the venerable sf concepts of a superman and interstellar war against aliens, and, with superb characterization, pacing and language, combined them into a seamless story of compelling power. This is Card at the height of his very considerable powers--a major sf novel by any reasonable standards." --Booklist


Book Description
Andrew “Ender” Wiggin thinks he is playing computer-simulated war games at the Battle School; in fact, he is 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. Ender Wiggin is six years old when his training begins. He will grow up fast. Ender’s two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between three of them lie the abilities to remake a world—if the world survives.
This, the author’s definitive edition, also includes an original postscript written and recorded by the author himself, in which he discusses the origins of the novel.


About the Author
Born in Richland, Washington in 1951, Orson Scott Card grew up in California, Arizona, and Utah. He lived in Brazil for two years as an unpaid missionary for the Mormon Church and received degrees from Brigham Young University (1975) and the University of Utah (1981). The author of numerous books, Card was the first writer to receive both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel two years in a row, first for Ender's Game and then for the sequel Speaker for the Dead. He lives in Greensboro, North Carolina

ANNOTATION

When aliens twice attack the earth and almost destroy the human race, the government prepares for the next encounter with "art of war" training games. 2 cassettes.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Once again, the Earth is under attack. Alien "buggers" are poised for a final assault. The survival of the human species depends on a military genius who can defeat the buggers. But who? Ender Wiggin. Brilliant. Ruthless. Cunning. A tactical and strategic master. And a child. Recruited for military training by the world government, Ender's childhood ends the moment he enters his new home: Battleschool. Among the elite recruits Ender proves himself to be a genius among geniuses. In simulated war games he excels. But is the pressure and loneliness taking its toll on Ender? Simulations are one thing. How will Ender perform in real combat conditions? After all, Battleschool is just a game. Right?

FROM THE CRITICS

Gale Research

That ambition and talent was both revealed and recognized in 1985, when Card released Ender's Game. This novel began as a short story, which Card describes in a CA interview as "still the most popular and the most reprinted of my stories, and I still have people tell me that they like it better than the novel.... When I started working on the novel that became Speaker for the Dead, a breakthrough for me in that story was realizing that the main character should be Ender Wiggin. That made it a kind of sequel, although its plot had nothing to do with the original plot; it was just using a character.... I told the publisher, Tom Doherty, that I needed to do a novel version of `Ender's Game' just to set up Speaker for the Dead. That's the only reason `Ender's Game' ever became a novel."

Children's Literature - Norah Piehl

This twenty-five-year-old science fiction classic has been repackaged for younger readers. Unlike many hard-core science fiction titles, this book is particularly appropriate for a younger audience, for its protagonist, Ender Wiggin, is just six years old at the novel's beginning and still a pre-teen at its end. Ender's parents have received a special dispensation to have a third child in spite of strict population control laws. His brilliant older siblings, Peter and Valentine, have each showed great promise, but each falls just short of having "the right stuff." The International Fleet (I.F.) believes that Ender may be the commander they need to lead great armies against invasion by alien "buggers." When Ender does exhibit the desired combination of compassion and cruelty, the I.F. takes him to the distant Battle School, where brilliant children are trained in military strategy and tactics. The centerpiece of their education is a simulated battle game at which Ender quickly excels, eventually becoming the youngest commander in history. Life at Battle School, especially these battle games, is richly described. Ender is portrayed as just a pawn in the larger game being played by the I.F., and readers will alternately sympathize with his exploitation and cheer when he is able to make friends in spite of the tremendous forces working to isolate and dehumanize him. The political and philosophical material at the novel's end may get too heavy for some readers, but for the most part, this novel will deservedly reach a new generation through this new edition.

AudioFile