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Ender's Game (Ender Quintet Book 1) by [Orson Scott Card]

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Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game (Ender Quintet Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Orson Scott Card (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Book 1 of 6: Ender Sextet

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Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is the winner of the Nebula and Hugo 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.

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 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

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6+ years, from customers
Print length

264 pages
Language

English
Lexile measure

780L
Publisher

Tor Books
Publication date

April 1, 2010
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ISBN-10

9781429963930
ISBN-13

978-0812550702
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Popular Highlights in this book

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Perhaps it’s impossible to wear an identity without becoming what you pretend to be.
Highlighted by 8,327 Kindle readers
Ender’s anger was cold, and he could use it. Bonzo’s was hot, and so it used him.
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It made Ender listen more carefully to what people meant, instead of what they said. It made him wise.
Highlighted by 5,870 Kindle readers

Editorial Reviews

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

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

1

THIRD

"I've watched through his eyes, I've listened through his ears, and I tell you he's the one. Or at least as close as we're going to get."
"That's what you said about the brother."
"The brother tested out impossible. For other reasons. Nothing to do with his ability."
"Same with the sister. And there are doubts about him. He's too malleable. Too willing to submerge himself in someone else's will."
"Not if the other person is his enemy."
"So what do we do? Surround him with enemies all the time?"
"If we have to."
"I thought you said you liked this kid."
"If the buggers get him, they'll make me look like his favorite uncle."
"All right. We're saving the world, after all. Take him."
* * *
The monitor lady smiled very nicely and tousled his hair and said, "Andrew, I suppose by now you're just absolutely sick of having that horrid monitor. Well, I have good news for you. That monitor is going to come out today. We're going to take it right out, and it won't hurt a bit."
Ender nodded. It was a lie, of course, that it wouldn't hurt a bit. But since adults always said it when it was going to hurt, he could count on that statement as an accurate prediction of the future. Sometimes lies were more dependable than the truth.
"So if you'll just come over here, Andrew, just sit right up here on the examining table. The doctor will be in to see you in a moment."
The monitor gone. Ender tried to imagine the little device missing from the back of his neck. I'll roll over on my back in bed and it won't be pressing there. I won't feel it tingling and taking up the heat when I shower.
And Peter won't hate me anymore. I'll come home and show him that the monitor's gone, and he'll see that I didn't make it, either. That I'll just be a normal kid now, like him. That won't be so bad then. He'll forgive me that I had my monitor a whole year longer than he had his. We'll be--
Not friends, probably. No, Peter was too dangerous. Peter got so angry. Brothers, though. Not enemies, not friends, but brothers--able to live in the same house. He won't hate me, he'll just leave me alone. And when he wants to play buggers and astronauts, maybe I won't have to play, maybe I can just go read a book.
But Ender knew, even as he thought it, that Peter wouldn't leave him alone. There was something in Peter's eyes, when he was in his mad mood, and whenever Ender saw that look, that glint, he knew that the one thing Peter would not do was leave him alone. I'm practicing piano, Ender. Come turn the pages for me. Oh, is the monitor boy too busy to help his brother? Is he too smart? Got to go kill some buggers, astronaut? No, no, I don't want your help. I can do it on my own, you little bastard, you little Third.
"This won't take long, Andrew," said the doctor.
Ender nodded.
"It's designed to be removed. Without infection, without damage. But there'll be some tickling, and some people say they have a feeling of something missing. You'll keep looking around for something, something you were looking for, but you can't find it, and you can't remember what it was. So I'll tell you. It's the monitor you're looking for, and it isn't there. In a few days that feeling will pass."
The doctor was twisting something at the back of Ender's head. Suddenly a pain stabbed through him like a needle from his neck to his groin. Ender felt his back spasm, and his body arched violently backward; his head struck the bed. He could feel his legs thrashing, and his hands were clenching each other, wringing each other so tightly that they arched.
"Deedee!" shouted the doctor. "I need you!" The nurse ran in, gasped. "Got to relax these muscles. Get it to me, now! What are you waiting for!"
Something changed hands; Ender could not see. He lurched to one side and fell off the examining table. "Catch him!" cried the nurse.
"Just hold him steady--"
"You hold him, doctor, he's too strong for me--"
"Not the whole thing! You'll stop his heart--"
Ender felt a needle enter his back just above the neck of his shirt. It burned, but wherever in him the fire spread, his muscles gradually unclenched. Now he could cry for the fear and pain of it.
"Are you all right, Andrew?" the nurse asked.
Andrew could not remember how to speak. They lifted him onto the table. They checked his pulse, did other things; he did not understand it all.
The doctor was trembling; his voice shook as he spoke. "They leave these things in the kids for three years, what do they expect? We could have switched him off, do you realize that? We could have unplugged his brain for all time."
"When does the drug wear off?" asked the nurse.
"Keep him here for at least an hour. Watch him. If he doesn't start talking in fifteen minutes, call me. Could have unplugged him forever. I don't have the brains of a bugger."
* * *
He got back to Miss Pumphrey's class only fifteen minutes before the closing bell. He was still a little unsteady on his feet.
"Are you all right, Andrew?" asked Miss Pumphrey.
He nodded.
"Were you ill?"
He shook his head.
"You don't look well."
"I'm OK."
"You'd better sit down, Andrew."
He started toward his seat, but stopped. Now what was I looking for? I can't think what I was looking for.
"Your seat is over there," said Miss Pumphrey.
He sat down, but it was something else he needed, something he had lost. I'll find it later.
"Your monitor," whispered the girl behind him.
Andrew shrugged.
"His monitor," she whispered to the others.
Andrew reached up and felt his neck. There was a bandaid. It was gone. He was just like everybody else now.
"Washed out, Andy?" asked a boy who sat across the aisle and behind him. Couldn't think of his name. Peter. No, that was someone else.
"Quiet, Mr. Stilson," said Miss Pumphrey. Stilson smirked.
Miss Pumphrey talked about multiplication. Ender doodled on his desk, drawing contour maps of mountainous islands and then telling his desk to display them in three dimensions from every angle. The teacher would know, of course, that he wasn't paying attention, but she wouldn't bother him. He always knew the answer, even when she thought he wasn't paying attention.
In the corner of his desk a word appeared and began marching around the perimeter of the desk. It was upside down and backward at first, but Ender knew what it said long before it reached the bottom of the desk and turned right side up.

THIRD

Ender smiled. He was the one who had figured out how to send messages and make them march--even as his secret enemy called him names, the method of delivery praised him. It was not his fault he was a Third. It was the government's idea, they were the ones who authorized it--how else could a Third like Ender have got into school? And now the monitor was gone. The experiment entitled Andrew Wiggin hadn't worked out after all. If they could, he was sure they would like to rescind the waivers that had allowed him to be born at all. Didn't work, so erase the experiment.
The bell rang. Everyone signed off their desks or hurriedly typed in reminders to themselves. Some were dumping lessons or data into their computers at home. A few gathered at the printers while something they wanted to show was printed out. Ender spread his hands over the child-size keyboard near the edge of the desk and wondered what it would feel like to have hands as large as a grown-up's. They must feel so big and awkward, thick stubby fingers and beefy palms. Of course, they had bigger keyboards--but how could their thick fingers draw a fine line, the way Ender could, a thin line so precise that he could make it spiral seventy-nine times from the center to the edge of the desk without the lines ever touching or overlapping. It gave him something to do while the teacher droned on about arithmetic. Arithmetic! Valentine had taught him arithmetic when he was three.
"Are you all right, Andrew?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"You'll miss the bus."
Ender nodded and got up. The other kids were gone. They would be waiting, though, the bad ones. His monitor wasn't perched on his neck, hearing what he heard and seeing what he saw. They could say what they liked. They might even hit him now--no one could see them anymore, and so no one would come to Ender's rescue. There were advantages to the monitor, and he would miss them.
It was Stilson, of course. He wasn't bigger than most other kids, but he was bigger than Ender. And he had some others with him. He always did.
"Hey Third."
Don't answer. Nothing to say.
"Hey, Third, we're talkin to you, Third, hey bugger-lover, we're talkin to you."
Can't think of anything to answer. Anything I say will make it worse. So will saying nothing.
"Hey, Third, hey, turd, you flunked out, huh? Thought you were better than us, but you lost your little birdie, Thirdie, got a bandaid on your neck."
"Are you going to let me through?" Ender asked.
"Are we going to let him through? Should we let him through?" They all laughed. "Sure we'll let you through. First we'll let your arm through, then your butt through, then maybe a piece of your knee."
The others chimed in now. "Lost your birdie, Thirdie. Lost your birdie, Thirdie."
Stilson began pushing him with one hand; someone behind him then pushed him toward Stilson.
"See-saw, marjorie daw," somebody said.
"Tennis!"
"Ping-pong!"
This would not have a happy ending. So Ender decided that he'd rather not be the unhappiest at the end. The next time Stilson's arm came out to push him, Ender grabbed at it. He missed.
"Oh, gonna fight me, huh? Gonna fight me, Thirdie?"
The people behind Ender grabbed at him, to hold him.
Ender did not feel like laughing, but he laughed. "You mean it takes this many of you to fight one Third?"
"We're people, not Thirds, turd face. You're about as strong as a fart!"
But they let go of him. And as soon as they did, Ender kicked out high and hard, catching Stilson square in the breastbone. He dropped. It to... --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Amazon.com Review

A Reading Guide for Ender's Game.

THE ENDER UNIVERSE

Ender's Series: Ender Wiggin: The finest general the world could hope to find or breed.

The following Ender's Series titles are listed in order: Ender's Game, Ender In Exile, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind.

Ender's Shadow Series: Parallel storylines to Ender’s Game from Bean: Ender’s right hand, his strategist, and his friend.

The following Ender's Shadow Series titles are listed in order: Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant, Shadows in Flight.

The First Formic War Series: One hundred years before Ender's Game, the aliens arrived on Earth with fire and death. These are the stories of the First Formic War.

Earth Unaware, Earth Afire.

Ender Novellas

A War of Gifts, First Meetings.

The Authorized Ender Companion: A complete and in-depth encyclopedia of all the persons, places, things, and events in Orson Scott Card’s Ender Universe.

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

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

“Card has done strong work before, but this could be the book to break him out of the pack.” ―New York Newsday

“Ender's Game is an affecting novel.” ―New York Times Book Review

“Card's latest novel is both a gripping tale of adventure in space and a scathing indictment of the militaristic mind.” ―Library Journal

“A prize-winning novella has been transformed into an even more powerful book about war, that ranges in topic from reflex-training video games to combat between our inner- and other-directed selves....This book provides a harrowing look at the price we pay for trying to mold our posterity in our own aggressive image of what we believe is right.” ―The Christian Science Monitor

“Ender's Game is a fast-paced action/adventure but it is also a book with deep and complex moral sensibilities. Card constructed the book so that layers fold with immaculate timing, transforming an almost juvenile adventure into a tragic tale of the destruction of the only other sentient species man had discovered in the universe.” ―Houston Post

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

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.” - Audio File
--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Back Cover

'Cards has taken the venerable sf concepts of a superman and an interstellar war against aliens, and, with superb characterization, pacing and language, combined them into a seamless story of compelling power. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Amazon.com Review

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. Back on Earth, Peter and Valentine forge an intellectual alliance and attempt to change the course of history.

This futuristic tale involves aliens, political discourse on the Internet, sophisticated computer games, and an orbiting battle station. Yet the reason it rings true for so many is that it is first and foremost a tale of humanity; a tale of a boy struggling to grow up into someone he can respect while living in an environment stripped of choices. Ender's Game is a must-read book for science fiction lovers, and a key conversion read for their friends who "don't read science fiction."

Ender's Game won both the Hugo and the Nebula the year it came out. Writer Orson Scott Card followed up this honor with the first-time feat of winning both awards again the next year for the sequel, Speaker for the Dead. --Bonnie Bouman

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 7 Up—This new young adult edition of the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning classic sci-fi novel by Orson Scott Card, winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for outstanding lifetime contribution to writing for teens, includes an original postscript by the author in which he discusses the origins of the novel is all about leadership. The novel asks: What does it take to successfully lead men into battle? The buggers have invaded Earth twice. The last time mankind survived only because of the brilliance of Mazer Rackham, commander of the International Fleet. Years later, a third invasion is feared and a new commander is sought. Ender Wiggin is only six years old when he is plucked to succeed Rackham and sent to the space station Battle School. He is isolated, ridiculed, bullied, and persecuted—but he survives and thrives. Using his astonishing intelligence, the boy learns to be a top-notch solider and, despite his youth and small stature, is quickly promoted up the ranks. By the age of 12, Ender learns the art of command and earns the respect and fear of his fellow soldiers. This audio version was created in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the novel and it's a gem. The audiobook is narrated by a full cast. Stefan Rudniki is particularly good as Ender. Despite Ender's age, this is not a children's novel. Its profound themes (and mild profanity) call for intelligent teens who appreciate a complex novel.—Tricia Melgaard, Centennial Middle School, Broken Arrow, OK
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

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. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

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 --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author

ORSON SCOTT CARD is the author of the international bestsellers Shadow of the Giant, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Hegemon, and Ender's Shadow, and of the beloved classic of science fiction, Ender's Game, as well as the acclaimed fantasy series The Tales of Alvin Maker. He lives in Greensboro, North Carolina. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003G4W49C
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books; Revised, Author's Definitive edition (April 1, 2010)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 2010
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 5663 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 264 pages

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Orson Scott Card

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Orson Scott Card is the author of the novels Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, and Speaker for the Dead, which are widely read by adults and younger readers, and are increasingly used in schools. His most recent series, the young adult Pathfinder series (Pathfinder, Ruins, Visitors) and the fantasy Mithermages series (Lost Gate, Gate Thief, Gatefather) are taking readers in new directions.

Besides these and other science fiction novels, Card writes contemporary fantasy (Magic Street, Enchantment, Lost Boys), biblical novels (Stone Tables, Rachel and Leah), the American frontier fantasy series The Tales of Alvin Maker (beginning with Seventh Son), poetry (An Open Book), and many plays and scripts, including his "freshened" Shakespeare scripts for Romeo & Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Merchant of Venice.

Card was born in Washington and grew up in California, Arizona, and Utah. He served a mission for the LDS Church in Brazil in the early 1970s. Besides his writing, he teaches occasional classes and workshops and directs plays. He frequently teaches writing and literature courses at Southern Virginia University.

Card currently lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, with his wife, Kristine Allen Card, where his primary activities are writing a review column for the local Rhinoceros Times and feeding birds, squirrels, chipmunks, possums, and raccoons on the patio.

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Joseph R.

A lot love it, a lot hate it...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 11, 2013

Verified Purchase

A lot love it, a lot hate it...
.
I am only saying that this book was able to keep my attention and was able to keep me reading it. There is a lot I could comment on, from Orson Scott Card's real life political views ( which are terrible, Orson Scott Card is Peter, Orson Scott Card is a whack job full of hate ) to how a lot in this book relates to real life itself in the aspect of human behavior.
.
For a short story published in 1977, and a novel republished in 1985, the insight of the NET, AKA Internet, and the use of internetworked DESKS, AKA laptops, is one example that is so true to today's real life. The Internet did not even exit in 1985, only the ARPANET existed, and its access in 1985 was very limited. I mean you do not see books from the early 80's diving into the aspect of the NET in the manor in which it applies today. Plus there is the aspect of what... population control.
.
The book also throws some random possible off shoots that leave you wondering as you are reading. Such as, "Is the bugger threat really real? Or is it just a ploy used by the I.F. as a way to maintain power and to keep the world focused on a common cause." That is raised. Who is really the bad guy? Are the bugger even real? Are the bugger just a way of uniting Earth? Is someone really playing a game or a deception? Who is really PLAYING who? It sometimes leaves you wondering what exactly is really going on. You have that 1984 type government and that feeling of someone pulling the stings as the FATHER character in the film Equilibrium. Plus, Peter is working on gaining power and destabilizing the various governments of Earth in the effort to take power. It left me wonder if in the end, if Ender would be commanding I.F. ships and forces against his own brother to prevent his brother from seizing control of Earth. There are some twists and turns in the book that leave one wondering and asking question... What is really going on?????
.
As for the use of children, that some readers dislike...
This book for sure touches on the dark side of all of us humans. I believe that is why some people hate this book so much. I mean children are gassed in Syria, today, right now! September, 2013. And no one, NO ONE, cares enough through out the world to take action. In part, people do not want to believe humans can really do that to other humans. People wonder how Hitler came to power with the promise of hate and death and how no one cared or was willing to accept responsibility and the reality that Hitler was KILLING CHILDREN. No one in American cared until Pearl Harbor. Anyhow.
.
I can certainly say I was bullied in school by other kids, some I fought, and that I have had to contend with extremely unfair treatment by adults through my professional career. Humans are very unfair, dishonest, immoral, unethical creatures who wake up each day and say, "Who can I cheat, or con, or ripoff, or blackmail, or take advantage of today?"
.
I know of no one who has not cheated on their taxes or who does not try regularly, to get away with something.
I will run a stop sign, call in sick, drive over the speed limit, tail gate other drives, cut in front of others, pay fast food workers minimum wage, outsource jobs so I can make more money... I need to make 20, not 15, million.
"How, or who do I cheat today so I am better off tomorrow?"
.
This book touches on that aspect, or dark side, of human nature. Look at health care in America, it is one big profiteering ripoff game. Pay up, or I let you die. No one really cares about anyone, people just use people.
It is all so sad. But it is very much real to life.
.
I am giving it a high rating.
.
Hopefully the film, Ender's Game, is as true to the book as possible.
.
I am appending comments I made about someone's review:
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Narrow-minded reviews:
Now the idea that six year old kids, like Ender, would get a crash combat course on the way to the front lines is a bit of a stretch. And when you factor in that Ender is not only supposed to fight when he arrives, that he's actually supposed to command an army, credulity reaches a snapping point. It's a six year journey, yes. But would Earth really appoint twelve year olds to plan and lead an invasion? Worse still, Ender Wiggins military training is essentially nothing more than laser tag in a zero-gravity chamber. And this training goes on and on, dominating nearly two thirds of the book. I, and other readers, just couldn't see how this was turning young Ender into the next George S. Patton.
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There are some issues with you analysis. Kids are NOT loaded onto a spaceship and shipped directly to the front lines. Their military training is NOT conducted in route.
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They train in a military training school orbiting Earth, the BATTLE SCHOOL. Ender was NEVER on the front lines. The closest he got to the front lines was the Eros station, used as a ploy to trick Ender into thinking it was COMMAND SCHOOL. Eros was a previously held bugger station that was closest to Earth. It was further from the bugger home world and the front line, than anything other bugger facility or bugger station.
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Earth DID NOT really appoint twelve year olds to plan and lead an invasion. Adults planned and controlled everything. Ender played games, using STRATEGY and TACTICS at the Eros COMMAND SCHOOL, that later turned out to be real battles on the front line. It kind of reminds you of the DRONES in Afghanistan controlled by DRONE operators in Texas. Open your mind.
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If you think about, yes think, most likely the ship crews and fighting men and women on the front lines never even knew they were receiving orders from a KID. The ships left Earth,what, around 100 years earlier. I am sure the ship crews and fighter pilots were lied to just as Ender was. If they lied to Ender, they are going to lie the soldiers on the Front Lines. Front Line Crews took commands and fulfilled and followed their ORDERs without even knowing who was commanding them in battle. I am sure that for all they knew Ender was a Patton, a full fledged fully grown adult highly trained tactical battle strategist.
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HEY WAKE UP... SPACE is zero-gravity. Ships is zero-gravity are the equivalent of Ender playing laser tag in a zero-gravity chamber. Are you too narrow minded that you cannot make the connection. Each child in the laser tag in a zero-gravity chamber was the equivalent or representation of a ship in zero-gravity outer space. Wake up. I picked up on that when I read about them first entering the zero-gravity chamber with Alai and Ender learning to use their flash guns. Each kid was a ship.
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You say you are not narrow minded, but you are.
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George S. Patton was a tactical and small theater strategist. That is what Ender was. That is also why George S. Patton never got promoted to the big league of large theater wide command. That is who Ender was. Ender commanded small fleets at the COMMAND SCHOOL. The big wig, adult commanders, ran the theater wide command strategy for the push into bugger territory, not Ender. The big wig, adult commanders, deployed the fleets and commanded the over all picture. Ender only jumped in, via the ansible ( Philotic Parallax Instantaneous Communicator ) to command or conduct the battles.
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THINK. OPEN your mind. How are real wars fought? Who was General Marshall? Who was General Eisenhower? Who was General Bradley? Who was General Patton? What ROLLs did each play? What roll did Ender PLAY? THINK !!! Ender could be compared to Patton. But look at all of those who were above Patton. Think.
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Actually read this book and THINK, yes think, think of how it truly relates to real life, to what is going on right now, with the Internet, DRONES in Afghanistan and Yemen, chemical weapon attacks against 400+ children in Syria. Think!!!
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The DRONE operators of tomorrow just might be twelve year olds... WOW...
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If a nation can GAS hundreds of kids to execute them, a nation can use them as DRONE operators to win a war.

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John Michael

This is the 4th time I’ve listened to ENDER’S GAME ….

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 7, 2021

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but it’s my first experience where I was able to listen and read it, simultaneously. Let me assure anyone who reads my little ditty, that being able to do it this way made this novel, so much more enriching than if I’d only done one or the other.
Ender’s game has always reminded me that there’s so much more to our communications on than the words that we say or hear! If I was to ask you, “How many people who are a part of your life do you love and trust implicitly? No matter what you might say or do, no matter how badly you might have messed up, because of their love and trust for you and no matter what your thoughts and feelings are about them, they will always be standing there, next to you, because their love for you is, as “Abraham Lincoln said about his relationship with General U. S. Grant, my faith in him is Marrow Deep.”
I think that most people would only need both hands, when they begin counting the number of people who’s love and acceptance is as constant as the North Star. I don’t know about you, but I can concede , with much regret that I’ve done and said things that I wish I could have been able to do differently, because I’ve unintentionally hurt, not only myself, but the people who I love the most in my life? I can say that in almost all of the occasions, I didn’t realize that what I was doing or saying was done, because it was my intent to inflict hurt and pain into their lives. In fact, I’ve had many occasions when, before I’d even completed sharing my thoughts, I found myself thinking, “Mike, you need to shut your mouth, right now, because you’re failing to say anything that remotely resembles what you intended to say!”
I had a woman who I truly cared about and trusted much more than the majority of people who were a part of my life. She is the mother of three of my five grandsons. Many years ago, we were in the middle of a conversation, when she told me that she felt that many of the things I’d said, felt like I was attempting to manipulate her. I tried to reassure her that I would never attempt to manipulate her and that, in the future would be careful to choose my words more carefully. After our call had ended, her words continued to play over and over again in my mind. I think that the reason why this was happening was, because there was a part of me that recognized the truth in those words.
At the time I’d been seeing a therapist, because my disability, generalized Dystonia had caused me to lose control of many different areas of my body and it had made me prone to periods of depression. Rather than letting myself be governed by these feelings, I sought the help from someone who has committed themselves to teaching other people how they can overcome these feelings and regain their zest for a life that’s filled with happiness, joy and a belief that the only thing standing between you and a life that exceeds your expectations is yourself.
When I think about Andrew Ender’s life and my own life, I see many similarities. The big exception is the fact that Ender didn’t need a therapist to help him understand, exactly what he needed to do. He seemed to understand that the longer you remain isolated, the more difficult it becomes to re-engage in the Flow of life! Once he began to let the words of his sister sink in, he seemed to know, intuitively that the best thing for him to do was to make a decision to do something. He could see that in reality his situation was actually very simple. He could remain where he was at. A decision that would only keep him hidden away. He could also decide to do something, anything, because deep within his mind, he knew that the only way to defeat the feelings that were driving him to remain hidden from the world, isolated from the people, places and events that could lead him back to the path where, he was most likely to find the people and experiences that would allow him the opportunity to live a life that’s gives his life meaning was to make a decision and not be concerned with the consequences!( did you like my nifty little run-on sentence?)
I don’t know if Ender would have used the same words, but I believe that in a much deeper level of consciousness, he understood that whenever a person finds themselves isolated from the people and events that gives our lives meaning, WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION TO DO ANYTHING, BUT HIDE AWAY FROM A LIFE THAT’S DESPERATELY SEEKING FOR A WAY THAT ALLOWS US TO BECOME IMMERSED IN THE FLOW OF IT’S LIFE!!!
This idea is the reason why I love this book. It reminds me that whenever I feel myself pulling away from my life and the people who give my life meaning, I need to make a decision to do something, anything and to not worry about whether my decision was the right one or the wrong one. The important thing is that, by deciding to do anything other than remain hidden away, I’ve taken the first step to becoming a part of the life flowing through me and around me.

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A. S. Hunt

Why non-genius writers can not write genius characters

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 11, 2020

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Ender's game is, in some ways, quite a pleasure to read. The writing is technically competent: things, events, people and their interactions are all well visualised. The plot flows relatively well, with changes in perspective being well managed and clear. This is largely the reason the book deserves the second star. Unfortunately, the actual material of the book - the adventures of the child genius Ender and his child genius siblings, is fairly poor, and I can only conclude that the book won it's Hugo and Nebula awards more due to the paucity of competition than any technical brilliance.

The characterisation of the book manages to be both simplistic, but at the same time deeply inconsistent. The children - and bear in mind this book deals largely with prepubescent-to-pubescent children - tend to near-robotic rationality, interspersed seemingly at random with sporadic outbreaks of normal childlike behaviour.
People are either monstrous, such as Peter, or Ender's various bullies, or they are saintly, like the much-persecuted Ender and his sister. The only middle ground is occupied by Ender's parents, who swiftly depart the scene in a display of too-convenient moral cowardice, and Ender's tutors, who's abuse and neglect of Ender is supposed to transform him into some sort of super-leader by isolating him from his peers and forcing him to develop his talents.

In reality, Ender is being saved by an extremely strong dose of author fiat, as actions which would actually stunt a child's intellectual development (stress hormones, social isolation and fatigue) somehow magically cause genius to sprout.
Frequent mention is made of Alexander, though the author's historical illiteracy is such that he does not appear to have actually read Arrian, appearing to not realise that Alexander was raised in an environment of immense wealth and privilege, amongst a cadre of young men he could trust deeply, while being closely tutored by the finest mind of his age, as opposed to being largely isolated from those he was supposed to lead, allowed no personal possessions, subject to harassment and violence and repeatedly subject to stress and fatigue.

The one similarity with Alexander shared by Ender is the weakness of his opponents: Ender seemingly being the only boy amongst his peers capable of adapting to zero-gravity fighting and optimising one's positioning around the mechanics of the game they play. It is perhaps unfair to criticise Scott Card on this, as he lived in an era before mass online gaming, and likely did not know exactly how efficient large groups of people given a competitive incentive are at developing novel ways of doing so.

Humanity's adversaries are inanely named "The buggers", a reference to their insectoid origins. This absurd title quite neatly destroys any menace or gravitas they might hold over the reader. The reasons for the conflict are expropriated from Joe Haldeman's Forever War: the hive mind species's inability to communicate with an individual, while the insectoid nature and the hive mind are taken from Heinlein's Starship Troopers (both dramatically superior books)

The books utterly break down in the last stage, as Ender begins to properly prepare for fighting the enemy proper. Scott Card's complete lack of knowledge of either the theory of zero-g combat nor the basics of air warfare is laid painfully bare for all to see. The reader winds up being told of Ender's genius, not shown it

(Spoiler Alert)

The final setpiece degenerates into a farce, as Ender's genius for reading people's dishonesty suddenly fails him at the most convenient and implausible moment, and earth's greatest tactician defeats the buggers with a massed frontal assault with obsolete ships, breaking the enemy line by sheer force of deus ex machina to deliver their payload of doomsday weapons onto the enemy's homeworld, wiping out the bugger queen's who have been conveniently concentrated in one place, despite their knowing that humanity has literal planet-killing weapons on their warships.

The elongated epilogue and setup for the second novel is actually far more readable, and partly contribute to the book's second star.

9 people found this helpful

Simon P.

Not as good as I hoped

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 1, 2022

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I watched the film when it came out a few years ago and thought it was ok with a good concept, despite the critica. Since getting back into reading in 2021 I thought I'd give the book a shot.

Unfortunately for me, the writing style didn't appeal to me. Unlike Frank Herberts Dune, which stands up to the test of time, I don't think the same about Ender's Game (the more-than-once inclusion of the boys being naked was just an awkward read).

What should be described as character building I personally ended up finding being a repetitive construct of Ender's personality.

A few times, what should have been big events where he overcomes his personality barriers, are done and dusted in a couple of sentences (eg winning his first training battle) and instead of celebrating the minor victories, things just move on as if it wasn't a big deal.

The subplot of his siblings seemed a strange occurrence and a distraction which didn't really add anything to the book. Not only was it unbelievable, it didn't really come to anything. It's like it was added because a subplot is just something the author felt like they had to include because that's what writing courses teach you. There is an argument it was important in terms of Ender's relationship with the two siblings, but if this had been better formed at the beginning of the book, the subplot didn't need to happen in the background. I guess this may be explored in book two, but it will be a while until I get around the reading it based on this book.

Overall the book was okay, but not one of favourites.

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Well written but slightly disappointing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 4, 2019

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The book is well written,, easy to read and nicely paced. It's a military novel, slightly dark. Deals a lot with manipulation, abuse and isolation as Ender tries to find a way to fit into the new reality. The first half gets boring at times. It's very repetitive as Ender goes through his training.
The character of Ender is a bit overpowered. He's very strong for his size and super intelligent. He hardly ever fails and he makes enemies because he's so perfect. There is however a lot of depth in his character and he is clearly in pain. The novel lacks any good tension and the climax is a bit disappointing. For a book with so many accolades it fails to meet my expectation.

6 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Yet Another Overhyped Read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 2, 2020

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What a delightful waste of time and money.

No, I did not finish the book - if you're going to start whining that this doesn't then qualify as a review, then please feel free to read someone else's.

I have on ocassion forced my way through a book if the storyline grips me enough. In this case, the storyline interested me, but the carryout was so POOR, so OFFENSIVE that I gave up as soon as our freaky and irritating little hero began making racist jokes.

That the writer very obviously is a bigoted, prejudiced human being is made abundantly clear from how he writes about women, and how casually he makes his main character joke about the others. Nothing is explained; he treats his readers like idiots, who will mindlessly except that a 6 year old boy thinks like a fully grown adult and has all other adults cowering under his huge brain.

I feel deceived by all the good reviews of this book. Perhaps if I read it with my eyes closed, then it could actually be a good read!

Ah well. Im sure this book will make good kindling, or a doorstop, or perhaps I could use it to bash out the memory of even attempting to read this disgrace of a novel.

3 people found this helpful

C Simons

Even better than the film

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 21, 2019

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I was just about to read this book when it was back on telly. Should or would I spoil the book if I was to watch the film. In fact I had seen the film before, I realised, as it progressed. Nevertheless I enjoyed the film and set out to read the book within just a few days of seeing the film. This book has so much more to it than the film though the film was a good refection of the book event though many elements were missing in the film. So reading this book, even if you have seen the film, is a must. You’ll really enjoy it, even the familiarity of many of the elements but also how much more the book has to offer. Recommend it? Absolutely YES!

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