Ender's Game (Ender Series #1) 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
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
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