Product Description

Ender Wiggin is Battle School's latest recruit. His teachers reckon he could become a great leader. And they need one. A vast alien force is headed for Earth, its mission: the annihilation of all human life. Ender could be our only hope. But first he must survive the most brutal military training program in the galaxy...With its explosive storyline, pump-action excitement and hugely engaging central characters, Ender's Game is 2002's absolute must-read for teenaged boys. Forget schools for wizards, this is where the *real* action is.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1258142 in Books
• Published on: 1994-07
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
'Full of surprises. Intense is the word for Orson Scott Card's ENDER'S GAME' - New York Times 'The most hauntingly brilliant writing of the decade' - Interzone From the ATOM teen panel: 'Totally Totally Cool!' - Andrew (14) 'When he takes on the the other armies, I just couldn't stop reading. This is an excellent book!' - Steven (14) 'Full of action and surprises. I really enjoyed this book' - Charlie (15)

INTERZONE
'Every volume of the Ender saga...comprises some of the most hauntingly brilliant writing of the decade'

From the Publisher
ENDER’S GAME is the first book of Orson Scott Card's Ender saga - a series which has changed the face of science fiction.

Praise for Orson Scott Card

‘The Ender Saga stands out as one of the very few serious moral tales set among the stars … enthralling … an extraordinarily talented author’ THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE FICTION

‘The emotional punch is still as powerful as ever. Excellent’ SFX

‘Almost impossible to put down’ LOCUS

By Orson Scott Card

Ender

Customer Reviews

Was my favourite read for a long time
I love reading, and I always have a book on the go. I have therefore read a fair few books. But of all the great books I have read, I only recommend three, and this is one of them. When I started reading Enders Game I was intrigued right from the start. I quickly became engrossed and then completely absorbed to the point I didn't want to put it down. I would read it for hours on end.

Why? People often say that the book is better than the film. Enders Game to me has the same distinction from other books. The story is incredibly absorbing and exceptionally fulfilling to read. You always want to know whats going to happen next and the story just keeps building and building. At no point does it disappoint or ebb. There are lots of books I have read and enjoyed, but Enders Game really stands out from the crowd. It was a real pleasure to read.

I had doubts about a book staring a six year old. I needn't have doubted. Ender is an exceptionally likeable and interesting character, he really grew on me and I felt a real connection. The only negative point I can think of is that its a real downer to finish the book, but only because it has finished. I can truly recommend this book to everyone as it is without doubt one of those rare books that truly rewards the reader!

A word of warning, if you are planning to buy this book, better not read lgonggr's review below (Leimuiden, Netherlands). He mentions some things that in my opinion may spoil your experience!

"He was just like everybody else now"
I have read my fair share of fantasy and have therefore found several cases in which the author creates a well-crafted world. Orson Scott Card excels in this aspect, presenting a setting that is on the borderline between a fantastic world and a possible future for our own existence. One of the aspects that I enjoyed most about this work is the complex set of rules created by the author and the heavy weight politics and philosophy play in the story.

Andrew Wiggin, also known as Ender due to his sister's inability for voicing his real name, is a very special little kid. His parents received a special permission from the government to have a third child due to their outstanding genes, overriding the law that prevents having more that two kids. As a result Ender has worn a monitor since his birth and every one of his actions has been analyzed in extreme detail. But now the monitor needs to come off, and the people that have been monitoring him are interested in making life difficult for him to unveil his reactions.

Of course it does not stop there, and when the offer from Colonel Graff for joining the Battle school is presented to Ender, he has to go fulfill his duty and leave behind his family and the human being he cares about the most, his sister Valentine. The Battle School should not be taken lightly. Eighty years ago, the humans fought a war against the buggers and were only able to survive thanks to a brilliant commander. Now humanity depends on the ability of the high ranks of the military to find a new leader, and Ender is one of the hopes they have for salvation. The fact that he is younger than most in Battle School will certainly make things difficult for him, and keep things interesting for us.

Besides providing with great entertainment, this book makes us think about what may lie in the future, what are the ethical implications of war and whether or not is OK to achieve our ends without caring for what the means used are. We also get an interesting fictional look at life in the military, and our fare share of action. One thing about this book is undeniable; it is like nothing you have ever read, so if you are looking for something different, this one is for you.

Riveting!!
I read this when I was seventeen and picked it up again (from the library!) on the off-chance that my non-fiction reading husband might like it. He did. I've never seen him forego conversation for a book before.

It's wild to read these super genius children conducting war strategy and Ender, who in the beginning of the book is only six, treats every single situation (including social encounters) from the view of a military commander. The action clues anyone in about the thrill of tactics and strategy. The story is a unique take on an old theme. And there is a fabulous twist at the end.

I wouldn't recommend my husband to read the sequels as I did when I was younger. I love novels and sci fi, he doesn't. So this book on its own merit I would recommend for everyone. The sequels are in a different vein so don't bother unless you're the sort, like me, who loves books both average and great.