Orson Scott Card's 'Ender's Game' is one of my favorite science-fiction novels. Reading about Ender's genius thoughts, and uncanny abilities really provokes my imagination. The ending is stellar, but the LDS religious undertones of the whole 'Speaker for the Dead' part is a bit offputting. However, the book is still awesome!

I wrote "possibly" because I'm only 2/3 of the way through. The only reason I continue to read it is because I keep thinking, "Surely, based on over 2,000 5-star reviews, something MUST happen to pull this book's fat out of the fire soon." The plot is thin, the characters are cardboard, the dialog would be laughable if it weren't so terrible that even laughing at it gives it too much credit, and I don't know what drove Card to have the 6-year-old boys running around naked half the time, talking about kissing each other's butts and how many pubic hairs they have between them, but he may be eligible for sex-offender registration based soley on this book. I've read there's a scene coming up where a bunch of naked little boys beat another naked little boy to death in the shower. Is this a work of science fiction or a description of a pedophilic snuff film? Also, Ender's genius is constantly hyped, but it seems like he's only a "genius" because every other member of the military is borderline retarded. "Hey, guys, in zero gravity, the terms 'up' and 'down' are relative! I'm Isaac freakin' Newton!" Seriously? No one in the long history of space travel had figured that out before Ender? Seriously?

Sheesh, this thing better have a good payoff, or I'm putting it in a paper bag full of dog feces and leaving it flaming on Card's doorstep.

...you won't regret this read. One of my top three favorites of all time.

I recently picked this book up and thought it would be fun to reread a little. I quickly got hooked in and had to finish it (which only took a few hours). I had forgotten how good a piece of fiction this book is.

The story is set in the future. Humans are confronted with an alien species and are training an army to defeat it. Part of the training is sending young kids to a battle school. Ender is one of the kids chosen to go to battle school. His adventures there are a great read. The sequels to this book (Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind) are also great, though not as good as the original. There is also "Ender's Shadow" which tells the story of another student in the battle school at the same time as Ender (thus, it is not a prequel or sequel). Ender's Shadow also has a couple sequels that are pretty good.

Orson Scott Card is a great writer and it's hard not to enjoy his books. If you have never read him, this is an excellent place to start. I have known many non-science fiction fans who have really enjoyed this book. An all-time classic.

Wow. I am a junior in high school now and I am recalling from the time when I first had the chance of reading the series thanks to a recommendation. I was looking online actually for the Twilight series but the Ender's Game kept coming up, which compelled me to see if I can buy the series.
The series is PHENOMENAL. Which is why even after three years have passed, I have always kept thinking of these books. The storyline, characters, and the themes will STAY with you long after you have finished the novels. It will have an impact on the ways you see the world, but King does not push the "moral" I guess, in any way, shape, or form.
I ADORE this books. I think Orson Scott King is an absolute genius and would recommend it to anybody- regardless of what their opinion of Science fiction.

No matter who I've loaned this book to, the response is the same. They all have given it rave reviews. In fact, this is the book that I've purchased the most copies of. You'd think that I would have learned after not getting the first few copies back. It is such a wonderful story that I cannot help but want to share it.
Please note that this is soft science fiction.

This book has been recommended to me by various people for the past fifteen years. The main reason is something like this: the Battle Room is really cool, and wouldn't it be fun to be a child military genius? My answer to that is no, not really.

The setup for ENDER'S GAME is something like the Third Punic War. Earth has already fought two wars with the unfortunately-named buggers (insectoid hive-minded aliens), and after winning both by the skin of their teeth they've sent an invasion fleet to wipe the buggers out. The galaxy's not big enough for the both of us, apparently.

Ender Wiggin is a six year-old genius who is taken away from his family to the orbital Battle School, where he and other child geniuses are trained to become the admirals and generals of the future. Ender, though only six, proves himself to be smarter than just about everyone else. He fights repetitive laser-tag games in the zero-G Battle Room, and demonstrates innovative strategies that might be clever for a child, but should be obvious to everyone else. He quickly rises through the grades of the school, playing ever more challenging and complicated games, until he becomes the supposed savior of all mankind. A subplot involving Ender's genius siblings basically taking over the world with the equivalent of political blogs is thoroughly unconvincing.

The main body of ENDER'S GAME is the dehumanization and manipulation of the child hero. He is made to suffer from age five up until he turns eleven at the book's climax. Only at the end, when he expresses remorse for all the terrible things he's done, does he actually become sympathetic, but by then it's too late.

The emphasis is on action, in and out of the Battle Room. Ender doesn't want to fight, but he always finds himself in situations where he has to, and the reader is exploited into rooting for Ender just as Ender is exploited into using his killer survival instinct for the benefit of others. The book ends just when it starts to grapple with the ethical issues it has conjured up, which for me was just when it started to get interesting. The worst people are let off the hook, and Ender is set up to be the next Messiah.

Card's style cuts out every adverb and adjective that might get in the way, leaving his prose spare and efficient and utterly devoid of personality. It's easy to read, but not particularly enjoyable. The dialogue is especially irksome, considering it takes up so much of the text. The children of Card's world do not speak like children of the real world, even allowing for the fact that they're all meant to be child prodigies of limitless intelligence. Ender and his friends are effectively mini-adults, acting and speaking in adult ways. Card assumes that if a child has a genius IQ, he therefore also has the emotional maturity of an adult. The dialogue given to actual grown-up characters is no better.

ENDER'S GAME is disturbing rather than fun. The simplicity of its style betrays the complexity of its subject. What worries me most is that the book's appeal might be founded entirely upon the premise of violent child geniuses waging sophisticated wargames against each other. According to the five-star reviews and the endorsements I've heard, that might not be far from the truth.

This book has been recommended to me by various people for the past fifteen years. The main reason is something like this: the Battle Room is really cool, and wouldn't it be fun to be a child military genius? My answer to that is no, not really.

The setup for ENDER'S GAME is something like the Third Punic War. Earth has already fought two wars with the unfortunately-named buggers (insectoid hive-minded aliens), and after winning both by the skin of their teeth they've sent an invasion fleet to wipe the buggers out. The galaxy's not big enough for the both of us, apparently. Don't be fooled: the stakes in this book are NOT the survival of the human race. That's a big fat lie spread by the military leaders in the novel, and propagated by the five-star reviews on this site.

Ender Wiggin is a six year-old genius who is taken away from his family to the orbital Battle School, where other child geniuses are trained to become the admirals and generals of the future. Ender, though only six, proves himself to be smarter than just about everyone else. He fights repetitive laser-tag games in the zero-G Battle Room, and demonstrates innovative strategies that might be clever for a child, but should be obvious to everyone else. He quickly rises through the grades of the school, playing ever more challenging and complicated games, until he becomes the supposed savior of all mankind. A subplot involving Ender's genius siblings basically taking over the world with the equivalent of political blogs is thoroughly unconvincing.

The main body of ENDER'S GAME is the dehumanization and manipulation of the child hero. He is made to suffer from age five up until he turns eleven at the book's climax. Only at the end, when he expresses remorse for all the terrible things he's done, does he actually become sympathetic, but by then it's too late.

The emphasis is on action, in and out of the Battle Room. Ender doesn't want to fight, but he always finds himself in situations where he has to, and the reader is exploited into rooting for Ender just as Ender is exploited into using his killer survival instinct for the benefit of others. The book ends just when it starts to grapple with the ethical issues it has conjured up, which for me was just when it started to get interesting. The worst people are let off the hook, and Ender is set up to be the next Messiah.

Card's style cuts out every adverb and adjective that might get in the way, leaving his prose spare and efficient and utterly devoid of personality. It's easy to read, but not particularly enjoyable. The dialogue is an especially irksome feature, considering it takes up a very large part of the text. The children of Card's world do not speak like children of the real world, even allowing for the fact that they're all meant to be child prodigies of limitless intelligence. Ender and his friends are effectively mini-adults, acting and speaking in adult ways. Card assumes that if a child has a genius IQ, he therefore also has the emotional maturity of an adult. The dialogue given to actual grown-up characters is no better.

ENDER'S GAME is disturbing rather than fun. The simplicity of its style betrays the complexity of its subject. What worries me most is that the book's appeal might be founded entirely upon the premise of violent child geniuses waging sophisticated wargames against each other. According to the five-star reviews and the endorsements I've heard, that might not be far from the truth.

Enders Game is a great book about the struggles of a young boy to come to terms with his specific set of abilities. This book should be in every school across the country.

There is little I can say about such a classic book that hasn't already been said by others, but after reading it for a second time with my brother, I just have to share a few thoughts.

Ender's game is not by any means a perfect piece of literature. It has it's flaws, and imperfections, and they are occasionally noticeable. Fortunately, these are vastly overshadowed by one of the most well thought out characters and stories I've come across in years. Ender feels very real and there are many times where it felt less like I was reading a book and more like I was experiencing it.

I'm a finicky fan of Science fiction. I love many aspects of the genre, but many authors have a tendency to get so caught up with the details or ideas about the future that I have trouble relating to the story. Ender's game isn't that way. It has a lot of futuristic Science fiction ideas, but they're done in a way that is fairly believable, but more importantly, the focus remains squarely on Ender's thoughts and feelings throughout the book. It's one of the few books I can recommend to friends that don't like Sci-fi.

Orson Scott Card is a GENIUS! Ender's Game was fast-paced and vividly detailed. It was so realistic, but had just the right amount of detail to keep you hooked. Never bored me at all. I loved it in 6th grade and still love it all these years later. This book converted me to a science-fiction lover, even though I didn't like to read much before. Wow! Definitely a 5-star book!

The storyline was engaging but overall predictable. I agree with a few other reviewers that the lack of description was annoying but I can live with that.

The brother and sister felt like a side story. I think it was supposed to show all three were gifted with the same skills and could use it, but it felt out of place and not at all parallel to what Ender was going through and very disconnected.

I can agree that Ender is a particularly gifted kid and smart kids will identify with him. However, I have a realism problem with the existence of the other kids in the school. Card had put an introduction to this book, and seemed disgusted at the guidance counselor who argued that kids "just don't talk like that". However, I have to agree with the counselor. Rather not about Ender, but the other kids in general, most of them didn't feel real to me. Others can blame this on lack of character development, but I felt that most of the other kids were not realistic in the way they acted or spoke. If this is a school for the best and brightest, these kids are not it. I could, conceivably, amount this to my lack of military background and understanding, but I don't think that teaching a 10 year old trigonometry is comparable to what this kid is producing in strategy and command and tactics.

The worst part of it is the lack of questioning, which again can be said to be military conditioned. Children want to know why. Especially the gifted ones. Conditioning them to not ask (or even not to think about it?) is restricting their ideas. And the point of using children is so that they create new things no adult had ever seen before. I find this illogical.

All in all, I took a powerful message after reading this book. I think many others will also. It is particularly philosophical that happens to be written in a sci-fi setting (that I don't necessarily agree with) in an era of politics and war. Nothing particularly new and exciting except for the message that I received, which I think is strong enough to be grateful for.

I first read Ender's Game in highschool, when a friend passed me an old, worn-out paperback copy of it.
I instantly fell in love.
I've never been heavily into science fiction, and you don't have to be to understand Ender's Game. There are no complicated scientific or unbelievable things going on. It's all about the characters, the story, rather than dazzling you with things that would translate into over-the-top special effects. It's beautifully written, without being confusing. How could you not love Ender, the brilliant yet lonely kid who is being trained to save the world? His emotional and mental struggles are very real and I easily identified with him.
I was absolutely ecstatic to find out there was a hardcover edition out. I still have the old, torn-up (and slightly mildewed...) copy my friend gave me years ago.
The hardcover edition is definitely worth a few extra bucks though, especially for long-time fans. There is a new foreward by the author himself that gives some insight into how the story was born and what it was like for someone to write their first futuristic/sci-fi novel.
I definitely would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading.

My boyfriend got me this book (he loves sci-fi books) and I really loved it. I typically do not read a lot of science fiction, for example I never got into star wars or anything of the sort, granted I do appreciate it, but was just never a fanatic.
So I'm not going to bore anyone with an essay on this book I'm sure you time could be much better spent actually reading it!

Ender's Game is a fast paced, hi speen novel. The charactors are fresh and exciting. I have always said that people underestimate the power that kids have. Card took a group of kids and turned them into heros. I have always been one for the underdog, so the charactor of Ender was perfect. his struggles were real and his attitude riviting. My imaginantion ran wild and I suddenly found myself right there at Battle School in the midst if training! I would recomend this book to all ages, and don't wory if you don't think you are a Sci-Fi fan, from the first page you will be hooked. There are also 3 other books in the series, so make sure you check them out. Also don't forget the Ender's Shadow series (4 Books) that introduces the charactor of Bean. Both series are eaqually exciting and leaves you wanting more. I heard there was going to be a movie made and can't wait to see it!

OK. Your a sci-fi fan. And your curious about whether or not reading this book is worth the time and money. Heres your answer: YES.

Card's name will be right up there with Heinlein, Clarke, Williamson, Gibson, etc...etc... and not just because of this book. Ive read a bunch of his stuff and can honestly say that a new major player has earned his way into the Sci-Fi pantheon.

Yes, buy this book. Enders Shadow is also good. Speaker for the Dead made me cry (and I aint a cryin man lol) and Xenophobia was good as well but be ready...Card likes to experiment with differing story styles so dont expect carbon copies of his latest hit. Enjoy.

This was the best audio book I ever herd. The voice work was top notch.

.. so I'll just write my experience.

I read a scifi or fantasy book about every 2 weeks. I have done so for 40 years. I opened this book on a boat going from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas. I did not put it down until I had read the last page. Very few books have had me so addicted. Maybe Pinocchio when I was 10 or Dancers at the end of time by Moorcock.

Warning: This book is ADDICTIVE. Do not pick it up unless you have several hours to spare in order to finish it.

very engaging book - good for teens and adults. I will probably pick up some of the sequels at some point...

In totality, I believe that Enders Game is a very provocative book. Its science fiction but it has the ability to be viewed as truth and reality. The book grabs you and keeps you engaged. You may find yourself finishing this lengthy piece in a few hours. It is full of stimulating ideas and a view of a future society.
The beginning is written wonderfully, giving you a feeling as if you're living in their society. It gives an eerie view of the future with the world being split up into separate alliances. The world as we know it was in two wars with an life force from the universe known as the Bugger, and are preparing for the third invasion.
The book gives a believable view of the future of the world and what a atmospheric war would look like. The book has parts that you may find disturbing, but it's intriguing and fascinating at the same time so you don't notice them as much. The book portrays the life of a boy who is isolated from society, and it shows how pressure and responsibilities can make you crack. Censorship of media and the secrecy of information by a world government can have corrupting effects in the future. The book is a fascinating read, that I believe anyone would enjoy.

When I heard that a fantasy, strategic military, sci-fi book was finally added to our reading list of books, I knew that it would be my first choice for an excellent read. The book Ender's Game did not disappoint. Orson Scott Card spins an epic tale of tragedy, victory, and conquest that has something in it for everyone no matter what age. Ender's Game also sends a wonderful message that we can all relate to. Orson Scott Card's message, I believe, is to never judge a book by its cover. Ender, who is only 12, saves humanity and has as much, if not more, maturity and intelligence than any adult on earth. This book is remarkably thought provoking with twisted turns in every direction, which makes this book highly unpredictable and therefore that much more fun to read. Ender's Game is a real page-turner. Beware, do not start this book at night, as you will receive diseases of extreme insomnia or sleep deprivation.
With a beguiling plot and endless amount of captivating scenarios, Orson Scott Card will grasp your attention in the beginning as Ender begins his first steps to his extraordinary life with the ultimate removal of his monitor implanted in the back of his head. As the tale enfolds, Ender is quickly swept up to battle school as he exceeds in everything, making friends wherever he goes. Ender swiftly becomes a star and a role model for every student in battle school. Back on earth in a brother and sister feud between Ender's beloved sister Valentine and his distrusted brother Peter, they also change the world in their own unique way, using pseudonyms and ingeniously stopping the war that was bound to break loose at any moment. In battle school, Ender soon becomes the best and colonel Graff sends him out, at age 12, to save the world from the vile buggers. Doubts soon subside regarding his age and skill after countless battles were won for the Galactic Army using a holographic simulator. Will Ender and his few chosen comrades are up for the battle of, literally, their lives? Ender's Game is waiting with that answer.

Enders game is one of the best books I have ever read. I would recommend this book to any one who likes a fun science fiction book. The excitement of this book was never ending; Card takes you on a rollercoaster through the remarkable child hood of Ender Wiggin. He brings to life Enders friends and family and shows how lucky we all where to go to a regular school (even if it wasn't fun).

This book gives a different perspective on the future that has never been thought of before. This book will hook you and not let you put it down until you read to the very end. Behind every page is a new shocking surprise that will delight any reader and keep your attention. I hope everyone reads this book, because it is the best book I have ever read by far.

This book was recommended to me as a good science fiction novel for non-science-fiction types. The story is gripping, and while it draws nicely from imaginative "sci-fi" concepts, it doesn't rely on them; the story stands on its own. It focuses on themes of leadership and power that are fairly easy to relate to and get excited about.

In a nutshell: It's a great story, and you don't have to be wild about spaceships and aliens to enjoy it. It didn't change my life, so it doesn't get a fifth star, but it's great entertainment.

I've seen Enders Game on bookstore shelves since it was first published in the late 70's. I figured it must be good to have stayed in print for so long but I managed to avoid reading it for decades. I just finished it a couple of days ago. I could kick myself. This is a GREAT story on so many levels. I was particularly impressed by Cards world-knowledge. The book is stacked with understanding of the human condition, leadership principles, etc. There are folks who don't grasp this stuff in a lifetime, but I think Card was only 26 when he wrote EG. Great read.

I'm 14(A Freshmen) and i'll say I never read books. I'd rather hang out with my friends or play video games than read. Like I don't think i've actually read one book in 2007. Well in English when we came back for a new semester about a two months into the class our teacher was gonna make us read Ender's Game.I hated the idea of having to read, I didn't want to. We listened to it over tape. And each day i'd love this book more and more. This is probably the only book i've read in years. It's amazing, after class was over at home i'd read there to. My parents must of thought something was going wrong but man. This book is incredible. I recommend it 1000/10

I've found myself on more occasions that I can remember, using Ender's Game as an example for a variety of things. "It's like in that book Ender's Game, when..." I think I quote it more than the Bible, or at least more than the Koran. Great story, great moral, makes you laugh, makes you cry - but most importantly makes you imagine.

I know there are so many reviews for this book that adding another one doesn't matter very much.

But over the past 45 years, I've read over 500 Science Fiction books.

This is still my favorite.

WOW is the best word to describe this book. This, in my opinion, is a masterpiece of literary work that everyone should read. I could NOT put this book down. A must read!

I wasn't expecting much from this book and did not realize it was so highly rated by Amazon, so perhaps that is why there are reader's reviews that are disappointed. Pleasantly surprised and happily delighted; the story moves with a good pace, the characters are strong and the dilemma's faced are well thought out. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and hope you do as well. So, before reading, knock your expectations down a bit and give the book a better chance on its own.

I read this book about six years ago as a school student, so my memory of it isn't that clear. But I do remember being distinctly unimpressed. I was later informed that Ender's Game is an immensely popular novel. I was flabbergasted. I couldn't understand why such an average book was such a crowd-pleaser.

In recent conversation a friend of mine said he liked Ender's Game and I had to ask what it was that he found so appealing about the book. He said there were three main things he liked about the novel:

1) It is exciting and full of unexpected plot turns

2) Ender's character relates to youth, particularly the kind of youth interested in science fiction. He was over-intelligent and isolated, yet a military genius. My friends exact words were: "it's what every sci-fi geek loner would aspire to be."

3) Enjoyable plot with lots of combat and such

His argument made sense... so why don't I like this book? Well, I have a number of reasons.

Firstly, Science fiction is a genre that is supposed to be creative and thought provoking. I enjoy stories which are creative, original and imaginative. The idea of aliens attacking the Earth was original and creative - back in 1898 when "The War of the Worlds" was published. But since then it's been done to death. My whole life I have been bombarded with stories of aliens attacking the Earth. People love this stuff - so much, in fact, that that abysmal movie Independence Day actually managed to make box office records.

Let me give you an example of the lacking creativity in this book: The aliens are a bunch of bugs. After humanoid aliens, insectoids must be one of the most overused clichés in science fiction. Orson Scott Card's imagination simply failed to impress me. The buggers, the use of a prodigious youngster as the protagonist, the simulated battle game and the computer game - it simply struck me as boring when compared to some of the other imaginative stories out there. Admittedly, Ender's Game was based on a story written in 1977. Perhaps the concepts used by Card were fresher back in 1977. However, there are older novels in this genre whose creativity and originality far outshines Ender's Game (Dune, Star Maker etc.).

But any story can get away with a lack of originality if it is emotionally moving. Once again, though, Ender's Game completely failed. Orson Scott Card's depiction of an incredibly intelligent six year old was thoroughly unconvincing. There were one or two points in the book when Ender was tricked and I was left thinking "if this guy is so smart, why the hell was he so easily fooled?" In fact, I never felt like I was reading about a really smart six year old - Ender's dialogue seemed strikingly similar to that of an adult of normal intelligence.

As for the plot turns and exciting battle scenes? Well, I only recall one plot turn which really surprised me. And it was not the big plot turn on which the climax relied. In fact, the climax was completely and utterly predictable.

Finally, I rarely enjoy literary battle sequences because TV, comics and movies are so much more effective at delivery exciting action scenes.

All in all Ender's Game failed to impress me on any level. Judging from the vast number of positive reviews, you may very well find this novel to be enjoyable. But if you enjoy speculative fiction, and are looking for a story that is not a mere rehash of your previous readings, then look elsewhere.

There's this kid, and he's sent to a military school in space so he can defeat the aliens who attack the Earth.

This book does a lot of great things all at once. It's plot driven AND character driven. The main character (Ender) is in conflict with himself, other people, and with two entire civilizations, while also being caught up in the eternal struggle between good and evil. He feels victimized by his own strategic genius. He longs to be good but fears his only use in life is to be bad. The author's exploration of empathy as a tool to destroy is phenomenal. I've never seen anything like it.

There isn't very much description in this book. Sci-fi and fantasy, as genres, tend to be very descriptive, but this isn't Also, the dialogue is more likely to characterize the speakers than advance the plot.

Anyway, this is one of the few books I would recommend to anyone. I must have bought five copies so far because I keep giving it away.

Ender's Game is part action, and part meditation on the nature of enmity and loyalty. It presents complex thoughts in simple, compelling language, and readers won't find a single confusing passage. That may be its greatest attribute.

I found the childrens' military genius a bit unrealistic, but for many other reasons, they were the most substantive characters I've encountered in years. The main characters are neither "good" nor "evil." The plot is somewhat simple, but underlain with complex philosophies, and it has a chilling but appropriate ending twist. Even the extraordinary events in the book felt (often heartbreakingly) real.

Although the children are more intelligent as most of us will be as adults, they show many relatable qualities like homesickness, pride, love, and paranoia. Read this book, and the author will bury them in your heart...with a blunt tool and no anesthesia...and you'll like it.

I highly recommend Ender's Game. The book really showed us some increadible war and fighting strategy by using Ender and his team. There was a lot of action throughout the first 3/4 of the book, but the ending was a bit slow. The entire book was well written though. I look forward to continuing the series.

If your looking at the reviews to decide if you want the book, I think that the give away to buy the book is how almost 2000 people gave the book 5 stars, out of around 2500 people.

If you liked the movie, The Matrix, and also the movie, Starship Troopers, You will love this book.

That's all I need to say. Anyone disagree?

His best book. I really enjoyed the entire ender and shadow series, but this one is the best.

I debated for several minutes about whether I should toss in my two cents over Ender's Game. Here I am, Amazon: The 2,451st reviewer of this very fine novel.

Ender's Game has been a favorite on my bookshelf since I was 15 (which was long enough ago). I thought it might not hold up as well in re-reading it as an adult, but I have only found more to love in this story, and in Card's beautifully spare and clean style, the more I re-read this book.

The depth of each major character is staggering. Even the not-so-major characters give you a little peek into their souls here and there, and the overall effect is a sense of reality - and urgency, as the Bugger War comes to its climax - that most fiction writers are unable to match. While Card tends to steer clear of too much prosey prose, his narrative voice is still deeply moving, to the point that I consistently get a little teary-eyed each time I read certain passages, their clean, simple beauty and honest are so effecting. (I'm thinking of the scenes between Val and Ender on the lake raft, as well as the drive to Stumpy Point here.) Card's gorgeous style strikes right to the heart. Such direct and emotive writing is refreshing in the genre.

Ender's Game is so inviting and so easy to connect with that I have "converted" many avowed sci-fi haters to sci-fi lovers by recommending this book to them. True, some of them I trapped in my car on long road trips and subjected to the audio version of the book (which is performed excellently, by the way) but still, all people I've ever known who have first read Ender's Game have become big fans immediately. (The exception being a few reviewers here, of course!)

I strongly recommend this book to any person who loves good fiction. I don't care whether you're a sci-fi fan or not - Ender's Game has something inside that any lover of good writing can appreciate.

The story involves a young genius named Andrew "Ender" Wiggin who is recruited into the military when only six years old. He is to be groomed as a military commander to eventually defend the Earth against a possible invasion by an alien race.

Ender is, we are told, the last hope for humanity.

Intriguingly, throughout much of the story we don't know whether or not the aliens present a real threat.

Ender's Game certainly has a thought-provoking ending (which I won't reveal here). However, the novel has far too many problems to be recommended.

(1) Pacing:

Ender's Game is primarily based on a shorter work published in 1977, which the author then expanded to make the novel. As a result, there is much filler.

The story treads water for several hundred pages before reaching its clever ending. Readers may wish to skim the tedious middle sections.

(2) Dialogue:

Orson Scott Card was originally a playwright and he employs "theatrical" dialogue in the novel, i.e. dialogue appropriate for the stage. As a result, the dialogue scenes are unnecessarily long and meandering.

Readers may wish to skim the lengthy dialogue sections to find the one or two lines that actually advance the story.

[In the appendix to the 20th anniversary edition of the book, Orson Scott Card reveals that he takes great pride in his theatrical dialogue. "Every word counts!" Sorry, Orson, but theatrical dialogue belongs on the stage, not the page.]

(3) Scene Descriptions:

The scene descriptions in the novel are spare and lifeless; it's like reading a very concise user's manual. Efficient, by dull.

Again, this is a legacy from the author's work as a playwright. Playwrights need not describe scenes in detail, since the scenes will be created on the stage.

In a novel, however, an author needs to paint a picture of each scene, evoking the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures of the world we are asked to inhabit. Failure to do so and we can't really put ourselves in the shoes of the protagonist, and so the world of the story remains distant.

This is yet another reason why Ender's Game was, for me at least, simply a bore.

(4) Plausibility:

Ender Wiggin is a genius. How do we know that? Because the author keeps telling us he's a genius. Unfortunately, he never shows us.

Ender is certainly clever for his age. (He quickly realizes, for example, that any direction can be "down" in zero gravity.) But does he ever really do anything that some other clever child or adult couldn't likewise accomplish? I don't think so.

Indeed, at a critical point in the narrative, Ender is easily and thoroughly tricked. Wouldn't a true genius realize he's being tricked?

Because the author never convinces us that Ender is a genius, we never truly believe Ender is the last hope for humanity. As such, the story suffers from a lack of plausibility.

Ender's older brother and sister are also geniuses. Again, we know this only because we are told, not shown. We are told they write political missives that insert profound thoughts into the politics of the world. But what exactly are these profound thoughts? Orson Scott Card never shows us.

No doubt, it's difficult for an author to invent the thoughts and exploits of true geniuses. But Card needed to find some way of conveying that genius for the story to have worked.

(5) Story Structure:

The novel presents Ender and his older brother Peter as antagonists. Indeed, throughout much of the novel, Peter is seen as the primary villain of the story. So we expect a final confrontation between Ender and Peter that will resolve their conflicts. Yet we get none. As such, the ending fails to truly satisfy the reader.

Also, the ending seems to come from an entirely different story. And, indeed, it does. The ending was derived from the author's original outline for a different story called "Speaker for the Dead." [Later, Orson Scott Card wrote a novel of the same name, as a sequel to Ender's Game.]

Hence, the ending of Ender's Game, though thought-provoking, doesn't entirely work in the context of the novel that precedes it. The tone and pacing of the final chapter are completely different from the rest of the story. This is not surprising, since that final chapter is mostly there just to set up the sequel.

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Despite these and other flaws, Ender's Game won both of the Hugo Award and Nebula Award when first published. I suspect the award voters were tired of the many cyberpunk novels of that era and found Ender's Game to be a refreshing "old school" science fiction novel, in the tradition of Robert Heinlein.

This is not to say that the novel is without merit. Certainly, the story has resonated with many readers, particularly younger ones who can more readily identify with the child protagonist.

Still, I'd say Ender's Game is for hard-core sci-fi fans only.

But then again, if you're a hard-core fan, you'd have read it long ago...

P.S. I had listened to the audio version of the novel. Perhaps I would have enjoyed the story more had I read the book and been able to skim through the many dull sections.

As to the performances, the primary narrator--Stephan Rudniki--was excellent. The female narrator--Gabrielle de Cuir--was too cloying for my tastes. Harlan Ellison and Orson Scott Card both make "cameo" appearances in some scenes and acquit themselves well.

This book was pretty good. It had some mild surprises and interesting things to say about our future.
The whole sibling relationship thing was a bit strange and unbelievable. And the ending was kind of perfunctory. But it kept my attention and moved along at a good pace. Not the greatest book ever, but a nice sci-fi novel.

I'm not a big fan of science fiction; however, I loved this book. I read it as a school assignment and wasn't expecting much from it; however, once I started I couldn't put it down.

Ender's Game is an exciting book that keeps you engaged the entire time. I loved the theme of good vs. evil throughout the book. The idea that Ender can't trust anyone and is completely alone brings about his individual strength and character. It is through the sacrifice of his childhood and the comforts of life that Ender understands who he really is. The characters and conflicts in this book are both realistic. During the action scenes Card pulls you into the story so you feel as if you are really there. It is the complex themes and high energy that make this book a page-turner.

I always wanted to read this book, but never got around to it until it was assigned to me by my young adult literature professor. I enjoyed this book very much and finished it in about a week. I will do my review in the following format: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good:

The story itself is enthralling. It is the story of a child prodigy who is hand picked by none other than the leader of earth's most powerful army. He is trained to become the new supreme commander in a brutal and cold manner, this is the strength of this book. Are the generals justified in their cruel treatment of Ender? You have to read the book to decide. Another aspect of the story that I found interesting was Ender's fascination with the enemy. He was the only one that seemed to want to know more about the "buggers" and their cause. I also loved the strategy involved in the battle room games. Ender's dream simulation program also progressed the story and character in an entirely innovative way. Genius!

The Bad:

Ender himself is an intriguing but unsympathetic character for much of the book. Although he is inherently good-natured, he was too distant for me to embrace as a likeable hero. He rarely makes a human connection with those around him and learns to see people only as resources for his cause. There were only two things that I didn't enjoy about this book and this was one of them.

The Ugly:

The other thing I didn't like about the book was the crude language and violence. I do understand that these are children, but seeing as how they are all very gifted I expected more of the characters to speak with a little more nobility and respect. The violence left me feeling dull and hollow.

In conclusion, I HIGHLY recommend this book despite my complaints. If you enjoy science fiction, fantasy, or even Harry Potter, I am sure you will LOVE this one. This book also contains the most powerful and shocking ending I have ever read. I am extremely excited about the film adaptation that should be released soon. In short: reading this exciting book will give you a greater appreciation of the movie!

If you like science fiction save the universe kind of literature than you will love this book. This novel is about a young boy named Ender Wiggin who is chosen to save the universe at the age of six and has to leave his family and go to Battle school to become the commanding general. Throughout the book it discusses how Ender copes with the molding of the teachers, with his peers, and with his own genius. What I disliked the most about Enders Game is that the soldiers in battle school were naked half the time, which was a little uncomfortable. Secondly, Orson Scott Card promotes violence and swearing a ton in this novel I was shocked at how much there was, even though that fits into the genre of this book it made me a little uncomfortable. It is a good length, there were maybe a few parts that were drug out but it is a young adult novel so it moves at a good pace. The one thing that I did enjoy was how even though Ender was affected by the manipulation of others his conscience, personality and values remained intact. So if you enjoy science fiction full of military tactics, naked swearing soldiers, and a war to save mankind you will love this book.

I approached this book nervously. Whenever I hear a lot of hype about a book (Harry Potter comes to mind), I am very very nervous that I will end up being sorely disappointed. I am glad to report that I found this book delightful.

It's hard to describe exactly why this book appealed to me so greatly. Perhaps it was the fact that it was eminently READABLE (there's nothing more frustrating than unnecessarily complicated prose). Perhaps it was the simple, straightforward plot line. Perhaps it was the fact that it was, in a sense, a "game" all along. Most likely, it is all of the above, not to mention the fact that it manages to strike an emotional chord frequently, and without feeling burdensome. All I know is that I couldn't put it down, and I can't remember having read a book so fast in my life.

Five stars, without reservation: not because it's the most immaculately-crafted piece of literature in the English language, but because it doesn't need to be.

Ender's Game is one of my favorite books, and I am an avid reader.
I tend to keep a couple of copies on hand to share with my high school students that like to read. All my copies have wandered off with absent minded teenagers with their noses stuck in them, so I need to buy myself another copy or two. Ender's Game is just a good all around story. At bit of military science and action for the boys and excellent character development and depth for the girls. You get caught up in the battles and in the characters and can't put the book down until sadly you are done.
I have read the sequels, but none have the same appeal for me as Ender's Game.

This book is a fantastic book for a first-time reader to introduce him to sci-fi. I wouldn't say I couldn't put it down, but it was a real page turner nonetheless. Shane, author of Enemies Among Us

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. If you enjoyed it as well, I would highly recommend reading Enders ShadowEnder's Shadow (Ender, Book 5) (Ender's Shadow) as well, it is a great parallel to "Game".

If you are you looking for an enjoyable, interesting, fast-paced sci-fi novel that draws you in, then Ender's Game is a book for you. Before receiving this book as a gift, I had not been a huge fan of sci-fi and did not know about Orson Scott Card's work. I was not sure that I would like it, but it soon had me eagerly turning the pages. I was first drawn in by the complex characters. The main character, Ender, is a young genius, who is taken away from earth in order to train to eventually become the leader of the earth army in the fight against the alien buggers. Card does a commendable job of expressing Ender's "adult" maturity while having him retain his youthful characteristics. Even with not much change occurring in the plot, this book still held my attention. Card creates a bond between the reader and Ender, making it easy to relate to him, and wanting to know how he will face his next challenge. Though a short read, I found this book compelling and I was unable to put it down. I would recommend this book to readers of all ages, including those who don't consider themselves fans of science fiction.

This purchase was for a friend because I enjoyed the book so much.
It is well written and has a brilliant, imaginatve story as does the rest of the books in the series

Book Review

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is a futuristic tale of a young boy, Ender, who is recruited into the International Fleet's Battle School to be trained for combat in an impending alien invasion. Only six years old, Ender is shocked that he was chosen and not his older brother Peter, because unlike Peter Ender is not a fighter. He quickly adapts to the orbiting space station where the school is located by making friends, even though the Colonel Graff-the leader of the school-make it hard for him to, and conquering the null gravity battle room. Ender is an intelligent character who defeats all challenges thrown at him, except the inward battle against himself. The book Ender's Game follows Ender on his journey from small child to young commander.

I liked this book for many reasons. This was an exciting, original story which kept me on the edge of my seat. The anticipation of an alien invasion creates a compelling feeling that kept me reading. This is one of the best books I have read and it was hard to put down.

The author has some very unique styles of writing. On pages 175-176 for example, the author writes entirely about Ender's thoughts. Throughout the book the author focuses on his main character, Ender; nearly the entire book is written from Ender's point of view. Also Orson Scott Card ends every chapter with a cliffhanger; in fact the book itself ends as a cliffhanger. This style of writing made the book exciting and made me want to read more. I am excited to read the other books in the series and see how the book concludes. I applaud Card for his amazing writing ability.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys exciting novels. I am a large fan of science fiction stories and this book definitely is worth purchasing. I enjoyed Card's cliffhanger writing style which kept me reading hour after hour. The futuristic setting and intelligent characters make the book very intriguing. This is a book I would read over and over.

This is definitely my favorite book of all time. It does not have the most sophisticated plot or imagination, but that is the whole point of the book. It is written from children's point of view and explores the ethical dimensions of war, personal and societal. What is ethical for me to do when I am given these difficult conditions and no one can help me? How much can I ethically push a kid, even a genius, to save human kind? Exploration of these issues make Ender's game my favorite read. It really puts some perspective in my life at the ages of 17, 23, 27, and 32. And I expect that I will read it every couple of years for the rest of my life because I enjoy it so much.

I read this book 12 years ago and loved it. I hate sci-fi as a rule, but this book is great. It's about a kid who does amazing things and that is probably why I liked it as a kid. Lots of imagination for the reader.