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.
Amazon.com Review: Intense is the word for Ender's Game. Aliens have attacked Earth twice and almost destroyed the human species. To make sure humans win the next encounter, the world government has taken to breeding military geniuses -- and then training them in the arts of war... The early training, not surprisingly, takes the form of 'games'... Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the games... He is smart enough to know that time is running out. But is he smart enough to save the planet?
Yay for Ender! Sadly, this took me ages to read. But when I finally got around to it, I was amazed and touched beyond words.
On the surface, this is a fairly typical sci-fi novel, but what makes it stand out as the modern classic that it has become is the deeply felt emotion. This remembers to be a book that is about people and how we treat one another.
A war is occuring, an attack on an alien species affectionately known as the Buggers who have attacked Earth twice before. Understandably Earth is sick of it and doesn't want to be wiped out this time. So they twist the Golden Rule and begin an army to make this aforementioned attack. To do this, they train young shoulders to be commanders, pilots, whatever. This is where the boy genius Andrew "Ender" Wiggins comes in.
We get to watch Ender go through incredible and heartbreaking training that forces him to be more than the little kid he needs to be. On top of that, we see intriguing perspectives of other characters that surprise us in their effects on the plot.
This is a well-written story that manages to be driven equally by both character and plot, with plenty of emotion and philosophy in both.
Basically, I bawled through this. It was that good.
Not Your Typical Science Fiction Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is definitely not your typical science fiction novel. At first glance, I was reluctant to read it, "Oh boy, another version of Star Trek or Star Wars with a cheesy plot." I was wrong with Ender's Game! Although the book includes science fiction entities, it goes beyond them. What lies beneath is a book with a story filled with foreshadowing and twists and turns.
The plot of Ender's Game is filled with many climaxes and incidents. As we follow a young boy that is definitely not like the rest through Battle School, we experience the high points and low points of his life. This young boy, Ender Wiggin becomes the outcast of his peers due to his intelligence. "Ender noted quietly that this was the first time another Launchy from his own class had sat with him at a meal." (P.56). Ender is constantly caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and his unintentional antics result in him becoming the loner of his launchy group. As we watch Ender develop through his trials and tribulations of Battle School, it is quickly determined by the many that he will be the one capable of saving the human race from the aliens. Will Ender be able to live up to his potential while trying to live a typical life at school? You will have to see for yourself.
Ender's life at Battle School demonstrates his excellent abilities and potential. He immediately becomes the favorite of the teachers. This creates many enemies for Ender. In what becomes a good v. evil battle, Ender is forced to make decisions he may later regret. "You took him apart. I thought you were dead meat, the way he grabbed you. But you took him apart. If he'd stood up longer, you would have killed him." (P. 232)
The most intriguing aspect of Ender's Game is the foreshadowing. Each cadet at Battle School is constantly monitored by the teachers. Each decision and move they make can be scrutinized or praised by the teachers. If they do not meet the standards of the teachers, they can be sent home immediately. This is especially challenging for Ender. Every game he plays, his loneliness, his decisions are all observed. Even more so because the teachers believe Ender is the chosen one. He must be prepared to beat the aliens and save the human race. "But going for the open eye - like that - this is the one we want to put in command of our fleets? (P. 171)
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is a must read for anyone looking for some unexpected twists thrown into a science fiction theme. You are drawn into the main character, Ender within the first few pages. You personally experience Ender's ups and downs at Battle School. As Ender becomes the chosen one to save the human race from the aliens, will he rise to the occasion or will he crumble under the pressure? The lives of the human race are at stake and you can see the outcome by reading this book!
How did I overlook this series for such a long time. I have no clue how I missed out on this classic, but the story certainly stands the test of time as one of the best science fiction stories published. I thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to the series with the 20th anniversary edition audio book, narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, and other narrators including Harlan Ellison. Having multiple narrators perform the story made this a special listening event.
If you are new to this series or story, I would highly recommend you listen to the audio book version, as it is an exceptional story form the author has taken great effort and pride to make this presentation his best work.
My top favorite of all time! So many reviews, not much more to say! What a great book/series this is. This title ranks up as my number one favorite book of all time. If I ever meet anyone new and we talk about books, this is the title I mention first and recommend the most.
I've read the book so often now that the pages are all dogged and frayed, but I actually love listening to the AUDIO book even more, if you can imagine that. Scott Brick, Gabrielle de Cuir, Stefan Rudnicki and the rest of the cast bring these characters to life. So much more so than a movie ever could for me. I highly recommend the audio book on top of the written book. The emotion and power of these voice actors pulls you even farther into Ender's Saga. I get tears in my eyes every time I listen to this story and experience Enders triumphs and tragedies.
I can't count the number of times I've been listening to this book and the time just melts away. I never want to stop until I get to the end. If this were the only book I got to read for the rest of my life, I'd die happy. No joke!
Not a Sci-Fi Fan, but loved this book What a great book. Interesting, literate, and just wonderful. I finished it then started to buy more Orson Scott Card books. Ender is a fascinating Character. The book is great for adults and children. I totally recommend it.
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