Ender's Game (Ender, Book 1)

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First, I'm embarrassed, as the author, that I have to give a rating in "stars" in order to comment here. But since I do have to do so, I'm not about to bring down the average by rating my own book any less than five .

For those who didn't believe the storyline, I can't offer much help. It IS fiction, but people have different levels of tolerance for extravagant variations from their experience in everyday life. As Johnny Carson used to say, "Buy the premise, buy the bit."

For those who have commented that the reason the book is awful is because I don't describe, or my language is so very direct and plain, I must point out that there are several stylistic traditions available to a writer. I, for one, have little patience with writers who show off and try to dazzle readers with their language. The style I choose to use has been called "The American Plain Style," in which the author tries to become as invisible as possible, bringing the reader to see things as if experiencing them along with the character, instead of having a writer constantly commenting and interrupting the flow of the story. Moreover, ever since my days as a playwright I have preferred the bare stage to a realistic set: I found that the less I put on the stage, the more the audience would imagine a much more compelling set than I could ever build. Likewise, in my fiction I describe only as much as is asbsolutely necessary in order to understand what is going on; the rest, the readers create in their own imagination, if they're willing to use it. I try never to describe anything that the point-of-view character would not notice, because such extraneous descriptions take you out of the story. However, when I find it necessary I do describe, and when it is useful (especially at moments of denouement or release) I use more evocative language; some of my story endings (though not Ender's Game) are written as blank verse, though of course I run the lines together so as not to distract the reader. I am also constantly aware of the sound and rhythm of the language, so that it flows and remains pronounceable, since at an unconscious level readers all "read aloud" even if their lips don't move - the written word is inexorably tied to the spoken.

In short, there are many aspects to style, and while those who complain about the style of Ender's Game are entitled to their preferences, it's rather parochial to condemn a book because the author is following a stylistic tradition with which they are unfamiliar. Of course, they are hardly to be blamed for this, since so many literature teachers in American colleges and universities teach as if there were only one way to write well, and one kind of story worth telling.

Of course, those who approached Ender's Game skeptically or because they were "forced" to read it can hardly imagine their response is valid for those who read it as volunteers or with belief: No book, however good, can survive a hostile reading.

In the end, a storyteller tells the tale that he believes in and cares about, and the natural audience consists of those readers who are also willing to believe in and care about that tale. Naturally, I would like to engage as many readers as possible with each story I write; just as naturally, every story ever written pleases some and offends others. I do think, though, that it is possible to detest a book without attacking people who loved it, and I do wish that those who disliked Ender's Game would not personally disparage the readers for whom the story had some particular importance. Such judgments as "best I ever read" or "complete waste of time" are so utterly subjective that in my opinion, at least, one should only report one's own response, not condemn others for having a different one.

I thank those of you who have given your hearts to my story of Ender Wiggin; I also thank those who, while you did not like the book, wrote your negative views with dignity and with reasonable respect for others - including, I might add, the author, who, while he might have written a bad book, did not thereby commit a crime or unnatural act. If America can forgive Bill Clinton, surely there's room for a bit of forgiveness for the imperfections of a few bad writers now and then.

- Orson Scott Card

I've had a paperback copy of Ender's Game on my bookshelf for years, but for whatever reason, I never got around to reading it. When I found out there was going to be a movie of it coming out, I decided to look the book up on Amazon.com and read some reviews. Wow! I've never seen so many five-star reviews for anything. Not Citizen Kane, Star Wars, Animal House, Shakespeare, not even the Bible. I figured it was time I give the book a shot. Now that I've read it, I can add my opinion to this ever-expanding forum.

I think I should premise my remarks with a couple of preliminary statements. First, I'm 27 years old and I've been a huge fan of science fiction since I saw Star Wars when I was four. I've read one previous book by Orson Scott Card: the novelization of James Cameron's The Abyss, which I thought was pretty good. I know Ender's Game is a very well-loved book, and in expressing my opinion, I'm not trying to anger anyone, but am just trying to say what I feel. Here goes...

I really wanted to like Ender's Game, but I just didn't think it was all that great. It wasn't bad, but it just never really involved me the way that a great book does. What bothered me first off was the quality of the writing. I thought it was extremely poor in places, and at best mediocre. Card doesn't even seem to follow the basic conventions of fiction writing. He'll be in a third-person descriptive paragraph and then throw in a first-person thought mid-stream without any set-up. I found this kind of thing distracting. It's not that the rules and conventions of writing shouldn't be challenged and bent (good writers are always doing this) it's just that I felt in this case, it wasn't Card using artistic license, but rather just writing poorly.

Other aspects of the writing itself bothered me. The lack of vivid description was one of them. Except for in the case of some of the better action sequences, I generally felt that I was reading about something that had happened to somebody else instead of feeling like I was there experiencing it myself. That's the first job of any great writer, to be able to paint with words in a nuanced way that makes the reader feel he or she is uniquely experiencing the world of the story in the first person. I never felt that in Ender's Game. Also I felt the language was overly simplistic and at times unceasingly idiotic. What's with all the fart talk? Surely by having them use a certain amount of slang, Card is reminding us that his characters are children. But I really got tired of reading the word "farteater" after a couple dozen times. That one in particular became very grating. Even the adults say it to one another. Coupled with the weak writing, the language choice and crude dialogue just seemed to undermine the integrity of the story-telling.

Now on to character. I just felt these characters weren't very deeply drawn. I wanted to sympathize with Ender, but from the beginning, didn't feel very close to him. He's supposed to be superhuman (either a Christ-like figure or a second coming of Hitler, or maybe a mixture of the two, depending on how you read the character) and I felt this just made me feel extremely distant from him. I could never see myself making any of the choices he makes. There's too much cold calculation in Ender, and not enough genuine human feeling. I felt that Card's attempt to humanize the character through his relationship with his sister Valentine was forced. There's a lot of telling in this book. Card tells us that Ender loves his sister, that Ender is a genius, that Ender is afraid of becoming the killer that his brother Peter is, but there is precious little showing. There was never a quality scene between Ender and his sister that made me feel what they felt for each other. I have a sister that I love very much and I know what that love feels like, but I never felt those kinds of feelings while reading about these characters.

I don't want to be overly critical. There were some good things in this book, too. It was definitely a page-turner. Despite my earlier criticisms about the writing, the story itself is well put-together. Once you get involved, you're compelled to finish it. If you're a somewhat fast reader, you probably won't need to bother with a bookmark for this one. Also, I would say overall it was a pretty fun read. I'll give this book three stars, because I think there's some great potential here that, in my opinion, is just not fulfilled.

I don't mean to slam this book if it's your favorite. I don't like it when some one says this or that is a "bad book" or a "bad movie" period. I don't believe in those kinds of absolute labels. Every reader brings something unique to a work of fiction and experiences it on a special plane that no one else can ever quite know, even if that other person is your twin brother and has read all of the same books you've ever read and seen all the same movies and known all of the same friends. The experience of reading a book is a magic one, a sacred one even. If you loved Ender's Game, I have nothing bad to say about that. In fact, I think books are a great thing to be passionate about. This one just didn't do it for me. My favorite science fiction book is hands-down Hyperion by Dan Simmons. That whole series, in my opinion, is some of the best written, most thought-provoking, emotionally-involving storytelling out there. Thanks for your time. Here's to good reading....

Whenever I talk about this book, it's hard not to make it sound like I am a science fiction junkie. I love and defend sci-fi, but I am not limited to the genre. Neither, I think, is this magnificent book. To label it simply a sci-fi classic would be like labeling "Moby Dick" a great book about boats. All great books, regardless of the genre, say something truly profound about the human condition.

"Ender's Game" not only manages to have a strong message, but it is also a joy to read. The plot is enthralling, the characters are complex and realistic, and the descriptions of the battleroom fill your head with fantastic images that make you wish your school had been like this, without the burden of saving humanity. The subplot involving Valentine and Peter is superb and cannot fail to inflame every reader's megalomaniacal side. Though the book is about children, it never condescends and gives kids the credit for the intelligent creatures they are (a big plus for teenage readers). The characters are exceptionally bright, but they are still identified as five- to twelve-year olds, not as mini-adults. It's no wonder that so many gifted young readers have made the statement, "I am Ender." I hope "Ender's Game" is able to make the rare crossover from lowly sci-fi to recognized, so-called "legitimate" literature.

Not only will you not be able to put the book down, you won't be able to read this book just once.

Ender's Game was written by Orson Scott Card in 1977. Since I was born, I have never read such a compelling, gripping, and intense story such as this one. Ender's Game is truly a masterpiece; it completely blows away any competition it might have had since its publication. I would absolutely, positively, without a doubt, recommend this book to every single person on this planet, and perhaps beyond.

Ender Wiggin, the main character of Ender's Game, is one of the most developed characters to ever be portrayed in all of literature. The reader encounters immense amounts of information regarding him. However, it is never in the form of direct statements of fact. Instead, Card reveals Ender through his various actions and dialogues. For example, at the beginning of the book, Ender is being physically tormented by another kid named Bernard. Ender waits patiently for Bernard to punch him once more. Then, Ender is able to catch Bernard's punch and throw him to the opposite wall. Instead of Card explaining how intelligent and patient Ender is, Card shows these qualities solely through Ender's actions. This alone suggests that Orson Scott Card is an outstanding writer. However, as one continues to read Ender's Game, Card's skill as an author is clearly evident by the beautiful construction, as well as the story line, of the novel.

The science-fiction aspect of this novel serves only as the setting. Ender's Game really has little to do with science-fiction, aliens, and other planets. Instead, it is a passionate tale of strength and weakness, courage and fear, love and hatred, and ignorance and knowledge. Ender is a tool which Card masterfully uses in order to convey these intense emotions. In addition, Card expertly creates feelings of suspense, anticipation, and trepidation. All of these emotions combine to produce one of the best books ever written.

As one reads Ender's Game, he or she will become completely absorbed in it. The book will become impossible to put down, and the reader will devour pages by the hundreds. Time will seem to stop for the reader, and he or she will become so engrossed in the novel that finishing it will become a top priority in the reader's life.

Ender's Game is certainly one of the best books ever written. I would adamantly urge everyone to read it

Wouldn't it be neat if somebody recognized how brilliant you were, and took you out of the boring school you're at, and took you away from your dorky parents who don't like you anyway, and put you in this neat training facility with really cool arcade games and even a battle game that you got to play in zero gravity? No? Well then you must be a reader who's outgrown adolescence, and you won't like this book.

How this piece of juvenile fiction ever won the Nebula and Hugo awards I'll never know. The premise is that inter-stellar armies are best run by children with a predilection for violence. Ender is the smartest and most violent of all and he manages to win every fight he's in by miraculously re-writing the book on tactics all on his own. He outsmarts all the kids and adults he's up against with strategies that are bewilderingly original to the other characters in the book, but incredibly obvious to the reader. It's kind of like Harry Potter goes to space, but with much less thought and writing talent.

What a waste of time.

I bought this book wanting to like it. Given the awards it has won, I fully expected to like it. But I was completely disappointed. The reason for the book's popularity is clear: it panders to a very common personality flaw among young, intellectual males: a belief in one's own intellectual superiority, the notion that one is rejected simply because one is so much "smarter" than others of the same age. The way the characters talk about their own "smartness" is totally juvenile and ridiculous. This theme of the intellectually superior adolescent is also hackneyed beyond belief. It turns up over and over again, especially in science fiction; and no doubt this happens at least partly because the author knows it will sell to the cadres of geeks who imagine themselves geniuses. For a mature person, this sort of stuff is simply tiresome.

This was a book recommended to me by a friend who also happened to tell me the ending before I read it. Remind me to give him a nasty stare!

Anyway, this book starts off with a rather long introduction which the author wrote himself about his influences and motivation for writing Ender's Game. The author has had the idea of a Battle Room since he was sixteen. Only much later did he piece together the story of Ender and his mission to save the earth.

Ender Wiggin is a special boy. He is the youngest (6 yrs old when the story starts) of a family of child geniuses (Peter being the eldest, then Valentine). This story is set in the future where aliens (called Buggers because of their physical and mental traits) have tried to invade the earth twice. Twice the Earth defeated them, but at great cost. The government is scrambling to make sure this never happens again by training the next set of star fleet commanders from childhood.

In this futuristic world, only the government could sanction the birth of a third child (for population control reasons). In a way, Ender was born for a purpose. Peter and Valentine were both tested for giftedness and they both possessed it; however, he was ruthless and evil, and she was too soft and kind. Ender was a perfect balance of decisiveness and innocence, and so chosen from the beginning to go through Battle School. It is in Battle School that Ender learns military strategy and the history of wars between the Earth and the Buggers. It is also in Battle School that Ender makes friends and molds the perfect platoon leaders.

What's really unique about this story is that Ender is forced to grow up so quickly by the "adults." The teachers of the school and high government officials all have one thought in their minds. And that is to eliminate the alien threat at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing the health and sanity of a child. Ender is subjected to so much isolation and abuse throughout the story, that I felt really bad for him. He has to learn to think like an adult through the eyes of a child. His biggest fear is becoming like his brother Peter (who, in Ender's eyes, is a cold blooded killer -- keep in mind that we're talking about the thoughts of a child who hasn't even reached puberty) is slowly becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy as he matures. The ending of this story is just amazing. I will not give it away!

I recommended this book to a 13 year old boy before having finished the book. Now I'm thinking twice about my recommendation. Although this book's main characters are children and centers around the premise that child geniuses will save the world, there are a lot of adult themes and references to ancient history that probably only an adult would appreciate. I believe references to the Warsaw Pact, the League of Nations, Locke and Demosthenes will confuse the younger readers. Also the themes of murder, deception, isolation, rules of engagement in battle might be viewed as inappropriate by parents for their kids. With this in mind, I urge the reader to consider the maturity of the intended audience before recommending this book even though this is a terrific story.

This book is a "Starship Troopers" for the Information Age, where enemies never come within a thousand kilometers of each other, but live or perish depending on how well they play computer games.

Six-year-old Ender has his personal monitor removed after living with it for three years. Now isolated from his overseers, he's a target for the school bullies and his homicidal brother, Peter. Only after he overcomes these obstacles is Ender allowed to join the International Force's Battle School in space.

This is the beginning of Ender's real struggle.

Humanity was once almost wiped out by aliens called the buggers. Only the brilliance of a single general saved us. Now the International Force is trying to create a new general before the buggers show up again and complete their genocide.

Ender is an extremely likeable genius--the exact opposite of the clichéd 'evil genius,' which I was getting pretty bored with anyway. He's a sort of six-year-old Byronic hero, earnest and determined to succeed in spite of his new enemies (geniuses themselves) at Battle School. His new mentors immediately and publicly single him out as someone special, and as a result Ender has to break one bully's arm on the shuttle up to school.

Thanks a lot, Teach.

This book's science is plausible, the background story is interesting, the mock battles are exciting and a great device for revealing Ender's growing tactical genius. His character is strengthened through his constant struggle with his envious and sometimes sadistic classmates. I wasn't too interested in the chapters concerning his psychopathic brother and loving sister, but I suppose they're important to the numerous sequels to "Ender's Game." This book's ending is a bit contrived, its climax impersonal and deflated, but other than that Orson Scott Card treats us to brilliant science fiction that is well deserving of its Hugo and Nebula. Ender is the true heir of Heinlein's smart, likeable, believable heroes.

I know I'm in the extreme minority on this one, but I have to say that I just hated almost everything about this book.

Ender is the elite of the elite -- he is a 6-year old kid who possesses the most advanced physical and mental abilities of anyone that the universe has ever seen. Let me try and sum up some of his most incredible accomplishments: he figures out that he can impersonate someone else's log in name by adding a space after it, he figures out that any direction can be considered up in zero gravity, and he develops winning laser tag strategies like not assembling your troops into rigid formations. I mean, sure that's all great for a six-year old, but we're talking about the guy who we're counting on to save the universe here.

The plot itself is very thin. It's good versus evil in a video game battle. I'm sure this was all a whole lot more exciting when it was written in 1977, before the internet and when video games were in their infancy. But that is no excuse for the way over-simplified story line, the ethnically-stereotyped characters, and the painfully crude dialogue. It reads like it was written by someone who hasn't been around kids for 30 years trying to remember how kids talk.

Don't waste your time with this one.

Orson Scott Card tells a futuristic tale, yet it is only a prediction of what the modern world would look like. In Ender's Game, he explains the hardships of gifted children who are isolated in order to develop prowess.

Card is a writer of various genres including science fiction, fantasies, biblical works, and guides to writing. He also writes screenplays, which are possibly influenced by the encouragement of plays by the Mormon Church in his childhood. He writes commentaries in "Uncle Orson Reviews Everything," a writing column which appears online, as well as giving his opinions on culture, politics, and the world. In fact, he offers writing assist programs, which are offered on his website.

Card clearly demonstrates the tales of Ender that he created and displays his goal throughout. As an example, Bonzo, an elder, Hispanic student, abhors Ender because he disobeyed Bonzo's orders and assaults him. A cornered Ender manages to overcome Bonzo and injures him. As a result, Ender believes he is a murderer like his diabolical brother Peter because he harmed others. Ender struggles himself because of his discoveries of possible similarities with his nemesis sibling. Unlike his brother, Ender does not take pride in destroying others and commits this action because he is often pushed into situations which demand physical defense. This portrayal and situation in the novel justifies Ender's actions. Card connects many readers to the feelings and situations Ender has to endure. In fact, people who read the book believe they are similar to Ender.

Although Ender's epic quest in the military academy as well as his hardships draw the readers' attention, the novel does not challenge them with difficult vocabulary or language. However, this is not the intent of Card, who instead exercises a simple array of vocabulary in order to allow his novel to be understood by many people, and this is part of the reason the book managed to achieve its success.


(data from paragraph 2 from: http://www.hatrack.com/osc/about-more.shtml)

Before I begin my review, I want to quickly comment on the considerable following enjoyed by Orson Scott Card's 1977 novel, Ender's Game. If you read through some of the Amazon reviews, you'll freqently see comments like "Best Novel of All Time", "My Favorite Book", "The Best Sci-Fi Has to Offer", etc. etc. I don't normally take this type of hyperbole seriously, but then I noticed that I had to scroll through more than two dozen reviews before I found one that rated the book with less than 5 stars. I couldn't find one reviewer who rated it with less than three.

Making the situation even more puzzling, intriguing, and finally astounding is the sheer number of postings for this book: more than 1960 independent reviewers took the time to review this book as of mid January 2004 -- this means that Ender's Game has been reviewed on Amazon more than the following five SF classics *combined*...
1) 2001: A Space Odyssey (205 reviews)
2) Dune (830 reviews)
3) Childhood's End (202 reviews)
4) Rendevous with Rama (173 reviews)
5) Stranger in a Strange Land (443 reviews)

The above situation is really what drove me to read the book in the first place, as I figured all these people couldn't have been wrong (avg. rating is 4.5 stars). Now having read Ender's Game, I am now not only intrigued/puzzled/astounded, but I am also befuddled and mystified at how all (most) of the reviewers could be driven to over-hype what is really an uninspired science fiction novel about manipulation, deceipt, and the devastating effects of revenge and fear.

Here's the story (w/o spoilers): at the start we come across Andrew Wiggin (a.k.a. Ender), a 6 year old boy who, at the behest of the American government, is bred, somewhat brutally monitored/analyzed, and finally -- by the time he is eleven -- trained to Command all of humanities troops against a once invading alien force, that has for several decades been retreated to its home planets. During the training, Ender brutally beats to death two of his peers (one six, one slightly older) as he "perceives" them to be so threatened by his greatness that they will stop at nothing short of his destruction. His teachers/handlers observe the megalomaniacal behavior and beatings (murders) passively and consider it part of Ender's training. Card continues to attempt to rationalize and justify Ender's treatment of these two children throughout the book -- and maybe this worked in the 70s -- but in this post Columbine world, it made me sick to my stomach.

If I told any more, it would spoil the story for those who haven't read it. So let me net it out from here:

Pro's...
+ Must read for sci-fi fans as it consistenly makes most top ten lists
+ Unique stoccato style delivery of the prose that makes for quick reading
+ Card does a great job of building tension in some of the trials that Ender is put through

Con's...
+ Very difficult to suspend disbelief as six year old Ender acts as proud and decisive as Russel Crowe's character in the Gladiator
+ Very little science fiction
+ Completely failed thread of a sub-plot involving Ender's brother and sister
+ Exhaustive and finally meaningless use of sibling rivalry

And one suggestion: if your version of Ender's Game was published post 1991, make sure that you read Orson Scott Card's introduction last. He really slings the B.S. in the intro and reveals some personal things that quite frankly ruined the book for me.

This is not going to be a popular opinion, but I didn't like this book and can't figure out why it's such a classic. Basically, genius kid is recruited by interplanetary military and trained in the art of war so that he can destroy an alien species deemed to be a threat to earth. Meanwhile, back on earth, genius brother and sister of genius kid post op-ed pieces on the internet and quickly attain worldwide followings and more or less control world politics. These are all little kids, and they don't get much older in the course of the book.

There are two main problems for me. First, I don't like books where the characters end up being world political leaders and changing the course of history. Most books with this kind of plot are incapable of capturing the charisma and brilliance that such people actually have, and so I'm never really convinced that these characters could have accomplished these great feats. That's the case here, too. There just wasn't anything about the kids - other than that they didn't sound like little kids when they talked - that seemed especially brilliant or interesting or charismatic, or that could have enabled them to accomplish the things they did. There was a bit more effort in that area with Ender, but his brother and sister seemed completely unconvincing to me. There was no way in which they didn't sound like ordinary people.

The most interesting part of the story was Ender's trials at battle school, where his teachers manipulated him into isolation from his friends. The detailed descriptions of his victories gave some small credence to the claim that he was intelligent, but nevertheless were not overly shocking in their brilliance. Still, this part of the book was pretty interesting and kept me reading. It wasn't until the last quarter of the book, where all the kids wound up being world famous leaders and changing history, that I was annoyed at the silliness and unlikelihood of that.

The second problem I had with the book is that as sci-fi I didn't find it speculative or original enough. It was an action-driven book with a relatively simplistic inter-species war theme, and a less than surprising "surprise" ending. I don't want to give it away for those who might actually enjoy this book, but I'll just say that the whole thing was just not very sophisticated sci-fi. If the kind of sci-fi you like is more along the lines of Vernor Vinge or Neil Stephenson, complex and speculative, then this is probably not the book for you.

Oh dear, oh dear. Whay do people rave about this book? Trite ideas, religous propaganda (though less overt than some of his earlier books), poor characters and average writing all add up to a pathetic juvenile adventure story that falls far short of the great (Herbert) and even not-so-great (Heinlein) writers he is imitating. I have been told the later books are better, but after this I have no desire to find out. This is equalled in its awfulness only by L. Ron Hubbard, another religous nutcase. How did this guy win awards? I hear the sound of airport cash-tills ringing...

I know this is going to make me unpopular, but it must be said: It seems to me that this book has become famous for being famous. I can't account for the overwhelming popularity in any other way.

It isn't particularly well written, although others who disliked it gave it credit for technical proficiency. It is essentially a story about bullies, video games and cookie cutter characters bought for half price at the Stereotype Barn and jazzed up with reflective neon tape applied to their fender flares. The misery of plodding through page after page of what amounts to the Lazer Tag Semi-Galactic Finals is made incalculably worse by the glacially slow pace at which these less-than-riveting events unfold. It's like enduring a root canal in slow motion. Without benefit of anesthesia. While the dental assissant reads aloud the latest celebrity gossip congealing around Paris Hilton. Ok, to be fair, it's not QUITE that bad, but lord! it sure ain't good. I can suspend belief with the best of 'em, but I have limits, and nothing these children do or say strikes me as being authentic. The problem with so many novels that feature young children or teens as their protaganists is that the author is writing through a filter; he is attempting to reconstruct the thoughts, feelings and dialogue of childhood from the perspective of adulthood. Please read 'Tom Sawyer' again and compare it with 'Ender's Game'. The disparity is glaring.

Comparing this to the genuine classics of the genre does not improve Ender's overall credibility. Both Frank Herbert's 'Dune' and Joe Haldeman's 'Forever War' are so much more compelling and thought-provoking. If you rated this book 5 stars do yourself a favor and give the titles mentioned a shot--you'll be rating them at 10 stars or beyond. :-)

First, I liked the story. There are plenty of other reviews here, I won't add to them.

My pleasure in reading the Kindle edition, however, was ruined by an appalling lack of proofreading. Almost every "ru" was interpreted as an "m", for example. Clearly the Kindle edition was not typeset from the original electronic text, but derived from optical character recognition from a printed page. The publishers could have had a proofreader go through the book after this, but they didn't. They didn't even run it through spellcheck. No, they just went ahead and charged me $5.99 for it.

I'd like to buy the next book in the series, but I won't. This publisher doesn't deserve my money. Maybe I'll borrow it from a friend or from a library.

Amazon -- please require at least some minimal standard of proofreading for Kindle books. You owe it to your Kindle owners.

UPDATE -- just received this from Amazon:

We're writing about your recent Kindle purchase of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. The version you received contained some errors that have been corrected.

An updated version of Ender's Game is now available. It's important to note that when we send you the updated version, you will lose any highlights, your last page read, and bookmarks made in your current version and the locations of any notes may not match the updated copy of the book.

.... so, for those of you who care about typos, it's possible you can now buy this book. At least someone noticed the problem and tried to fix it. When/if I read the corrected version (won't be for a while) I'll edit this review again.

Let's see if I can do some serious damage to my reviewer rating here. This must truly be the most overrated book in the entire science-fiction canon. Card writes prose with the vocabulary of a moderately intelligent adolescent, and since "adult-acting" kids (in the most generous sense) constitute all the major characters of his book, that's who most tends to love this novel. And for all the older readers who think Ender's Game is the greatest thing since sliced bread, well, I guess some of us started our second childhoods a tad early. The best thing about the book is probably the whole subplot about Ender's evil brother and loving sister, and trust me, that ain't saying much. The bulk of the novel, however, is devoted to young Ender's rather unbelievable extended military training, which mostly consists of excruciatingly dull faux-battle scenes whose outcomes are thoroughly predictable. How will Ender and his minions outwit the bad boys-yet somehow earn their grudging respect-this time? Gee golly whiz, Tom Swift, I can't wait to find out! Oy. The capstone of this book's awfulness, apart from its obvious glorification of war for children (maybe Army recruiters should hand it out to junior high schoolers in West Virginia) and its characters' obsession with farting, is Card's utterly pretentious introduction to this "author's definitive edition." What a pompous bore! 'Tis a sad commentary on things that this man got rich and famous off of such nonsense. Anyway, if you like sophisticated science fiction with well-drawn characters and intricate plots, you should definitely look elsewhere.

I really enjoyed reading ENDER'S GAME, although I certainly had a few qualms along the way. I found it to be an entertaining, engrossing read that had me quickly flipping through the pages, eager to see what came next. But, to be honest, I'm a bit baffled by the overwhelming praise directed towards this book. Sure, it's good, but I didn't find it nearly as powerful as others have.

Plot is the most important part of this book, coming at the expensive of style. The prose is mostly workmanlike, though it's deceptively good at slowly ratcheting up the tension. Characters are virtually nothing more than ciphers for the storyline, and while they're distinctive, they're rarely given much depth. Ironically, I felt the only character that approached full-development was Ender's sister, Valentine, and she is really only defined by her relations with her two brothers.

One thing I should mention is that I absolutely hated the ending of this book. Hated, hated, hated it. It took the suspension of disbelief that I'd been managing to hold onto for three hundred pages and just threw that out the window. I can accept that selectively bred children can be perfectly reasoning geniuses. I can even accept that they can talk in perfectly formed little speeches to each other (though this is a bit harder to digest, to be honest). But I simply cannot believe that any organization (I'm being deliberately vague in order to avoid spoilers) would allow that certain decision to be made by a character of that age. It's laughable. Ridiculous. And unfortunately, coming at the end as it did, it put a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Not enough to ruin the previous chapters, mind you, but enough to turn me just a little bit away. I can take (and often enjoy) fictions that are overly cynical, but this seemed to be cynical just for the sake of being cynical, i.e. very contrived. It felt exploitative and manipulative. Given that the main themes of the book are exploitation and manipulation, this may very well have been deliberate, and the reaction I felt was exactly what the author wanted me to feel. But you can't expect me to like it.

Maybe the kudos that this book receives is because it's a fictional novel that asks and hints at a lot of heavy, deep philosophical questions. Of course, humankind has been asking these same questions for a few thousand years now, and I'm not convinced that ENDER'S GAME is bringing anything particularly new to the table. Truthfully, I enjoyed this book simply as a straightforward science-fiction action-adventure, nothing more. The philosophizing and moral dilemmas were presented in a slightly too clumsy and obvious a manner for my tastes. Clearly, mileage will vary on this point, as many, many others would evidentially appear to have got a lot more out of this than I did.

That said, I think the book's attempt to tell the story more or less completely from the point of view of an especially gifted child was a success. On the other hand, the eventual reason for the main characters being so young does come across as a bit of cheat at the end, and one wonders if it wouldn't have been a tad more believable to make these mature-seeming people just a slight bit older in age too. Still, it worked for me, so I can't complain too much. When Ender must deal with bullies and other "child" problems, he is presented as more (adult) rational than (child) emotional (not what I would have expected), but ultimately he does come across well as an unusually composed youth. The parts where I really felt disturbed by the cast's age was during the more bloody of the fight scenes; in particular, when two pre-pubescent boys stand naked in a bathroom kicking each other in the groin until one of them collapses. I suppose the point was to make the reader uncomfortable, but I think it really could have been done better in a less distasteful way.

My copy of the book (a paperback of the 1991 reissue) contains an overly defensive introduction from Orson Scott Card wherein he attacks opponents of his book for being too insecure and unable to empathize with gifted, intelligent children. He seems to be of the mind that people either loved his book unconditionally or loathed it utterly, with no room for opinions in the middle. Looking around at the other reviews, he may very well be right. But I find myself in a rare position. I abhorred some portions of this book, but really enjoyed others. Overall, it more than maintained my interest and kept me speeding through, and I'll give it a lot of credit for that. I didn't fall in love with the novel, but I enjoyed it enough that I'll probably get around to the sequels eventually.

(Oh, and I was amused to note that Card seems to have correctly predicted the rise of the Internet-based political blogs, although he does get confused as to whether he wants his would-be power-grabbers to be merely influencing memes or controlling people and events directly. Of course, in his fictional universe, we're to believe that people take on-line political scribblings a lot more seriously than they do in ours.)

In general I was turned off by this book. In the end, I think it is a child's book. It was quite easy to read and good enough to fill the time on my flight, but in the end, I was bothered to have read it. As someone who has experienced sleep deprivation, combat training, science training and much of what described in the book, I just found it pandering. Perhaps it is because in this age, being able to handle three dimensional thinking and movement and game play just isn't that spectacular. The world is full of people who spend hours fighting in games on-line and is also full of people who are bright enough to compose these games. I can't compare this to great writers whose work transcends science or presents philosophical context. It seems dated and naive in retrospect, but perhaps those who love it simply are impressed by things many now take for granted. This could be a commentary on the generational seperation in the wired world.

I guess there's no accounting for taste, but why does anyone like this book? The idea of a 6 year-old military genius is absurd. And if there was one, the idea that the people of power would put a child in command of anything is even more absurd. Does Card know any human beings? Can't tell from reading his book. As for the storyline, it's trite and extremely predictible. The subplot about the boy and girl who take over the world via USENET is even more unbelievable than the main plot. (Doesn't Card realize that the people who run things don't have time to read USENET and couldn't care less what is said there?) I can't think of a more naive book. If you know nothing about military matters, human nature, and the nature of power, this book might appeal. But only if you also have no taste in writing. To those who like this book and are over 14 years old I can only say: read more!! I suggest something like Dune for a story with a more realistic picture of the complexies of human nature. Or some Mark Twain to get an idea of the difference between clear writing and good writing.

I tried reading this juvenile SF novel when it first appeared, and stopped halfway through -- I was put off by the ludicrous subplot, in which the brilliant hero's sweet sister and mean brother (not deep characterization -- they only need one adjective each) use invented Internet alter-egos to take over the world. Billions of people on the Web, and not _one_ has a single idea, except for Ender's siblings. But that's the pattern of the book, a book that makes no attempt to describe the contentiousness or complexities of real life.

Ender, the hero, is no more a character than, say, James Bond -- Ender always wins, always bests every obstacle, defeats every enemy, shames every teacher, with a mininum of effort. Other characters exist only to extol or mirror his greatness; the handful who don't admit to his superiority are easily disposed of. There's an almost pornographic feel to the final chapter, in which Ender founds a new space colony, saves the alien race he thought he had single-handedly destroyed, and invents a new religion(!), all the while wallowing in the self-pity that started at page 2 and never stopped.

I would give this the lowest grade possible but for two factors -- Card is a facile, easy-to-read writer, and the book might do some good to bright pre-teen boys who aren't getting much support from their environment. Of course, "Playboy" might too, but it isn't art either. Not recommended for adults at all.

This is not the worst book ever written, but how Amazon can put this in its best SF of the Twentieth Century is quite beyond me. To me, this is what gives SF a bad name: juvenile militaristic rubbish with religous propagandist underpinnings; stereotypes instead of characters, a by-numbers plot; no depth, no complexity, no intelligence. I read this first when I was a teenager and thought it was bad then. I'm afraid it hasn't improved with age.

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.

Ender's Game is one of the most popular science fiction books of all time. Had it received enough media attention (or were it written today), it would have almost certainly garnered as much (or more!) hype as Harry Potter. Don't make the mistak, though! Ender's Game is not a children's book, despite the fact that most of its characters are children - the deeply questionable ethical discussions, the overall message and trimmings of the book may confuse children, or simply pass over their heads.

An unprepared Earth has been target of a sudden, devastating attack by the mysterious alien Buggers, and to prevent it from happening twice, the command of Earth has been seized by the military. Thus, Earth is unified - for now. The military is examining and collecting especially bright children for advanced military training for important military positions. The training takes place at the top-secret Battle School - an enourmous orbiting complex. But Andrew Wiggin - Ender - is special. For some reason, the teachers single him out. He is grouped with inept platoons for the mock battles. Teachers try to goad him into falling over the brink, breaking down his moral values, his sense of pity and commiseration. In other words, they are making him into a perfect weapon - Earth's only hope for the final battle against its alien invaders.

Why is Ender's Game so successful? Because Card created one of the most appealing central characters the world has ever seen: Ender is young (don't you want to re-experience childhood?), he is amazingly intelligent (don't you think of yourself as intelligent?), and the entire world is out to get him (self-explanatory). Never mind that the convoluted train-of-thought passages are often discussions of complex ethical dilemmas, and that the answers that Card achieves may surprise or shock you. Never mind the appaling lack of imagery, the low number of well-developed characters, cliche aliens, and some very questionable scientific premises. Ender's Game is all about your ability to associate with Ender. By the book's end you will be ready to die for him if needs be.

The chapters increase the pace, bit by bit. The epilogue is truly stunning. It sets you up with royal hopes for the remainder of the books in the series. Alas, that path is strewn with disappointments :(

The most intriguing thing about Ender's Game is trying to figure out why it receives raves. The backbone of the plot can be explained in a sentence and while it might have supported a short story (the resolution of the story is predictable half way through) it's too flimsy a frame for a novel. The no-gray-zone series of leadership-lesson episodes read like Card wrote a story to the table of contents in a US Army basic training manual. My only explanation for the book's popularity is that it hit a sweet spot of readers with their hands on the joystick, hungry for a rationalization fantasy for the hours and quarters that they squander in video game parlors mastering Missile Command. Sure, it wasn't one of the worst all-time SCIFI novels, though at least one of Card's other books could be a tossed into that bin. I did read it through to the end. But it certainly doesn't merit topping the amazon.com SCIFI recommendations list with gushing endorsements. Better Sci-Fi? Red/Green/Blue Mars. Stapleton's Sirius. Dune - no question. Clarke's 2001. Diamond Age. Sure. But Ender's Game? Bleh.

Ender Wiggin is one of the children chosen by the world government of Earth. For the last three years, from age three to six, he's worn a monitor-a device designed and used to watch him day and night, so finely tuned that he'd started to believe that it could read his thoughts. Then, when he was six, the device was removed. Ender's whole world changed. Hated by his brother Peter, loved by his sister Valentine, Ender suddenly became prey for the bigger boys at his school. After an altercation in school and a display of viciousness and cold cruelty on Ender's part, he's told he made the program for the International Fleet, the first line of defense against the Buggers, an alien enemy encountered nearly fifty years ago that came short of destroying the planet. Graff, the man from I.F., tells Ender that he qualified for the Battle School program, where Ender will learn how to fight Buggers. The downside is that he won't get to see his family for ten years. And Battle School doesn't turn out exactly the way Ender had envisioned it would.

Orson Scott Card is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy writer. In addition to the Ender Wiggin series (ENDER'S GAME, SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD, XENOCIDE, CHILDREN OF THE MIND, ENDER'S SHADOW, SHADOW OF THE HEGEMON, and SHADOW PUPPETS), Card has also written the Homecoming series (THE MEMORY OF EARTH, THE CALL OF EARTH, THE SHIPS OF EARTH, EARTHFALL, and EARTHBORN) and the Tales of Alvin Maker series (SEVENTH SON, RED PROPHET, PRENTICE ALVIN, ALVIN JOURNEYMAN, and HEARTFIRE). HOMEBODY, TREASUR BOX and LOST BOYS are three of his works that heavily involve the supernatural in today's world. He's also written two novels about women from the Bible (REBEKAH and SARAH), and several stand-alone novels and other trilogies.

ENDER'S GAME is a wonderful read for old-time science fiction fans that cut his or her teeth on Robert Heinlein. The same depth of character in a young protagonist that Heinlein was noted for is present, and the world-building skills are sharp. At the same time, Card embraces the younger readers of SF by laying much of Ender's story in action and gameplay. Every young reader out there is living in an SF world when he or she plugs into a PlayStation game, and Card entices those players by showing how much fun his vision of the future is with null-gravity and gameplay. Ender comes across always as a real person with real problems. The pacing is quick, always pulling the reader into the next situation, providing tidbits of information that locks in the bigger picture by the time the reader gets there. Card's creation of words, situations, and tech-and the ease with which his characters (and the readers!) interface with it-is amazing.

This book is heartily recommended for readers already familiar with SF through Heinlein and Asimov, and to new readers who want a deeper and more immersive experience than the world presented by the latest video game. Well-written books are the closest things to virtual reality that exist at this time, and ENDER'S GAME is one of the best.

Suggested Reading: Tales of Pirx the Pilot, by Stanislaw Lem. In this book or its sequel, find out what a real writer can do with stories about a space cadet.

What can account for the popularity of Ender's Game? Card's prose is mushy and numb, his dialogue fake-sounding. The book gets off to not a bad start, but things quickly get worse rather than better. The pace is slow enuf to kill a horse, especially the interminable middle section in which Ender masters the stupid "battle room," or whatever it is called. The climactic moment is anything but. The denoument,in which Ender rockets away to the stars with his ripe and comely sister is total, horrible crap, bringing to a close one of the mostest dumbest books I've readed in years.

I would guess this thing is most popular with people who not only do not normally read science fiction books, but who normally do not read books. It may also appeal to disgruntled adolescents or psychologically-damaged adults who got the stuffing beat out of them a lot as kids; now they read Ender and imagine they're beating out other people's stuffing as a little 8-year-old soldier. What does this book teach the talented but misguided 10-year-olds who wrote most of the 1,200 reviews? All of the meaningless crap-work, all of the emotional and physical abuse, all the boredom, all the stupidity from authority figures -- there's actually a good reason for all of it. You're fighting the buggers, kid (speaking of that, the only enjoyable part of reading this was ferreting out the dozens of latent yet sexy gay references-woohoo!).

Recently, I went on vacation. My close friend asked to borrow a book of mine and in return, he shoved his battered copy of Ender's game into my hand. I shoved it into my suitcase.

I hate science fiction! I have read hundreds of books and can count on one hand how many were science fiction. But a funny thing happened on my trip. I finished the two books I had with me..uh-oh. So I rummaged through my suitcase and dug out this book.

This book is about a young boy, Ender Wiggin, who is a genious, a frowned upon "third", or a third child, in a society where NO ONE has three children. He goes off to military school and is destined to become a great miliary leader in the war against the "buggers", a harsh alien race. He is pulled away from his family, his hated brother and loved sister.

This book was absolutely absorbing. I read the whole thing in two days, pretty good for me, who scrutinized books and reads them many times.

I highly recommend this book to people of all ages who need to escape the real world and meet ender and his feirce group of first grade friends, and read all about their accomplishments.

How can you consider yourself a fan of Science Fiction if you've never read Ender's Game? Actually... I only just read it a month ago- but boy am I ashamed of myself for having waited so long! I had to read it again a week ago since I couldn't believe I'd loved it so much, and when phrases like, "The best book I've ever read!" come to your mind- you'd better be pretty certain. It goes high on my list with Dune and very few others. It will enrapture you.

The story is simple. It is the future. The Earth has had a severe run-in with a race of hostile aliens we call the "Buggers". They have invaded our planet twice, nearly wiping us out if it weren't for some amazing luck. Now, decades later, the Earth prepares to retaliate against the Buggers- defeat them before a third invasion can be launched against us. We have a massive fleet, but need a leader. With that in mind, the military turns to children for salvation... filtering out the most brilliant strategic minds and molding them into commanders with what it takes to win the war. At age 6, Andrew Wiggen (ENDER) is their best hope. This is the story of his trials and training and SO much more.

Card does everything right in Ender's Game. As a 24 year-old, I couldn't recommend any book higher. If you are new to sci-fi, this will get you addicted. ............

This was the first and last Orson Scott Card book that I will ever subject myself to read. The book was very bland and had a very mediocre style. One thing that bothered me about the book is the way Card told you the information; the information was very blunt and concise with no obvious meaning. Beyond that, the plot line was tawny and unfulfilling: NO BUILDUP, to much of the fighting sequence, and totally unrealistic strategy. The sub-plot was another problem. The sub-plot was totally flawed just as the plot was- the idea of Ender's brother and sister causing so much world wide controversy through the internet is beyond ridiculous. Basically to break this book down, this book should have remained as a short story. Don't bother reading this book if you are atleast 13; you should find more negatives than positives in this novel. If this is the highlite of your reading career or a life fulfilling novel than I would have a firm basis to assume that you have never read a good book in your life. If you are looking for that double fudge chocolate cake, look somewhere else, because all you will find is a spoonful of oatmeal.

At the risk of offending almost everybody in this review group, I'm simply going to highlight some SCIENTIFIC problems with this worthless novel.

(1) Instantaneous communication. The "philotic parallax instantaneous communicator" - "they can talk to each other even when they're across the galaxy. And the buggers can do it without machines."

The problem here, ladies and gentlemen, is action at a distance. As some of you may know (they teach this in high school) action at a distance does not exist. There is a finite, maximum velocity for the transfer of information in the real world. It's called the speed of light. This is the whole point of special relativity.

I might add that by bringing Mazer Rackham back as a twin-paradox (sending him out at relativistic velocities so that the world aged 50 years but he only aged eight) Card implies that he accepts special relativity. But you can't have it both ways. Either you have special relativity or you have instantaneous communication, but not both in the same novel.

(2) Artificial gravity - "It could not land directly because Eros had enhanced gravity."

Ladies and gentlemen, one cannot "enhance" gravity. As some of you may know, general relativity explains gravity in terms of non-Euclidean geometry. One can no more "enhance" gravity than alter the truth of the Pythagorean theorem.

By the way, check out the real Eros on the internet. Look up "NEAR". Eros was an unfortunate choice of asteroids for Card. The real Eros is now viewable by satelite. He got the shape wrong!

(3) Dr. Device - "At the focal point of two beams, it sets up a field in which molecules can't hold together anymore. Electrons can't be shared . . . Then the field dies down, the molecules come back together, and where you had a ship, you now have a lump of dirt with a lot of iron molecules in it. No radioactivity."

Excuse me? The "beams" create a "field" that disrupts matter at the level of electrons . . . then matter reassembles and you get, not hydrogen and helium, but "dirt" and "iron", without radiation?

Ladies and gentlemen, this contradicts the second law of thermodynamics, the laws of chemistry, and the laws of quantum mechanics all at the same time.

(4) Eugenics. Ender is the product of a genetic experiment; his brother and sister are smart too.

Ladies and gentlemen, eugenics is a discredited science. The most famous twentieth-century proponent of eugenics, Adolph Hitler, murdered six million people and committed suicide. That should tell you something. Think about it.

By the way, isn't this whole book a rip off of the ideas of Robert A. Heinlein and A.E. Van Vogt?

. . . . .

Interested readers may wonder why I took the time to write a diatribe against a children's book. I love science fiction, and there are so many good books out there, but this is not one of them . . .

This book was required reading for my 14-year-old daughter who was about to enter ninth grade. I object to this. It sets a bad precedent. Encouraging wishful thinking in children is not what education is all about. I can't believe that her English teachers selected this book out of all of the millions of books in the world's literature. Sloppy wishful magical adolescent thinking epitomized. A book for dumb teenagers. Good Grief!

I realize that absolutely everyone reviewing this book simply loved it. I wanted to love it too, but for the life of me couldn't figure out the attraction. It was not a bad book, but it was by no means a great one, either. Perhaps I don't have a deep enough appreciation for science-fiction. But in my mind, there was very little sci-fi to this tale - it was a military technical manual - nothing more, nothing less. There were a few attempts at humanity with Peter the bad brother and Valentine the good sister, but I couldn't help but think that there are episodes of the Simpsons where Bart and Lisa are more engaging than these two. In the introduction, Card explains how the idea first appeared as a short story in Analog Magazine. Perhaps it should have stayed in that form. But no - that's not the way the publishing world works. Instead we have three sequels and the newest so-called `companion novel' - essentially the same story told from Bean's point of view. Companion novel?? What's next? Gone with the Wind through the eyes of the Tarleton Twins? Misery through the eyes of Annie Wilke's pet pig??

This book was a major disapointment. The 1 star that I rated it is an exageration to itself (its not worthy of even that). I was tricked into reading this book by all the great reviews everyone posted about it- I assumed this wasn't going to be a waste of my time. Unfortunately, as Orson Scott Card did in writing Enders Game- people do make mistakes- and so did I by reading this shallow book. I can't even begin to criticize this book because I don't even know where to start. The plot-line itself was flimsy- one must realize how unrealistic the character portrayal is- a 10 year old saving the world from these "buggers" (was this some sort of a joke- the idea of that is just plain ludicrous). As if that alone wasn't bad enough- the sub-plot is even worse- Ender's brother and sister starting some worldwide controversy through the nets, WHAT? I DONT THINK SO, the concept of this is mind boggling- I have trouble taking into account that the majority is actually liking this. The denouemont was also frivalous. One must realize that a child and his loser little buddies are not going to save the world. This sorry example of work can be summarized in a mere 5 pages. This book isn't the least bit feasible and I find Orson Scott Card to be a piece of science fiction in himself. I can go on and on but to be honest just reviewing Orson's work is bumming me out by itself.

Great book, but the Kindle edition is a huge rip off. It's obvious the publisher just tossed a copy in a scanner and didn't even bother to read through what came out on the other side. Ail instead of all, tmst instead of trust, etc. Many pages have more than one typo per page. Wish we could get our money back.

...the best book on leadership, the best book on strategy, and possibly the best sci-fi story I have ever heard.

I am not even much into science fiction, not in reading at least. But I devoured this brilliant debut novel from Scott Card (1985) from cover to cover. It's intoxicating, educational and very, very gripping.

We follow the life of our young protagonist Ender (nickname for Andrew) who is billed as a dynamic potential leader to save the Earth from "buggers" (malicious aliens). Reviewers lament that it potrays children as saviours of the earth from but this is not exactly an impossibility -- kids today are already a lot sharper than they used to be 20 years ago. It's a fascinating testament to the adaptability of human beings -- you impose demands, we will rise to the task. Come to think of it, the book does frequently bring up the inhumane element of pushing kids to the limit as Ender gets disillusioned about the mission that was forced on him several times during the course of the story.

Above all its interesting setups and games in a training camp in space, the book touches upon some out-of-box thinking by kids to win their games. For this reason, it makes for a FABULOUS strategy book. As Ender wins and develops into a leader of kids a lot older than he is, we are exposed to a lot of leadership situations that are so real in actual life it's almost eerie.

The book has a bunch of lessons about morality, good and bad, leadership, thinking, etc etc. Something I'd recommend in a blink to anyone I care about. Get this phenomenal novel even if you don't have a taste for science fiction. You'll love it.

"Ender's Game" is the novel that brought me back to science fiction. After an adolescence spent reading every last word of science fiction and fantasy I could get my hands on, I went off to college, became an English major, and discovered I had terrible taste. I stopped reading the genre for almost a decade, until a friend of mine shoved a copy of "Ender's Game" into my hands and told me to remember what reading was all about. And "Ender's Game" is an all-out page-turning, idea-laden, exciting read with the best surprise ending of almost any novel I can think of offhand. Although Orson Scott Card denies ever having read Robert Heinlein's "Starship Troopers," the novel is an almost point-by-point refutation of Heinlein's closely argued paean to the morality of war. I adore Heinlein's book, even though I disagree with most of his arguments; Orson Scott Card's plea for tolerance and rational discourse before violence strikes my post-Vietnam mindset as far more valid. But I go back to "Starship Troopers" just to keep my mind sharp; a part of me thinks Heinlein knew what he's talking about. In short, "Ender's Game" and "Starship Troopers" are the bookends to any discussion about the future of the military and our species' proper stance when the (hopefully) inevitable contact with extraterrestrials takes place some day. And until then, I will always be grateful to Card for waking me up from my snobbery and sending me back to my roots. "Ender's Game" is a novel that needs to be read by everyone, both for its ideas and its sheer, fierce joy. I've taught it now for four years, and few students can keep themselves from finishing it the first night they start it.

Many people use words like exciting and great to describe this tripe, well, I can only think of one- DULL! What kind of crack are this book's supporters smoking, there isn't one exciting scene in the whole damn book. It's just a bunch of boring kids floating around and shooting at each other with stun guns for 300 pages. Get a grip, people, if this is the best book you've ever read, well, you haven't read almost any other book I've read. I had high expectations for this book after hearing such high praise for it, but my expectations weren't met in the least. I kept on waiting for it to get better, and it never did. Predictable, boring, maudlin, repitive, crap, all these, sure.

"Ender's Game" is about a military school for boys aged 6 to 12. In particular, it's about a "genius" boy named Ender who's about 30 IQ points smarter than your average adult Nobel laureate. Ender heroically wins fights against other boys, both individually and leading an "army" of 40 boys.

Ender never misses his parents. Occassionally he misses his sister, but he wills himself not to cry or show emotion. Being a genius makes Ender unpopular with the other boys, so he has no deep friendships, just an occasional boy who says something nice.

In Africa, thousands of children are taken away from their parents and taught to kill. Read "Child Soldiers: The Role of Children in Armed Conflict," by Ilene Cohn and Guy S. Goodwin-Gill. You'll see that real child soldiers don't grow up like Ender.

And where are the girls? In Scott's vision of the future, all leaders are men.

A friend's mother, who had a Ph.D. and had once been a lab assistant for Crick and Watson, constantly told her youngest son that he was a genius and would someday be the greatest scientist who ever lived. By second grade the boy was having so many problems in school that two teachers asked him to be moved out of their classes. He's now in his mid-30s. He never graduated from college, has never held a job for long, and has little social life.

Orson Scott Card has a good imagination and can keep you turning the pages. But I found myself turning the pages despite feeling disgusted by this book. I got three-quarters of the way through and stopped reading it. [...].
--
Review by Thomas David Kehoe, [...]

When I first read this book, I was in junior high school and I don't think I really had an appreciation for all that was included in the book. This summer I picked up the book again and started reading. I was captivated, the book hooked me instantly and I couldn't put it down until it was finished (which was unfortunately only a few hours later).

I definitely enjoyed reading it, and I'd recommend it to others. However, if you are picking it up with the thought that it is an excellent piece of literature packed full of political philosophy that will change the way you live, you should probably find something else. I praise this book mostly for its entertainment value. The book relies on some cliched techniques to hook the reader, but it works. However, I think the book loses a little bit of value for me towards the end when Card attempts to wax philosophical. I think that Card steps into some very deep issues and fundemental problems with society, but I also think that he doesn't get any further than the wading pool. The political thought references and the genius of Ender is impressive and enjoyable, but I think that Card is trying too hard to make the book into something that it isn't.

I'm looking forward to reading the sequels and despite my criticism, I give this book four stars and I strongly recommend it. Just don't take it into your philosophy class.

It is OBVIOUS no one has proofread this edition - even a simple spell check would catch many of the OCR/transcription errors.

I expect better from Amazon. And from Card's publisher.

This is the first book I read on my iPad. I'd love to get the rest of Card's works, but if this rendition of a major classic is any indication, I will STAY AWAY from any Tor editions.

I'm an avid sci-fi and fantasy reader, and my uncle had given me this book 3 times in a row for my birthday so I felt that I should write it and, well I did.

This book is definitely one, if not the, of the greatest sci-fi's written, as I said in the title. Card weaves a tale both fascinating and well thought out. I have read several of the bad comments that people have written for this and many of the things that they point out are:

-Lack of description
-Transitions between 3rd person and 1st person
-Projecting images of false humanity onto people in the story

I have read this book 5 times in my 3 years that I have owned it and I can agree, there is a lack of description, but what I think many people fail to see is that this story does not really need the description. The tale more about the workings of the inner mind and relationships between people, not about the color of the walls.

Transitions abetween 3rd and 1st person may be difficult for some people but I find them quite easy to deal with once you understand the concept they are being used in. Card, in this story, always uses 3rd person to describe situations, but then may switch to 1st person to give an incite into what the character is thinking at the time. This is the ONLY use 1st person is used for in the book, to describe what the character is thinking and feeling at the time.

While some of the descriptions of the characters may seem a little too mature for children from 8 to 15 years of age (around there anyways) this is purposefully put into the book. The children in the book are supposed to be geniuses, so of course they are going to be drawn out as more mature. Most people who find this aspect of the book frustrating don't really understand, I think, that these children have an IQ of around 170 and above to even be in the school described.

I find that people who don't thoroughly understand what they are reading usually think of the material as bad or poorly written but this book, it is not possible to see any of this in the story. Overall, even if you don't read sci-fi, you should read this book just for the way Card has people think and interact with their environment. Great read.

I'm sure when it happened. Maybe it started as far back as when Jules Verne and H.G. Wells first began reflecting our society through the mirror of alien worlds, but at some point in the last century a surprising trend became evident: The most brilliant minds in the literary universe were writing science fiction. No book emphasizes this point more then Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game", one of the most chokingly powerful books I have ever read (and as a librarian, I've read quite a few).

"Ender" is comparatively underread, though, because its story of one boy's redemption in the face of unspeakable crimes is disguised as a rollicking space-story. So if you are one of those people who as a rule stick to just one genre (or as a buddy of mine told me the other day: "I'll read anything but science fiction") please, PLEASE don't let that stop you from reading this incredible book. And if you do give it a chance, please don't read anything further about the plot; the full impact of Scott's genius is best felt with no prior preperation (that's why I haven't given a plot summerary). When he finally pulls all the threads of the story together, you'll feel like you've just slammed into a brick wall.

This is a novel that stays with you forever, warning you of the ease of losing your soul , and filling you with hope if you're looking to regain it.

Absolutely not to be missed.

"Ender's Game" is a brilliant book. I had heard a lot about it from friends and just finally got around to reading it. I'm really glad that I did. In fact, I wish that I read it much earlier in my life.

I don't want to give the plot away and summarize the book. I didn't know anything coming into it, and I think that increased my enjoyment of the book. I will say this, though: Card covers some big issues, and he really validates the wisdom and potential of children. Some have complained that the children don't talk or act like children. I think that these people haven't given children the benefit of the doubt. They are much smarter than most people give them credit for. So, I found the characters to be quite believable -- particularly when you consider that virtually every child you come in contact with in the story is a genius!

Card's writing style is straight-forward and snappy. Most every detail moves the plot forward in some way. The chapters are paced well, and the ending... well, it's nothing short of perfect.

In his introduction (one of the better ones I have ever read) Card says that (and I am paraphrasing here...) "If you enjoy this novel, think of it not as something I have created, but something we have created together." What a fabulous thing to say! It's something I think most people take for granted -- that a great deal of a story is what the reader brings to it (which is why movies are always disappointing to everyone). So, in that sense, I think that many people can create their own fantastic versions of "Ender's Game" in their heads. The scholar, the military person, the pacifist, the athlete -- there really is something that everyone can identify with. This book is for everyone. It is a must-read.

Very highly recommended.

... you ignore what Card says makes a good leader. Ignorance, mindless aggression, never learning to deal with any challenges, being genetically superior to everyone else and being immune from any responsibility for your actions.

Hmmm, a messianic, child Hitler figure is the hero and this is ignored by all those 5-star reviews?

I'll ignore the reviewer's debate on what a 6 year old Napolean's behavior would be because who can really know. I'll ignore the predictable ending plot twist and the lack of any real conflict or character development because perhaps this was meant for grade school readers who like simple, easy to read books.

What I can't ignore is that the basic point of the book, reflected in the actions and thoughts of all the major characters, that power and brutality are noble and honorable if you are born to them.

As a summary, the plot says that it must be cool to be an amoral, semi-divine being. Somehow I don't agree.

"a masterpiece," "the greatest book ever," "a science fiction tour de force"!!!

These are some of the catch phrases used by reviewers here. I just have to say...get a grip! Ender's Game is a decent adolescent, soft sci-fi book that has somehow garnered legendary status within our public school system (my wife is a teacher). Yes it's an (extremely) easy read, yes it's entertaining, but it is not a masterpiece that can be uttered in the same breath with such fictional works as Dune, The Lord of the Rings, Hamlet, etc.

A little perspective is required when reviewing something you really like. Step back and evaluate it with an honest eye before elevating it into the pantheon of pulp fiction legend.

Having an eleven year old defeat an alien
civilization is a little implausible even
for science fiction. On top of that the
writing seldom rises beyond the level of
a young adult novel. All in all a pretty
grim and unrewarding read.

Ender's Game is the first book of the Ender Universe, probably one of the most important science fiction milestones of 20th Century. Written following every thought and deed of Andrew Wiggin, it is mostly a relation of the events of 3 years of his life, when he is depicted as a the most promising child genius of Earth, trained to become a general commander against the 3rd alien war. Card succeeds showing with great intensity and a voice full of truthfulness what a genius child would do in a situation where the future of human race would eventually lie in his hands. From the first pages, it deftly make us feel empathy and admiration for the strength and morality of the little kid and a fervent desire for him to succeed. I think it's mostly a fight of a tragic hero, Ender, who is object of fateful situations where to win he has to do what he abhors most: to kill. And how he is tricked and manipulated into using his abilities to do whatever the generals of the Fleet would want. It all results in great surprises that exhilarate the avid reader.

I think the book as a whole is brilliant and also well structured. I mean, it has a nice pace although at the end is so fast that your head spins. I also like the way he writes it, from Ender's point of view. It's very clever as a whole and very believable as a story although it's quite contrived. Of course I love stories of geniuses, they are always very exciting and surprising.

Ender, in contrast, is a very introspective person, but it's from there where his strength comes. He knows what to do to gain power, leadership and just and plainly win. He knows no failure. We learn to love him for his physical weakness, for his struggle to be self sufficient, to do what is right, to beat the odds no matter what gigantic chances are against him. He has the ability to earn love.

Throughout the book it is dominated by hatred and violence, it is a mindless world only abusing and killing prevail, all these happen among small children is even more disturbing. It is not suitable for kids, neither for adults.

Card is a human hater, in his world, children are manipulated to hate each other by adults, to train them to be killing machines, to do that they need first kill each other, the only compassion in this book is from the buggers and for buggers, not for human.

The writting style is awful, the story line is as good as an arcade game's(that's why it attracts kids, for worse), the character just keeps going to other levels to fight other monsters, yet they are all the same, only bigger. This repeats over and over, and all the dialogues are like the sound of scraping metal sheets. In the end, if you have children, try your best to protect them from this book, it is poison.

This book could have been written as a short story ... by a thirteen year old.

It could be retitled "Recess goes to Space".

How anyone could rate this little-boy-saves-the-day story alongside the greats of SF is utterly beyond me.

This book was lent to me by someone who simply couldn't wait to see what I thought of the twist in the tale. I won't repeat the conversation we had after I finished.

Thank God I didn't spend money on this simplistic, trivial, waste of paper.

Orson Scott Card has written many fine novels, but this will always be by far my favorite. Many other reviewers go into depth about its content: a young boy, Ender Wiggin, trains at Battle School to defeat the aliens and save humanity. This bare-bones summary cannot possibly convey the multi-layered depth of this extraordinary tale. Many readers do not like sci-fi because they feel there is a lack of characterization, little grounding in reality, and an over-emphasis on unlikely technology. These criticisms are valid for a number of books in the genre, but do not hold true for Ender's Game.

Ender's Game is not perfect. The age of the children, even though they are the smartest children on Earth, is still a bit unbelievable. Some say Card's prose is not flowery enough, although I find his style refreshing and particularly appropriate for a book with a high degree of military content. These small issues, however, are beside the point considering that in overall plot, originality, characterization, and themes, Card pulls together a story that is read over and over again because, quite simply, it appeals to almost everyone. You may not like sci-fi, you may not like the idea of small children fighting a war, but you will probably love this book, and you will love Ender Wiggin. His story is a classic of the genre, and a favorite in many readers' hearts.

I know everyone seems to love this book, but I hated it! It isn't "science" fiction (like A.C. Clark books), but fiction. I could not suspend my belief THAT much to appreciate what the pre-pubescent main character could do. Perhaps I'm too old (30?). I think this book appeals to pre-high school kids, but it did nothing for me.

I hadn't read any "real" science fiction since the 'Foundation' series several years ago. Recently, I was in the mood, and 'Ender's Game' came highly recommended. After seeing this novel praised to the heavens (here and elsewhere) as a classic, I was profoundly disappointed. When referring to a "classic of the genre," one implies a creative and intellectual work on a par with those of Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, etc. This was more like 'The Last Starfighter.'

Lest I seem deliberately contrarian, I must acknowledge 'Ender's Game' as a fast-paced, reasonably entertaining narrative that touches on several fascinating issues, including the nature and methods of leadership and the manipulation of a fragile human psyche for destructive purposes. Eventually, though, I realized that I had very little novel left, yet Ender and his "soldiers" had yet to see the enemy or fire a single shot in anger. At that point, the resolution of Ender's training, and the truth behind it, were painfully obvious. Card's attempt (in a few ponderous pages of exposition at the conclusion of his story) to transform his "shatterer of worlds" into an exploited, remorseful savior for the misunderstood species he has just unwittingly annihilated feels perfunctory and incongruous. It appears that in SF you don't make the REAL bank without sequels, so I suppose Card had to set one up somehow.

Incidentally, I find it interesting that, as Card mentions in his intro, some readers find lessons here to be learned in military leadership. While Ender's machinations as the commander of Dragon Army indeed seem perceptive and useful in the context of training, the true test of a commander is how well his soldiers perform under REAL stress, with their comrades -friends- dying around them. 'Ender's Game' never explores this, and so to the principals involved it remains a game. It's about as gripping as the "heroics" of young Anakin Skywalker in that pathetic prequel we've all seen.

Maybe, at 25, I'm just too old and jaded to be moved by all this. But at its core, 'Ender's Game' is simply a tired story. The story of a lonely boy genius, isolated by his intellect, who finally crushes the bullies, wins the admiration of the peers who resented him and the adults who didn't understand him, and saves the world by being really, really good at video games. The only thing missing is a princess to rescue.

I'll give Orson Scott Card credit for knowing how to flatter his primary audience. If I were a maladjusted 16-year-old, this novel may have resonated more deeply with me. Its final pages imply that Ender does a lot of growing up in the course of this series. Please forgive me if I don't stick around to find out.

Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card, is a science fiction book that takes place a couple hundred years in the future. It is about a little boy named Ender who is rejected by his family because he is what is called a "third" or third born. That makes him an outcast. Despite his lack of friends, Ender is a genius, and he is sent off to a school in space to learn to become a commander to fight the "buggers" that tried to invade earth twice in years previously. He goes through many challenges that the teachers at the school throw at him, and it soon becomes evident to everyone that he is indeed the best of the best. In the book, Card is trying to explain why people act the way they do. Throughout the story, Ender is isolated from his family, and grows up in a different atmosphere than his brother and sister. That causes him to become a completely different person from the people in his family. At the space school, he is taught that victory, no matter what the costs, is all that matters. By living in that type of atmosphere, he learns that to be true, and that has great effects on how he acts throughout the book. The characters are very well defined. Card uses a third person-narrator that switches between the minds of different people at different times. The reader is always able to tell what each character is feeling and why. He or she then knows almost everything about each character that is needed for a storng plot. This book was written in 1977, so it is a little out-dated. For instance, there are many references to the Warsaw Pact, which was created by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Since the Soviet Union fell and the Warsaw Pact no longer exists, it is obvious that this book is a little behind what is happening today. Other than that, it has an excellent futuristic setting. The reader is also able to relate to Ender in many ways. Ender is always the outcast no matter where he is because of his intelligence. When Ender first enters the school, the people he came with leave him isolated because the man in charge of the school was constantly praising him on the flight there. Rejection, like with Ender, is a very common thing in the world today and the reader always knows how Ender feels when he finds himself in positions where he is looked down upon. I think that this is an excellent book. It is easy to read, and once you start reading, it is hard to stop. This type of book is very captivating and interesting, and I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read science fiction.

After working my way through the endless 10's in an attempt to find those 1's and 3's and see the reasons people gave them, I finally decided to respond.

Ender's Game is, in one word, awesome. It has been over a year since I read it and I still remember almost every detail. That to me is a sign of how good it was. It has all the trappings of a great novel, in depth characters, an interesting plot, political and social overtones, and the ability to make the reader have to think. Throw into this mess some decent action and nifty sci-fi-esque gadgets and you've got one hell of a book. If you haven't read it, do so now.

As for all those 1's and 3's based on the books so called lack of reality. It's a science FICTION novel. No, 6 yearolds aren't that smart...yet. But who knows, it's a big what if. No, we can't take over the planet via the Net yet, well after Microsoft who knows.. But the possibility is there. Use that wonderful gift we humans have, imagination.

As for why the 9? It just physically hurts me to give something a 10. :)

the plot is clever ..training a child genius in a military school in space to save the world, ..ludicrously..six year old military geniuses dont miss parents, dont go wide eyed with wonder on seeing new places, dont even crave for ice -creamor cookis and have the self discipline which would put the monks to shame! wow!!

..but actually its the hidden messages in the book which are the most repulsive part of the book. for eg:

1. treating young children in a tough manner and sadistically only makes them tough and thus for their benefit.

2.The final test of greatness is whether u have the courage to crush /wipe out others completely when push comes to shove. such ppl are heroes.

3. Its OK to wipe out races, countries, people as long as they are 'others' ie. not us. you can feel sad about the mindless killing but its necessary to cleanse the world.

4. Children have monstrous minds and filthy language. (might be true ::).

5. evolution of human beings meant learning how to kill and a good thing too..or how else could we have killed the tigers. (im paraphrasing)

7. Homophobic refernces against gays.


all in all a better writer could have done a much better job with the plot.

Before considering reading this, I think that one should look to Norman Spinrad's review of it as it appeared in Issac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. Failing that, at least realize that the entire book is a deliberate button-pushing saga, following the patterns of human mythology that are older then history, in a completely manipulative way. Read Frank Herbert and you'll see that he wants to show the emptiness of the Messiah complex; Card celebrates it. Herbert wants to explore what humanity is about; Card wants to explore how much money it has.

As I read review after review describing Ender's Game as one of the best books of all time or a work of complete genius, I was compelled to make a comment to balance out the gross hype this book gets everywhere you hear of it. I first read this novel as an eighth grader, and just re-read it as a freshman in college.

I have to say that this may be one of the most overhyped books of all time. While this book is clearly a page-turner, it is just that, and nothing more. It is a purely plot-driven story, and will fail to capture the mind of anybody who actually enjoys reading real literature due to its poor character development, plain prose, lack of intellectual depth, and an extremely unrealistically justified plot twist at the end of the book. Before bashing this book, I want to say that if you're a young student or somebody who looks to reading for nothing more than an entertaining story, you will most likely find this satisfying. The story is creative, the premise very interesting, the story moves very quickly, and even if it lacks depth, it keeps you guessing at what will happen next.

In the case that you are looking for quality literature, you will be disappointed. Aside from the protagonist, none of the characters are meaningfully fleshed out. Characters generally fit the binary template of "good" or "bad", and they hardly evolve or change in their personality over the course of the story. And even though Card gives us continual insight into the protagonist's mind, I found it hard to empathize with him for two reasons: First, his thought processes are overly simplistic, alternating between mindsets such as total apathy and complete determination, or extreme anger and debilitating sadness. My second criticism of Ender is that he is basically perfect. The author fails to show where he lacks in any part of his character. He is more intelligent than anybody he comes across, extremely athletic, and has no trouble dealing with any circumstance, intellectually or physically. At first I was not irritated by his supreme intelligence, but as you move through the story, you realize, Card endows him with the emotional and psychological understanding of a socially gifted adult. So not only is he intellectually perfect, but emotionally as well. Ender faces little to no trouble in overcoming obstacles over the course of the story, basically plowing through everything thrown at him. His extreme resilience is something that no normal human being can actually empathize with, and after a while, I gave up on trying to relate to him. Just because the author gives us consistent access to the protagonist's train of thought does NOT denote that the character development in this story is of high quality. Perhaps Card intended to make Ender perfect, and knew that his effort to do so would inherently create a division between him and the reader, but he does nothing to compensate for this, such as seriously developing other characters.

As I mentioned before, this book lacks serious depth. The prose is devoted purely to furthering the plot, and in no way enhances the story. The scientific and philosophical ideas that are occasionally brushed upon are discussed too superficially to add anything to the book or stand on their own to be talked about outside of the context of the plot.

The last complaint I have is that while on the surface the action in this book is very interesting, we are given such little insight into it and such vague descriptions of the way that it transpires, that it is extremely difficult to appreciate the "genius" that Ender creates in the games. Descriptions of action generally were bland and lifeless, rather than making me feel as if I was actually there.

Ender's Game is a fun, quick read, but it is written at a high-school quality level and lacks the depth, whether philosophically or in terms of its characters, to serve as much more than a good book to read on a long plane ride.

I had to read Ender's Game as a summer reading assignment for my 9th grade advanced english class, and after a month or so of reading it, I finally finished it. I was happy when I finished reading it. It was boring. The book was descriptive and I could picture in my head what was happening, but I couldn't really relate to any of the characters (except for Ender, maybe -- since I'm gifted, like he is).
Also, I really didn't like the awfully odd names that the characters called each other -- farteater and scrunchface, to name a couple. What is up with that?
To me, the only truly interesting part of Ender's Game was when Peter and Valentine were on the nets as Locke and Demosthenes.

Although there are tons of people that like and/or love this book, I'm certainly not one of them -- especially since I dreaded reading the book (and I normally love reading books).

Having been on a nostalgic classic Sci Fi trip lately I decided to pick up as many classics as possible and Ender's Game fit the bill. I have heard a lot about this novel and it's sequels as a definitive Sci Fi collection so I expected solid things from Card's work. Alas I was disappointed. Perhaps it is because I am relatively young and in this modern age classic Sci Fi is becoming outdated by modern technology but I also found Cards writing to be a tad borish. I read the entire book on a flight to Las Vegas so it is not a long read but the plotline really dragged. The characters didn't seem to define themselves in any great manner and the biggest issue I had was that the whole point of everything was never truly presented. At times I got a little lost at what was going on and had to track backwards to pick it all up again. Once able to keep on track I found the plot to be predictable and redundant. Ender was kind of an annoying character who just beat obstacle after obstacle with little explanation of how he did so. By the end of the novel my mind was so numb from the monotonous plotline I pretty much missed the whole point of the book. I wanted to like this book but it was just too dated and too simple to really have met my expectations. It is truly an example of how Sci Fi is getting dated in todays society and if you want some real good classic sci fi stick to Herbert's Dune series or some of the newer stuff coming out.

It's probably impossible for me to know what I'd have thought of this book when it first came out, since I knew the "punchline" to the story going in. On the other hand, a truly great novel would have a lot going for it beyond the climactic revelation, and Ender's Game, well, doesn't.

The crippling flaw to the story is that the characters (other than Ender himself) are absolutely flat as boards. None of them have any nuance or subtlety or distinction to them. Moreover, large chunks of the book (especially those relating to Ender's siblings and their machinations while he's away at school) are entirely redundant to the story as a whole. They could have been cut out completely and made the novel leaner and more focused.

So what's good about the story? Essentially, it's a series of high-pressure puzzles presented to Ender as he flies through the ranks of the military (at ages 6-to-11!), and seeing how Ender reasons out how to deal with them (whether they're regularly scheduled combat exercises, or encounters with his antagonistic fellow students) is exciting and fun. The moral dilemmas which Ender must confront - being violent when he doesn't want to be, being a leader when he's not inclined to be - are real, though they suffer greatly from lack of depth or characterization in the world around him.

Ender himself is the only character we really get to know. I never believed that he was a child - he almost never behaves like one - but that's not so bad, since it's his odyssey - not he himself - which is the focus of the book. But the potential of his character is largely unrealized, since he's generally forced into making particular choices, and we don't get to measure what sort of a person he is through his deeds, since those choices are taken away from him.

In many ways, Ender's Game reads like it was written in the 1950s, an era of flat characters and straightforward plots, which is what this novel contains. It feels primitive next to its contemporaries from the mid-80s (never mind nuanced fiction from the 70s like that from Varley or Zelazny), especially in its no-frills writing style. At this point, I don't see what all the fuss was about; it's a light read, but not a very satisfying one.

I feel like I should respond to some of the comments which have been made regarding Ender's Game. First of all, I should say that it is my favorite book; I have read it seven times, and each time I find new things to like about it. Those who claim that it is a "beach book" or "easy read" are completely missing out on Orson Scott Card's genius. Perhaps they are turned off by the fact that it is often classified as a science fiction work, or perhaps they are just incompetent readers; whatever the reason, I hope that no one has been dissuaded from reading Ender's Game by the few negative reviews, as they do not accurately reflect the book's quality.

Although Ender's Game does include some features traditionally ascribed to the science fiction genre, such as futurism, space travel, and extraterrestrial life, it thoroughly transcends the genre. The plot is gripping, fast-paced, and always interesting. Nevertheless, Card never fails to provide excellent descriptions of the characters and settings in the book. In fact, his writing style is so smooth and clear that I had trouble remembering that I was reading the book, as opposed to a character in it. However, what makes the book special is the characters themselves, both Ender and the supporting cast. Through their development, Card creates a story of incredible depth, power, and meaning. Ender's Game is at the same time a narrative of a young boy's struggle to persevere in the face of the most horrible choices, and an unflinching portrait of humanity as a whole. It is a study of the military mind, the drive towards power, the will to survive, the torture of guilt, and ultimately human redemption. Its full greatness cannot be expressed here; suffice it to say that it has moved my like no other book ever has, and that anyone who doesn't read it is sorely missing out.

You would have to be a masochist to like this book. Chapter after chapter, all the main character does is try to drown himself in self-pitying drivel. 90% of the cast of characters are sadistic psychos, and the terrible "aliens" couldn't hurt a fly, much less conquer a planet. I mean really, you never get to see them in person, and insect-like hive creatures have great promise! I was expecting a book about a grown man who actually does more than get picked on, wallow in self-pity, and play video games! The book is more a view of "What Earth Could Be" ( horrible and judgemental, kinda like Earth today), and is more fiction ( fantasy) than science fiction, with a few starships and orbital space station throw in for good measure. The part about Ender's sister and brother taking over world via internet and public opinion is amusing, but unrealistic. I'm glad I took this doozy out of the library and finished it in a day, rather than buy this. I'm still going to try a few more of Card's book, but since this is the first of his books I read, I'm rather unsure. Live long and prosper, but for your own sake, don't read this book!

What did I hate most about Ender's Game? 1) The non-stop imagery of naked boys running around, grappling with one another, getting soapy and fighting in the showers, etc. 2) The militarist, "destroy your enemies completely when you have the chance" themes that were reinforced over and over; 3) The glorification of a centralized fascist state, whose central-planning eugenics program produces a race of super children that act like adults (without the annoying pubic hair) except they have no personality whatsoever (not the author's intent); 4) The implausibility of the plot; 5) The lack of skill with which the book is written, shifting from first to third person in the same paragraph with no indication who's speaking or thinking; 6) The incestuous relationship between Ender and his sister; 7) The apologia for Hitler and the Holocaust via the "innocent" Genocide Ender commits; 8) The mind-numbingly boring and endless scenes that take place entirely inside a video game, or worse yet, in the appallingly lame "Battle Room;" 9) The Antisemitism.

Which is it? #10) All of the above.

This is, without question, the worst book I've ever read. How anyone cannot see, on full display, author Orson Scott Card's boylust is beyond me. Time and time again, we're told how the boys are naked "-- skin from head to toe." The boys "strip" or "peel off" their clothes; undress "methodically." We're treated to meticulous descriptions of soap running over their prepubescent bodies in the shower, or their cheeks (which ones?) turning red with shame as they're made to march naked through the halls. These boys, even with hairs on their chins, don't even notice the difference between themselves and the one token girl at the Battle School, who also runs around naked. And of course, there's the infamous shower-fight scene, wherein another boy gets "naked and wet" to fight Ender, just so things are even. Ender beats him to death, with the coup d'grace a "hard and sure" kick to his opponent's naked crotch.

If you like this book, you are either an idiot or a pervert or both -- to say nothing of being a fascist. I could go on and on about the generally fascist and explicitly Nazi imagery in Ender's Game, but why bother? The arrested-development fans of this trash, still living at home with mom and having never read a legitimate book their entire lives, are completely unable to see the even more obvious man-boy love imagery, why go into detail about the more subtle (but still overt) homages to something they're only tacitly familiar with (i.e., real world political philosophy and history) anyway?

A friend recommended this book to me. Or should I say a former friend. That's how bad it was.

Ender Wiggin is a Third. In an era in which human population controls limit families to only two children, Ender was a government authorized birth of a third child. The reason for allowing the exception was the increase the chances of finding viable candidates to attend the military's Battle School to help win an interstellar war against an alien insectoid species referred to as Buggers. The Wiggin family already had two children, Peter and then Valentine. Each one demonstrated some of the characteristics the military was looking for. Peter had the ruthless nature and ambition while Valentine had the tempered knowledge and compassion. Combined, those traits would be exactly what the Battle School was looking for. Hence, the government authorized Ender's birth in hopes that this 'third' would be the perfect candidate. If so, he would be taken from the family at age 5 for Battle School training. If not, the Wiggin family would count their blessings of having another child of their own. Various secretive tests seemed to indicate that Ender might not be the chosen one until one day, he stands up to a bully who had been tormenting him all year. Ender brutally attacked the bully leaving him prostrate on the ground. He hated having to resort to violence, but he felt he had no other choice but to hurt him enough so that he wouldn't try to hurt Ender again. That rationale proved that Ender was the answer the military's wishes. A child with his vast capacity for knowledge and his conflicted temperament would be the perfect child to train to one day lead troops in victorious battle against the Buggers.

Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" is one of legendary works of modern science fiction. A winner of both the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, "Ender's Game" has found its way on to numerous school reading lists and in the heart of every science fiction fan. Ender Wiggin is one of the more memorable characters created in sci-fi. Ripped from his home life at a very young age to become the next great military genius, Ender struggles mightily with his motivations to continue going and with the various tests the Battle School administrators have foisted upon him to see if he truly is the chosen leader. Ender is emotional torn regarding his family. He doesn't particularly miss his parents because he knows that they have already accepted that they will never see him again and have moved on. He doesn't miss Peter because he was another violent bully in Ender's life. He does long for the companionship of his sister Valentine because she was one of the few people he talk to and who would stand up for him. In Battle School, Ender overcomes early difficulties and resentments to earn the respect of his fellow young soldiers through brilliant displays of leadership. But, just as soon as he feels comfortable with his fellow comrades, he is yanked from that army and thrust into a completely new situation with older soldiers and new sets of hostilities to overcome. All this is designed to see if Ender will end up being able to lead the full military armada that is massing for a final attack at the Bugger homeworld and will be emerging from its hyperspace journey in just a few shorts years. Ender seeks solace in a virtual reality video game, mentorship from Mazer Rackham (the hero of an earlier Bugger War), and any number of ways avoid reaching the mental breaking point that he is careening towards. Can he complete the training and lead the fleet in a mission to save humanity? Are the military's objectives as clear as they would like them to seem? In the end, will any of what Ender does, matter? All of these questions drive Ender and provide the fuel for this spectacular story.

The Battle School is a finely realized setting for Ender's struggles. One wonders what it would be like to enter battle training arena. The propaganda put forth by the government and military elements harkens back to the propaganda of World War II and some of the themes in Robert Heinlein novels. "Ender's Game" stands alone as a spectacular literary achievement and also serves as the start of the remarkable Ender's series of books. "Ender's Game" is book to be read once and then read again and again. Few novels have that quality.

Made me feel depressed, desperate, and depersonalized. No thanks.

I'm sure my reviewer rank is going to get clobbered for this one but I have to complain about this book. I've been putting off reading Enders Game for about 8 years now. Every time I would get in a discussion about books the question would come up and I would have to shamefully hang my head and admit to not having read IT yet. "But I do have it on my hot list, and I am planning on reading it soon." I would declare lamely.

So last year I made a New Year's Resolution to finally read it. I finally found it on tape unabridged and drove about 40 minutes to a library in a different city to pick it up.

Over the course of two weeks I read/listened to it and I was in shock. Nothing happened. It was generic sci-fi. Halfway through I started to realize the story wasn' about him fighting aliens, it was about him training to fight aliens and actually my favorite part was what was happening with his brother and sister back on earth.

I never really understood the political situation on earth, who was allied with whom, or what the hedgemon was.

Yes of course I was touched by the little boy's plight but the entire book was just a bunch of filler so that he could pull off a startling climax. Then there's the last chapter or two which should have just been stapled into the book as a late addition. The chapter should have been titled -Setup for the Sequel-. It just didn't fit, it was like you saw someone turn off the video camera and then start it back up somewhere else. I believe he should have kept it a short story, the climax wasn't worth 300 pages of semi-boring, (though well written) fluff.

I think comparing this book to Dune is like comparing -Tom & Jerry- to -The Simpsons-. It's a whole different level of entertainment.

My resolution this New Years was to read the classics, the great novels that everyone ought to read once in their lifetimes. Along with Shakespeare and Dickens, I started to read ask my friends what their personal favorites were, and read them as well. The name 'Enders Game' came as a suggestion from one of my friends, and I reluctantly agreed, expecting yet another unrealistic and mediocre sci-fi epic, drenched in spaceships and overplayed heroism. I was amazed to realize that this novel was actually one of the most engrossing and well-written of all of the books I had recently read. Card's clear, concise and descriptive writing tone made the story believable and fast-paced. I above all commend him for not patronizing children. All too often their ideas, quite occasionally as clever and intellegent as adults, are swept aside and discarded purely for the reason that the person was below a certain age. This was truly a remarkable book, and I urge everyone to read it.

Ender's Game is a sci-fi classic of staggering depth, and with it Orson Scott Card establishes himself as a writer to be mentioned in the same breath as Asimov, Clarke, Dick, and Gibson. Ender's Game flings the reader headlong into an Earth reeling from two alien attacks. To prevent defeat in a third, the fleet takes the smartest children of Earth to be trained as fighters and commanders. Of all these children, Ender Wiggin is the smartest. The leaders of the fleet are convinced he is the one who can lead humanity to victory. But before he can do that, Ender must survive his training, where jealous soldiers conspire against him and his teachers put him through tests more rigorous than anyone has ever faced before. Card's portrayal of Ender's struggle against his peers, his superiors, and ultimately the aliens shows the tension of human interaction under the pressure of impending war. Ender presents one of the deepest, most impelling characters ever to hit the pages of a sci-fi novel; the reader feels his pain and his pleasure as he makes his way through a world not many could endure. This book is an essential addition to any complete sci-fi library, or any library at all.

If there is even a slight a chance that you will read this book than please DO NOT read the review from Clayton posted a few days before this one. It gives away away the suprise ending.

I first read Ender's Game over almost two years ago and it contineus to be my favorite. I have now read it more times than I can remember. All of the characters that Card creates are complete people, the pacing is swift and draws the reader in, and the ending is unbelievable. This novel is not just for science fiction fans, or younger readers; it is for everyone. In general, I don't read science fiction and when I first saw the book I thought silly, based on the cover art. I won't repeat the old cliche, but you all know what is is. This turned out to be one of the best books I've read.

This book is amazingly bad. It has every single trait of a bad book, it is:

A: Repetitive
B: Boring
C: Long
D: Depressing

The book is about a genius 6 year old cadet in military school where everyone is violent and evil and wants to injure or kill everyone else. His brother (who is only slightly older than he is) is homicidal. This is a very popular book, but I sincerely and absolutely hated it.


(In fairness to the book, however I did not finish it. I only read half because I was so bored with it I stopped.)

We read books about unappreciated geniuses all the time. How often do we read books about geniuses that are appreciated? Not only appreciated by lauded? And not only lauded but miserable beyond belief? When author Orson Scott Card first wrote a full length book out of his short story "Ender's Game", he could never have predicted the impact it would make. Since its conception, gifted children have read it on a personal level. Members of the military have viewed it as their epic. It has been taught in schools as an example of leadership, about its use of problem solving, about the role of self-creation, as a political book, and even as religious fiction. The book is infinitely adaptable and easy to relate to. Few would contest that it is Card's best written work today.

Our hero is Ender Wiggin, a boy who starts this tale at the tender age of six. The third child in his family (ala the book "Among the Hidden" third children are illegal in the world) his birth was approved of by the military. Ender is a genius, more intelligent than either his psychopathic elder brother Peter or his calm loving sister Valentine. When it becomes clear that Ender is capable defending himself in violent confrontations, the military recruits him. It seems the world was once nearly destroyed by creatures now referred to as "buggers". Though the Earth was saved, barely, in the last invasion, they're looking for a military genius to beat the buggers a second time. That's where Ender comes in. He is seen as the world's last hope. If he can rise to be the commander that leads Earth's ships to military success against the bugger scourge he will have saved humanity itself. That is, if he can survive the military itself.

A great writer (it may have been Anne Lamott) once said that a good writer should never be afraid to put his/her characters into painful situations. Well, I can clearly state here and now that Card is in no way afraid to put Ender through the paces. This kid suffers often and regularly and if you're not comfortable reading about a miserable little child then you may as well put this book down right now. There's a real bent of cruelty to this story, some of it violent for the sake of violence and some of it done with the intention of making Ender stronger. Card's at work on this story in a variety of interesting ways. Not only does he make you think of the role of war for humanity (I found myself wondering if humans fight with one another just to keep their brains amused) but also the nature of propaganda, the toll of genius, the price of significantly affecting a child physically and emotionally even if that child is brilliant, etc. You can come at this book from a million different angles and interpretation and, even if you dislike it, you can't stop talking about it.

Now the book does suffer here and there from what I like to call sci-fi sexism. The explanation about why genius girls aren't entered into the school much says, "They don't often pass the tests to get in. Too many centuries of evolution are working against them". Better still, the one girl that Ender does meet at the school is the first to freak out when, towards the end, he uses her in a complicated bugger game. So there you have it. A woman's instincts to stay at home and raise children make her evolutionarily less likely to want to hunt and gather and fight like her male counterparts. Due to the fact that this book was published in 1977 originally as a short story I might have forgiven this flub. The fact that Card kept it for the 1991 revision... less forgivable.

Now, if you're going to purchase a particular edition of "Ender's Game", I'd like to personally recommend the Author's Definitive Edition. Not only has Card written a delightful and though provoking introduction to his tale but he has also gone back and fixed, "the errors and internal contradictions and stylistic excesses" that have bugged him for years. The introduction puts the book into perspective, recalling not only the process by which Card as an author came to his story, but also the responses he's received to it over the years. For anyone who enjoys the book, this introduction is necessary for a really thorough reading. Also, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to kids. Teens yes, kids no.

Though not without its flaws, it's unlikely that you'll ever find a science fiction book that has touched so many people in so many different and various ways. It is an excellent view of games and (in some ways) the role of videos games on children. Or maybe it's a book about childhood itself. I can't begin to try to pick apart the different things the author is trying to say here. All I can do is say that it's a great tale with a great story to tell. An obligatory text for anyone interested in young adult fiction.

well, i'm not sure how so many people enjoyed this book, perhaps it was not the right day for me to pick it up and read it. but seriously, it was disturbing....definately not something i will be giving my kid brother to read any time soon...naked children, child wars, lies and deceit, and more!rather insensitive towards real world issues-this is not just a game happening in sci-fi books, has anyone looked in the news lately, ie. child soldiers in liberia?

What is with the kids getting naked every other chapter? There are times when it is just not appropriate. No, I didn't expect Ender to take a shower in his spacesuit, but what's with him making all the 4-6 year olds jog around naked carrying their spacesuits? I'm sorry, but that naked fist fight gave me the willies. Not to mention how disgusting it is to kick someone between the legs when they're not wearing any pants. Serioulsy tho, why does Card have to have everyone sitting around in the buff while studying when Ender arrives at Camp Crystal Lake 3000? Just not necessary. I understand sometimes nudity can help in story telling (Garden of Eden?), but in this book it's ALWAYS CHILDREN. Kinda disturbing, which brings me to my next point.

By far the only truly engaging character is Peter. I just wish we could have had insight into him. Ender's is too simplistic "He doesn't want to kill but he has too" or something. Peter, I'd love to know what drives him. He's a wacko with a consience. And he knows he's a wacko. See, toward the end, he's willing to use his wacko-ness to commit evil for the greater good of humanity. That's what I got out of it. And what's with the heart to heart Peter gives Ender while he thinks he's asleep? It's never ever followed up on.

What gets to me is the super genius starts spinning out of conrol after awhile. It's like: Ender's smart, but Peter's reallllly smart, but Bean's really reaalllllly smart but then Peter gets even smarter so he's reallllly realllly reallly smart! But then Ender takes Bean under his wing so then Bean gets REALLY INHUMANELY IMPOSSIBLY YOU'RE-TOO-STUPID-TOO-COMPREHEND HOW SMART! And he's like four. Even the greatest of fantasy needs the reigns pulled in otherwise you wind up with something like Waterworld, and we don't want that, now do we?

There are certain books that seem as though they change your way of thinking, your opinions and reactions to the world around you. In many ways, Ender's Game does just that, and it does it without being obvious.

There are over a thousand reviews posted here, so I don't think I need to tell the storyline here, most of you already know it. What is important to note is how the storyline is nothing but a diversion. What is at the heart of this book is human nature; why we do what we do and think what we think. Many of us relate to Ender, to his isolation and his feeling that he just isn't the same as those around him.

Orson Scott Card offers several dichotomies here, and Ender himself is nothing but an exercise in duality. This works. I've read this book half a dozen times and have used in in my college English curriculum. It had that much of an effect on me.

Many of my students reject the sci-fi element of the book in the beginning but almost all of them come to a point where they appreciate what this book has to say.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is amazed at the workings of human nature. It doesn't portend to have all the answers, but it certainly will make you think, and you'll enjoy the process.

This is destined to be a classic, if it isn't one already.

I DO NOT agree with the publisher regarding the recommended age for this book. There is language in it (e.g., bastard, pisshead) that is highly inappropriate for 9 to 12 year olds. This was originally an adult book that was re-released with a new kid-friendly cover. Regardless of how interesting the story might be, I would not purchase it for my child.

Of the many science fiction novels I've read, I don't think any have surprised me as much as ENDER'S GAME. I expected some kind of arcade hero in real life, along the lines of The Last Starfighter or something like that. What I got was far beyond Space Invaders!

ENDER'S GAME revolves around several moral dilemmas while simultaneously building to a completely unexpected climax. In retrospect, the climax seems obvious, but Orson Scott Card is such a masterful storyteller that the aroma of surprise still lingers on a second read, even though we remember what happens. Ender Wiggin is a completely believable and lovable hero, a child forced to battle an enemy he doesn't see as well as the 'allies' who seem all too intent on destroying him first. Card's descriptions of the various battle simulators and military training are vivid, remarkably original, and continually surprising in their scope.

This is the first in a series of novels about Ender Wiggin and, more recently, his sidekick Bean. They are all wonderfully conceived and written, and all struggle with morality as well as technology and religion, but none of them pack the wallop of a good story like ENDER'S GAME. I would rate this novel alongside THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, the FOUNDATION series, and the DUNE series. It isn't just a good science fiction novel: ENDER'S GAME is one of the best novels I've read, period.

Six-year old protagonist, Andrew Wiggin, "Ender," is one of the most brilliant people ever born. His birth was predicted by scientist/king makers/politicans who were monitoring his gene pool, i.e., his equals in intellect but "flawed" older brother and sister. Monitored since his birth to see if he could live up to his destiny of becoming the most brilliant leader the world has ever produced, Ender seems to have the rare combination that the king makers/politicans/scientists were looking for: brilliance with compassion and heart, but a need that superceeds any compassion or ambivalence (heart), a need to always, but always, to win! Why? The world needs just such a person to lead the military in facing the third inter-gallactic war with the extra-terrestrial "buggers," the enemy. Or what? Or the Earth maybe in danger of becoming instinct.

What makes "Ender's Game" the most entertaining, exciting and gratifying book to read is that it is not just a story of a battle with aliens, but a book of MEDITATION on what it is to be born a gifted human being, what it is to be someone who has the responsibility of the whole world on one's shoulders and must rise to the challenge of one's destiny. And what a challenge that is. There is enough to crumble a grown person but a six-year old child? The writer, Orson Scott Card, in forging Ender's inner constitution, intentionally or not, leads him and therefore the readers, through the peripathetic steps of the classic Stoic school of thinking of the real life military leader, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180). Marcus Aurelisu spent an entire life seeking wisdom and meditating on what it meant to be the kind of GREAT LEADER that in his case, in real life, he self-manifested to become. He was born a leader, but he made himself a GREAT ONE by self-examinations and seeking wisdom and greatness, like our fictional hero Ender.

A brief intro to Stoicism: The Stoics believed that their philosophy on life should be to "strive after wisdom." Wisdom in turn was defined as "the knowledge of things divine and human"--"Ender's Game," sequel "Speaker for the Dead," deals with such issues, so I have been told, I have yet to read the sequel. Knowledge was then divided into three branches: Logic; Physics; Ethics, all of the areas that Ender struggles with as those of you who have read "Ender's Game," already know.

Whether you are a CEO, a soldier or general, or even a megalomaniac, or whether you want to be these things, read this book. Or better yet, don't read this book because those who have the information have the power, and maybe I don't want to share this book with you. Just kidding. Since the logic and language is clear and clearly descriptive, even if you are not a sci-fi fan, this book is extremely entertaining to read. And if you are a Sci-fi fan, if you have not read it, then you are missing out on maybe the best book since "Do Androids dream of electric sheep."

Ender's Game takes place in a time after the world has been attacked by buggers (aliens) two times. As a result, the governments of the world stop fighting amongst each other and join together in the name of mankind. The governments of the world begin a search for the brilliant military leader that mankind needs. Several training schools are set up and the world leaders begin putting kids through the vigorous training. The government, after many years of searching, thinks that they have finally found the boy they need. This boy, named Ender, goes through the training necessary to become the leader mankind needs him to be. Card follows Ender through his physical and spiritual growth as the government tries to transform him into a military genius. This book is one of the few I have read and thoroughly enjoyed. The plot was magnificent and put together incredibly well. As I read this book, I felt like I was growing with Ender. I even had a good understanding of the other characters. Aside from the great plot and characters, I also learned the lessons that Card managed to teach through the book's themes. I learned that no matter what, you are never in complete control of your life. I also learned that peace is possible without war. I highly recommend this book, and I think that regular readers and non-readers alike can not only enjoy this book, but learn something from it. I give it five stars.

Ender's Game is much more than a science fiction novel. Pay no attention to the naysayers who can't understand more than the technical aspects of fiction. On a whim, I read the first chapter at the bookstore, and ended up sitting there until closing time 5 hours later, still reading. This must be one of the most intense and influential books I've ever read in my life. As indicated by the previous reviews, many people can identify with characters in the story; critics of Card's character development only show that they missed out on childhoods that make such a story profoundly moving to almost all its readers.

This has to be the worst book I have ever read. I cannot understand why anyone would give it even a satisfactory review. The authors descriptions were so vague that you could not even picture it in even the most beckoned mind. If you are considering buying this book, please reconsider and buy a little more mature book, like Curious George.

The most intriguing thing about Ender's Game is trying to figure out why it receives raves. The backbone of the plot can be explained in a sentence and while it might have supported a short story (the resolution of the story is predictable half way through) it's too flimsy a frame for a novel. The no-gray-zone series of leadership-lesson episodes read like Card wrote a story to the table of contents in a US Army basic training manual. My only explanation for the book's popularity is that it hit a sweet spot of readers with their hands on the joystick, hungry for a rationalization fantasy for the hours and quarters that they squander in video game parlors mastering Missile Command.

"Ender's Game" is the type of book that incites profound passion in the readers; either they absolutely love it and think it is the greatest sci-fi novel ever written (actually Arthur C. Clarke's "Rendezvous With Rama" is the greatest sci-fi novel ever written) and that this book will save humanity with it's enlightenment, to the opposite feelings and that this book is the worst piece of trash that has ever existed and is more dangerous than "Mein Kampf". There are no opinions in between supposedly.

Wrong. While I find much to fault in this book I also find much to praise. First the faults. Looking at it from a literary point of view I don't like the huge amount of uninterrupted prose, going several pages without dialog. I prefer an even dosage of prose and dialog and using the dialog to expand scene descriptions instead of overusing the prose to do that. Minor point, the author Card has already addressed that as his style. Second point is the age of the characters and the level of dialog they use. Another reviewer was right, simply add five to six years to everyone's ages and it all turns out right. Card is less successful defending his view on this.

While I do not agree that there exists an abundance of obscene man-boy erotica, someone does need to explain to Card what real barracks life is like. Also the brother/sister subplot just doesn't seem to work for me despite the superb prediction of the Internet and laptops.

What many people also get wrong is that the main character of Ender Wiggin is not totally without empathy or remorse; on the contrary he is profoundly aware of the danger of descending into the "Dark Side", he wrestles with his decisions all the time, and Card gives great insight into Ender's inner torment. As the Guru once said, Genius and Self Awareness seldom go hand-in-hand.

What does work is the creation of characters that so many people can relate to. I myself relate to my own fleeing from becoming Ender just as he flees from becoming his brother. On the other hand the character rings so disturbingly true that those readers who cannot personally relate with their own life experiences are appalled by Ender and his compatriots and refuse to accept that any child could ever be like that, though they are unaware of the genuine presence of such people all around them (Boo!).

And that is where this novel works, because it fits its own niche so perfectly. One hundred years from now our descendants will still be debating these very points ad nauseam.

Simply put, this is one of the very best fiction stories I have ever read.

This hardcover edition is nicely bound and the print is the best of all of the editions available. It does cost more than the others, but is worth it if it will be read more than once - which is very likely.

First off, let's start out you and me. Please! Do not skip this review just because I am young! Imagine how it felt to be ignored by adults as a kid! I hate it when that happens! I put a huge amount of effort into this essay, so please read it!

I was compelled to this book - AFTER a couple chapters or so. I think that STARTING a book with some boring phrase from people we have no idea about isn't so clever. I makes me feel left out, sort of. I had no idea what 'battle school' was in the beginning, and they're talking about it from the very beginning. I mean, after I read that first paragraph in bold (the dialogue from two people), I very much wanted to put it down and grab another book. But I forced myself to read on, only because others have told me it is a very good book.
At battle school, there is so much lack of variety in dialogue, and problems. The problems are always: 'I want friends!', avoiding someone, and to win the battles. The dialogue is most of the time slang. I have no problem with that, but what's all this talk about 'fart'? I heard Ender and his friends call others farteater about a couple dozen times, and Orson Scott Card constantly changes back and forth from slang to proper English.
Ender - when he is talking to his friends, he uses slang. And a couple pages later, hestarts talking to them in high vocabulary. This is very annoying.

Although I gave this book quite a lot of criticism, that doesn't mean it wasn't a good book. I loved Ender's Game and it ranks quite high in my top favorite books.
It is interesting to look at life at battle school from the point of view of one of the smartest and smallest kid, yet he is worked the hardest out of all the kids at battle school. This kid would be Ender Wiggin. Still, he holds off until he absolutely cannot go any further, and I believe this is a valuable lesson in life. The cliche: Try your best. Most people ignore the phrase, and do about not the best they can, but not the worst. Ender makes this you want to actually heed this cliche.

Wow! That was long. Well, I am a kid, and I am 10 years old and in 5th grade(to adults, don't be embarrassed that your reading the same book as a 10 year old! My reading level is 10th grade!). I loved this book and I can't wait to read the parallel novel, Ender's Shadow, and its sequel, Shadow of the Hegemon. I recommend it to everybody! And, the person who recommended this book to me is my friend, who is just like me - doesn't really read books, loves basketball, and you get the point. He reads even less books than me, and he read this book for a project. He loved it and I was very surprised at how he recommended a BOOK to me. It is already quite an achievement of myself to have wrote this gi-normous essay about my opinion of the wonderful book, Ender's Game.

There's no harm in enjoying a book, and apparently a lot of people enjoyed Ender's Game, and that's great, but the overwhelming hype, as far as it relates to the average adult reader, is not justified. Calling this book "The most awesome sci-fi book ever!" and "Masterpiece!" is not warranted by any standards. This is a decent Young Adult book, not a pinnacle of great fiction, let alone sci-fi.
And make no mistake: This IS a `Young Adult' book and I can't help but think that the reviewers so vehemently stating that this is adult fiction either haven't read a lot or are using the anonymity of this forum to conceal their real age. (Read the 5 stars reviews; first of all notice how many say "A Kid's Review"; that means they're under 13, then notice how many were assigned this as middle-school reading, then notice how few of them are written by someone who actually knows how to write a thoughtful book review. Yes, I'm condescending, but it's true...)

Here's the deal: If you're a kid in middle school, `gifted' or otherwise, you might like this book. It's got action, some ok character development, and some philosophical and existential themes that raise the story above straight action-style sci-fi. Card is an imaginative writer, and knows how to tell a decent story. If this book leads you to pick up books by writers like William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, Neal Stephenson, Dan Simmons, Arthur C. Clarke, Tolkien or Gene Wolfe then it's done its job.
On the other hand, if you are now a 20- or 30-something and this is still your favorite book you really need to move on to something more mature.

I had to read this book for class. I was very disappointed in the quality of this literature. It was so melodramatic! And they made Ender appear to be a semi-God. To keep it short, it was terribly boring. TERRIBLY. My suggestion to you is, RUN, RUN, Run away from Ender's Game, before you get boredom cancer like me!

Kit-Kat, Tank, Manny, Nyk

Ender's Game is so full of excitement, intelligence, realism, and with such an interesting cast of main characters and a conclusion that evokes such mixed feelings, nominally triumphant but really tragic, it's hard not to love it. The battle room scenes were especially gripping with their detailed explanations rather than just generalizations. For that, and excellent science fiction, 3 stars.

There were at least a couple parts that were disturbing (Card argues in his intro to this 1991 edition that some childran really DO think and talk like Ender and the others, and I'm willing to accept that).

Without spoiling things, the world is not democratic; evil forces are in control is almost justified with descriptions of "peace and prosperity". Don't get me wrong but I wouldn't like a book describing a future under communism or facism and putting hope into that, saying that humanity experiences "peace and prosperity". Would you? The ultimate "hegemon" has quite a bit of blood (partially) on his hands. There are other characters who do some reprehensible things and get away with it. In the end, a crushing look at politics (as with war).

A supposedly more sympathetic character, Ender's sister Val, allows herself to be used by evil and never seems to completely atone for her actions. She runs away, is still the smiling kid who asks why she shouldn't be allowed to have fun, and doesn't seem to be bothered by the fact that she was so easily, hopelessly repeatedly, controlled, and helped mislead millions of people. This should have been better developed. She even partially justifies it, claiming that we all "fill roles" given to us by others. While this may be true, they are not the right words to be coming out of this particular character's mouth.

Well the book is entertaining enough but that entertainment seems overshadowed by pain and tragedy, all well represented within the character Ender, and the ironies that result. It draws in the reader very personally. I think it has to, because we are enjoying the "games" which lead to the killing, by reading the book, in that sense we are like Ender who is the actual doer.

Add these elements together, sometimes I think the troubled consquences are simply suppressed or put aside one too many times; the last chapter didn't happen soon enough and wasn't long enough; things went on too long too complacently when evil ruled politics and while Ender followed violence so far (wittingly or not). This is very troubling, because it suggests, despite evidence to the contrary, that the war was after all the centerpiece of the book, and that the other factors were simply the decoration, the after-thought, the accompanying philosophy that cannot exist without first military priorities or military victory. Which would make it a glorification, intentional or not, of violence, and evil. If you think I am crazy judge for yourself. I suppose I am sensitive to such subtleties because I have read one too many biased writings, and know how subtle and troubling these biases can be, even unconscious ones, despite facades that are presented..
It was honestly that thought that kept me awake at night long after I had finished this book. Well, you can come to your conclusions, but while I am unwilling to certainly condemn, and can only express doubts, those doubts are enough to keep me from ever being completely comfortable with this book.

I read Ender's Game last year and can say with all honesty that it is a book you will not want to put down. I didn't, all through that school day and into the early hours of the morning...with school the next day.

I am a fan of science-fiction and a voracious reader, so when I heard about this story it was natural that I would read it. However, I can see how this book will appeal to more than sci-fi fans because the story here, while taking place aboard and orbiting school where children are trained as commanders for an upcoming war against an alien race, is a human story. It is not littered with technical jargon or futuristic weapons, nor weighed down by descriptions of a future world.

No, the story is a human one, about a child sent away at six-years-old. About the experiances of this child, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, and the others at Battle School. The children, though brilliant, have the same thoughts and impulses that normal kids do. The pace is slow enough to take the events to heart, and quick enough that the years of Ender's childhool fly by.

"I've watched through his eyes, I've listened through his ears, and I tell you he's the one."

Like fantasy, science fiction has been plagued by dull space operas, endless descriptions of funny-looking aliens and Earthlike planets. "Ender's Game," though not the most scintillating read out there, is nevertheless a thought-provoking and intriguing read.

In the future, Earth has been attacked by the alien "buggers," which were barely repelled by a very lucky military commander. Now, as they threaten Earth again, sights are set on one boy to be humanity's new champion: Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, the youngest child of a family of geniuses. His brother Peter was rejected for being too ruthless and vicious, while his sister Valentine was rejected for being too gentle and pacifistic. Ender, the third child in a society where families with more than two children are penalized, is their hope.

Meanwhile, Ender brought to the Battle School, where careful training and interactions bring out the best and worst in him. He makes friends and enemies easily, beats seemingly unbeatable games, and his military prowess comes out into the open. On Earth, his brother and sister try to alter the increasingly unstable politics of Earth by subtle manipulation of the public, a situation that may bring the ruthless Peter into greater power. And as Ender reaches the end of his training, he faces both the buggers and the knowledge of what he is capable of.

While this was an intriguing and thought-provoking read, I felt that it could have been tightened up slightly, and it didn't grab me quite the way other original SF works such as "Fool's Run" have. Children can probably read this book, young adults certainly can; there is profanity, mild violence, and some verbal and visual crudity, but nothing too corrupting. The most objectionable element that I found was the part about Peter skinning live squirrels; that was truly disgusting and disturbing. If children do read this, parents may want to discuss elements such as the "third child" policy and the portrayal of war for self-preservation at the cost of the soul.

Ender is an intriguing contradiction, a young boy who loses his naivete over the course of the novel; ruthless but determined to not be a killer; a brilliant fighter and commander who is often being yanked by puppet strings; both a child and a man before hitting puberty. Card never overdoes the genius-child persona, which would have been easy to do. Valentine is a little too nice for my taste; Peter at first simply seems to be psychotic, but is gradually revealed to be a ruthless genius who works anything and anyone for his goals, which may or may not be self-serving. Bonzo, Bean, Alai and the others add extra spice to it, as enemies or supporters.

Dialogue is highly realistic, as is the atmosphere of Ender's vision near the end. Surroundings, such as the lakeside, are excellent in their atmosphere and feeling, as is the stark way that Card displays the growing influence of "Demosthenes" and "Locke. Truly exceptional writing comes out in the ruthless military-government's way of viewing Ender; with nothing but dialogue, Card shows how they view him and the things that are happening to him. One area in which Card fails is action, as I could visualize what he was writing, but it wasn't very well described.

On the subject of quality, I would like to advise that new readers buy the children's edition published by Starscape Books. I much preferred the "camera's eye" view of Ender and the other boys in the Battle School simulations to a rather boring generic SF cover, like the one on the adult edition. They say never to judge a book by its cover, but that is what kept me from reading "Ender's Game" for several years.

"Ender's Game" is a pretty good sci-fi adventure, with some intriguing ethical and social questions, and a good storyline that reminds us that an astounding genius is, after all, only a human being.

Obviously, I must be pretty bored to sift through the majority of these reviews. I'm responding more towards the negative reviews, because there is no need for yet ANOTHER review praising Ender's Game and addressing its plot. (Nobody's gonna read it anyway). I've read Ender's Game in the course of two days, and I hadn't seen any flaws--reading these reviews though, very good points were brought up. Card's lack of literary gimmicks has been criticized. However, this was what made this book refreshing, the type of book you can pick up to read again and again. The prose was /very/ simple. My brother in 7th grade read it easily and without questions.

Neither do the readers receive descriptions about Ender's physical appearance, or, for that matter, his siblings'. I don't know about you, but this wasn't something I was preoccupied with. I was more embroiled in the mental conflicts. There were also several complaints about Ender's one-dimensional personality. This too, made me think. This technique has been effectively employed in other books: fleshing out a character solely through actions and speech. This makes Ender a difficult character. However, it does not make his experiences any less dramatic. On the contrary, the readers' attention is drawn towards the contrast between Ender's actions and thoughts. For an example, we see him cry, but we don't get an inside view of what's going on in his mind. This causes his actions to be all the more starkly vivid.

Another small error is that the entire time, we are set up for this huge battle with the Buggers, the supposed climax, but we never reach it. I can only excuse this with the possible fact that Card's main focus was the psychology of Ender's growth. Card has a very clear understanding of the way a human mind, be it a child's or an adult's, works. The ending, although, was not surprising. It was, as mentioned in some of the reviews, a letdown, for the previously stated reason. By this point though, the reader focuses on the stress Ender and his commanders are under, rather than the actual battles.

All in all, this is a book everyone should pick up. It's definitely on my "favorite books" list. It requires a bit of a suspension of disbelief, but once you get past that, the rest is one enjoyable ride. A page-turner. I intend to start the companion series, the series about Bean.

One last note: The adult reviewers who say something along the lines of "leaving this read for the teens", as if implying that only teens, severely lacking in intelligence, would enjoy Ender's Game, are patronizing. Gets on my (insert curse) nerves. The book may be simple in its prose, but it has a fairly good grasp of concepts and is far from "See Spot Run". So please, for the love of God, /stop it/.

Having never read an Orson Scott Card novel before and not being a particular fan of SciFi, I was doubtful when my daughter suggested I read it. But she insisted, and so I did-- in one sitting!

I won't waste your time telling you about the plot. You can read the main review above, but after now having read several of Card's books, here are my thoughts. Some might disagree, but I think there's an order to reading these books: (1) Ender's Game - Don't read the teaser chapter for Shadow of the Hegemon if it's in your copy or it will spoil parts of Ender's Shadow. (2) Ender's Shadow - not next in the series (actually, not in the series) but read 'Shadow' while 'Game' is still fresh in your mind. (3) Speaker for the Dead - Part 2 of the series. (4) Xenocide - um, part 3. (5) Children of the Mind - well, this would be part 4. (6) Shadow of the Hegemon.

Then, once you understand the workings of Card's mind and writing style, you might try 'Lost Boys' even though it is a completely different type of story. Just a thought.

P.S. Don't ruin this book by reading all the reviews. Some of these reviewers don't understand it's impolite to give away the ending.

This may be the worst book of science fiction/fantasy I ever finished. I should have dumped it after the first fifty pages, but I kept thinking it had to get better based on all the awards it won and the rave reviews. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the books is absolutely terrible.

You should know that this book is geared almost entirely to pre-teens. And it is so far fetched as to be laughable. Now I realize that Star Wars is far-fetched too, but that's not what I'm saying here. It's the whole premise--the idea that the military is going to scout grade school looking for the next great world leader. But they're not trying to get them through high school--heck no, that would be too late--the really good commanders peak around age nine, right?

The vast majority of this book is spent recording the military training of Ender Wiggins. This training is almost exclusively in a zero gravity chamber where teams of little kids battle with their "freeze suits". Somehow this is supposed to prepare them for battling the insect-like hordes of aliens that are warring with Earth. In reality, this training has nothing to do with anything. It's brainless, repetitious and so utterly abstract as to be meaningless. "Ender kicks of a wall, does a double backflip. The team forms a ring--no one saw that coming. Wow--Ender won again. This kid's a genius!" Yeah, it really is that bad. And it goes on, and on, and on.

Trust me, this is one you want to skip.

I think "Ender's Game" is one of the most overrated books I've ever read. Style of writing aside, there was so little I liked about this book that I'm amazed how many people act like it was life changing.
Most critical reviews focus on the unrealistic elements of the story. I agree, and I think it hurts the story a lot. Ender is too smart for suspense. Nothing challenged him. He never failed. Sure Card makes it seem as though he's struggling with acceptance and fear of other kids, but his situation didn't reinforce these thoughts, and you knew from the get-go that he'd have no problem figuring out what to do. A story where the protagonist never fails is boring. It would have been much more engaging if he'd struggled and lost in the battle room a few times, and it wouldn't have hurt the image of him as a super genius since he was contesting other geniuses with maturity and experience advantage.
Ender's extreme intelligence also made him unrelateable. I didn't feel a connection to him because I'm not a genius and I know it. I feel like people who think they relate to Ender are kidding themselves (exception being military personnel who relate to basic training). I only know of a few people in history who could honestly say they understand Ender, they would be Alexander the Great, Einstein, and the other anomalies who's brilliance defies logic. The fifteen year old who wins at Warcraft on the internet every day and thinks that makes him a genius can't claim any real bond with a character like Ender and should stop kidding himself. And if you were hated for being a teacher's pet, remember that you chose that for yourself, Ender was singled out against his will. For those of us who actually fail every once in a while at anything, Ender is like some mythical god.
When I realized the ending that Card was building toward I thought there was no way he'd really do that. I was wrong, it was exactly as predicted with even less of a payoff than I could have envisioned. No rising action, and if you didn't predict what would happen, the climax happens before you even realize it's coming. Aweful.
Peter's little political coup was terrible. The entire chapter could have been replaced with one sentence..."The children were so genius that they decided to make themselves into the most world's powerful political figures using the internet." That and it doesn't relate to the plot at all. Had I known that I would have just skipped that absurdly long chapter.
In short, for a book with a highly unrealistic and essentially boring character, weak plot, no rising conflict or climax, and a giant chunk of wasted paper, this book gets way too much praise. I don't recommend it to anyone over the age of thirteen.

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 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.

Mr. Card contrives numerous ways to excuse everything Ender does, which boil down to "Ender is a good person, so everything he does is automatically good." This is explicit in the dialogue and in the presentation of Ender as a sympathetic hero; the author obviously loves him and expects us to feel the same way. I cannot begin to express just how perverse this philosophy is.

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. Manipulation is the key to this book. We are meant to sympathize with Ender because he is bullied. Why is he bullied -- is it because the other boys are jealous of him, or because he's annoying, or simply because the plot demands it? A six year old military genius sounds like wish-fulfillment for the author and his fans, and it's a lazy approach to writing a book, since what normal person wouldn't sympathize with an abused child? Even if that child becomes a cold-blooded murderer.

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 our Earth-children, 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. By making his hero a child, Mr Card not only maintains Ender's innocence, but gets around the problem of sexuality: Ender's powerful love for his sister remains chaste, even when she takes on the role of a traditional romantic interest. 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.

How on Earth this book is a Nebula and Hugo Award winner is passed me. What a terribly boring book that revolves around a final twist that drops in at about page 300 and does not justify anything else that came before it. The ending also just pops out of nowhere. Military science-fiction is certainly a very tough piece of wordy action sequences to stomach when compared to the heady wine offerings of most of the top science-fiction authors. Maybe teenagers or first time science-fiction readers will find this book amusing or even identify with the central character of a kid who is being trained by space marines by practising war games to eventually fight an alien threat. The whole book is just a series of `Ender Wiggin wakes up and goes to a battle room to train and fight' and then goes back to bed. This sequence of events is just repeated over and over with nothing to test the intellect. Then there is the final battle and a very silly ending. That is all there is to it. Its popularity lies with kids and Mormons and probably Amazon.com with all the reviews, but that is it. Trying to find it on science fiction fan lists is near impossible but book sales seems to have earned it a Nebula and Hugo although I would question if the judges really read the book. Something this mundane and simple can hardly be justified as good science fiction let alone, top science fiction. I wonder if a single person here has ever heard of Ray Bradbury or Philip K. Dick. My advise is to avoid this one like the plague unless you are 12 and love military science-fiction.

God almighty, I had to read this fantasy scifi book for a book club, and I'm lucky I didn't strangle myself. To start, fantasy isn't my cup of tea, but I decided to give it a chance. Afterall, I'm a proponent of the "no contempt prior to investigation" movement. Halfway through, I realized I had no idea what the hell this thing was trying to tell me. Some six year old kid freezing computer bodies while adults explain to him in adult terms the reason he's so important. Wait a minute! Unless a hundred years from now preteens are a thousand times brighter than their counterparts today, no way this kid is going to understand anything the guy tells him. Hell, I didn't understand what the guy was talking about. It was excruciatingly painful from beginning to end. Frustrated, I called a friend in the club and she said "hang on to the end, there's a real surprise." So, good soldier that I am, I did. But I didn't find the surprise (...). Couldn't stand this read. Dreadful!!!!!

This book was on my daughter's middle school reading list. I have strongly objected with the school due to the profanity, depictions of women/girls as inferior, graphic sexual description, use of racial slurs, and acceptance of "murder by the oppressed." We should absolutely hold up the ideal to our kids and let them see good literature that is good reading, and enjoyable without all the profanity and objectionable themes. Ender's Game is not appropriate for this age, in my opinion. Ender's Game is not good literature.

Incredible schlock, that is. Totally without merit.

I soldiered on to the end, hoping for some redeeming feature, and found none.

Tiresome, repititious nonsense.

And, to my amazement, several thousand Amazonians found it significant literature.

But, then, Harry Potter never made any sense to me,either.

So sorry.

A recent LA Times story noted that Ender's Game was voted the favorite sci fi novel by Caltech students. Having read it as a 41 year old of slightly above average intelligence (at best), I realize this book was not written for my demographic. Ender's appeal to the young genius is understandable, but the rest of us are left with a thin, repetitive story and an ending that suggests Card must support the George W Bush preemptive war doctrine. The bulk of the story is devoted to Ender's training in battle school, which mostly consists of the same, minimally varied battle room simulation scene repeated ad nauseum. This culminates with an ending which 1) everyone except Ender sees coming from a mile off and, 2) suggests that if an alien race attacks Earth twice, without provocation and killing many millions, we would be wrong to go after them and exterminate the Buggers. Card has said that he wrote this as a setup for the only slightly superior Speaker for the Dead, and it reads as a story knocked off to lead to the next book in the series.

This wonderful story of children is full of moral lessons for adults. Although it is a science fiction novel, it really deals with realationships more than hard science. Card draws out character in the most enjoyable way. A must read for readers of all ages. I really can't imagine the person who would not love this story -- perhaps fools who feast exclusively on Romance novels.

Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game (Tor, 1985)

Orson Scott Card says in his preface to Ender's Game that one of the main criticisms with the book people have is that gifted kids just don't act and talk like Ender and his battle school mates. To which Card usually responds with something like "they're just smart enough not to talk that way around adults."

Been there, done that. He's right.

The main criticism of the book dispensed with, Ender's Game focuses on young Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, a genetically-engineered genius recruited by the army at the age of six as a potential battle commander in a war against another race of beings from far off in the galaxy. But, as with most good science fiction, the actual science fiction parts of the book are tangential to the main thrust of the book at best; take out the stuff we can't do in modern-day society and put Ender and pals in a present-day prep school, and the human drama at the book's core remains credible. This is a necessity in any novel written in any genre, and Card carries it off with grace and dexterity.

The book's only real failing is that some of the minor characters (a number of Ender's schoolmates with small, but key, roles throughout his life) could have been better developed. But what is there is good; unlike most underdeveloped characters, Card's aren't there solely to advance a specific political or philosophical point of view; think of this particular set of underdeveloped characters as paler than usual rather than cardboard cutouts. They also don't get introduced with the words "kill me" already branded into their foreheads a la Stephen King or Joe Lansdale. It just would've been nice to see more of them, though that probably would have required a change in narrative perspective.

Other than that, everything works here. The book is eminently readable, the characters are believable, the plot flows along. I didn't find myself with the same obsessive devotion to it as many of the book's fans have, but it certainly put me in the mood to continue on with the series, and that can never be a bad thing. Highly recommended. ****

Just about everyone can identify with Ender. Ok sure, you're not six years old, and you're not a military supra-genius, but I bet you remember some point in your past where you were pushed around by the school bully. Or maybe you were terrorized by an
older sibling? Just like Ender. I guess you could argue that the school bully, and your abusive older sibling couldn't identify with Ender, but really, we all know those people are too stupid to read anyway.

The unwillingness to accept defeat, while staring the insurmountable odds in the face, is a central feature of our protagonist, Ender.

He is a six year old boy, removed from his family to train. Train to become the space commander needed by the forces of Earth to defeat "the buggers." The majority of the training takes place in the form of zero-g combat games, played with other students at the orbiting Battle School. I know it sounds a little cheesey on the surface, but Card really pulls it off well. Ender faces trials in and out of the game in what amounts to years and years in basic training.

Throughout it all he is alone, and it is his determination and clarity of purpose that gets him through. You really just want to cheer for the little fella over and over.

This is a very simple novel. It is also a very very good novel, just don't expect the complexity of Foundation or the darkness of The Gap series. But we don't always need to read caviar and sekt books. Sometimes we need pizza for the brain. The simplicity, the age of the characters, and Card's religious background (meaning very little bad language and no sex) make this book an excellant choice for the thirteen to sixteen year old soon-to-be sci/fi fan. It's the kind of book that set me on fire for reading (Actually for me it was Clark's "Childhood's End.")

Will I read the sequel? Not sure yet. The last bit "Speaker for the Dead" seems like an intriguing segque into the next book. It really has emotional depth that the rest of the book lacks. Maybe so.

Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is a action packed, fast paced science fiction novel for those who love a great read! I loved this book for two reasons. First of all, I couldn't put it down! From the fist paragraph to the last, Orson Scott Card had me hooked! The pace of the book kept me so intrigued wondering what would happen next that I had to keep reading! I don't think this is the type of novel one could start and then never finish. I also enjoyed this book because the plot isn't the typical plot of books I've read before. Boy genius, Andrew Wiggin, or "Ender" as they call him, has been born for the task of saving the world from the alien buggers. At six years old he enters battle school and begins preparation for the bugger war. At battle school Ender excels in simulation games of battles and is quickly promoted to higher levels in his training. However being the best of the best at this school doesn't make it easy on Ender. He has to learn to overcome his fears and realize that the world depends on him to save the human race from extinction. Certain passages are sure to make your heart race while others could encourage a tear or two. This is a great book and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good book that's hard to put down!

I am a 50 year old physician, and have an original 1965 Chilton Publisher's edition of DUNE. Enough said. I don't read a lot of science fiction, largely because I love the genre and tend to nitpick a lot of the stuff that is out. But "Ender's Game" to me is simply one of the finest works of speculative fiction that I have ever read.

One measure of great art is simply its ability to move people. Shall we agree that the more than 1300 reviews of this book posted to this web site is proof enough that something extraordinary occurs here?

I was touched by this work in a way that rarely occurs for me, and it is not a stretch to say that the only reason I did not cry from the sheer beauty of this story is that I didn't have the privacy I needed.

Some fine points. Assuming the "buggers" were truthful in this story (and I will be vague for those who may not have read the book) their behavior upon encountering a spacefaring species was out of character and overly aggressive. If we, while on a scouting trip for new worlds to colonize, encountered a species of insects, piloting space ships, would we attack them? And then, send a follow-up colonization fleet? The Queen's "guilty, with an explanation" offering seems a bit of a reach, given the poetry of her words and the interspecies friendship that was offered after the fact. (I have not yet read "Speaker for the Dead.")

But this is a tiny issue, sort of like saying that Da Vinci should have painted palm trees in the backgroud of the Mona Lisa. This is one of the four or five best science fiction stories I have ever read. A great, great work.If you love science fiction, you must read this work.

Thank you, Mr.Card.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is the story of Ender Wiggin, child genius, who has been chosen to save the earth in its third war against an alien race known as "buggers." At Battle School where Ender and other gifted children are trained as commanders by engaging in mock battles in zero gravity, Ender makes loyal friends, encounters intimidating bullies, and unfair teachers. There he is recognized, not only for his intelligence, but also for his leadership skills. It is Ender's extraordinary compassion and his ability to empathize that enables him to be successful both at outwitting the aliens as well as earning him the respect of his teachers, his followers, and even his enemies. Ender Wiggin is a hero in every sense of the word-he is smart and courageous, sensitive, and selfless. This book was one of my favorites ever. Card did a great job of combining action, suspense, drama, and a clever and twisting plot. In addition, the characters and the relationships among them are complex and realistic. Ender's story offers so many insights about life-from the dangers of the inability to communicate, through the power of compassion, to the lesson that children are people deserving to be heard. This book is gripping and impossible to put down from start to finish. I loved Ender's Game for many of the same reasons that I loved the Harry Potter's series. Both Ender Wiggin and Harry Potter are extremely believable characters. Though gifted and unique, each is also vulnerable and sometimes insecure. They are heroic yet human with weaknesses and that makes them easy to like as well as identify with. In addition, both books are about the contrasting resourcefulness and yet powerlessness of children. Also, both Ender's Game and the Harry Potter series contain involving and dramatic scenes about competitive contests (quidditch on flying broomsticks in Harry Potter and mock battles in zero gravity in Ender's Game). Both books pit extraordinary children against insensitive teachers, mean siblings, intimidating bullies, and sometimes the characters' own overwhelming fears. And finally, both Ender Wiggin and Harry Potter illustrate what real heroes are made of-not merely physical strength or brilliance, but sensitivity and compassion. Ender's Game will appeal to people of all ages for many different reasons. As an eleven year old I appreciated the fact that the author completely understood the perspective of children and that children's feelings and ideas are as real and important as those of adults. But the author's insights are not merely limited to children. Card also writes about what it is like for people of any age to feel vulnerable and powerless and lacking of all control over their own lives. There are important lessons in Ender's Game-lessons about how destructive violence, jealousy, and misunderstanding can be, and lessons about the positive impact of empathy. While this book is brimming with important messages, it is not at all preachy. Rather the messages are subtle and interwoven in a story that is entirely involving. It was impossible not to get drawn into Ender's story because it was really about all of our stories-about so many experiences we all can identify with-feeling lonely and alone, needing to be accepted and to fit in, and yet wanting to be true to ourselves.

I don't read SF. But despite being an outsider of the genre, I heard such rave reviews that I decided to try it out myself, and see if it's an all-around classic or just a well-known work of science fiction. When I started the first page, I didn't realize I was gripped. I was only 'testing' or 'tasting' the feel, but chapters passed, and hours ticked by, before I resurfaced enough to realize I was hooked. It was going to be midnight and so I attempted to be firm and put down the book so I could get some sleep. But I wasn't just curious about what would happen to Ender, I was still living Ender's life, and I was still tied irrevocably to the book. The light went back on and out came the book, and I didn't try to stop even as it became 2am and went onto three. I was only satisfied when I had finished the book - and that, quite frankly, is only because necessity forced me to: I didn't have the sequel with me. ENDER'S GAME is written in an easily readable style that can convey intensity and subtle human emotions better than the finest vocabulary. I'm not six, nor a genius, nor ever was a boy; I'm not a SF reader, I have no military experience, I don't do simulators and computer games...In short, I have nothing in common with Ender Wiggins. But his experiences are so real that they became a part of me, and for a short time I WAS him, and I shared his victories, defeats, despair, self-doubt, and invincibility... I am definitely reading the sequel. And the book after that. And the one after that. I hear that they aren't as action-packed and hard-edged. But those are the mere trimmings of the book and there is more truth to the story than that. I hope you read it and I hope it's an experience you'll look back on as formative. I think it will have a strong impact on whomever reads it. Here's to Mr. Orson Scott Card, and may he write many many more intense, knowledgable, HUMAN books!

I have recently had the treat of reading "Ender's Game," by Orson Scott Card. There is a debate that has been going on for some time about the "literary merit" of science fiction novels. Or I should say lack there of. According to Mrs. Harris, and several of her online contacts (fellow AP English Teachers), "Ender's Game is one of the few that could be considered to have this "merit." I agree whole-heartedly. This book is by far the best book I have ever read. It follows through the childhood of a young boy named Andrew "Ender" Wiggan. He is faced with many seemingly unwinnable situations, and is isolated throughout the novel, all because he is the only hope to save man-kind from an expected bugger invasion. He can't be dependant on anyone or anything except himself if he is to be Earth's only hope. The buggers have attacked Earth twice already, and the world fears a third attack. They will do anything to stop the invasion, even sacrifce this young boys childhood, and possibly his humanity. The main character, Ender, is such a deep character, that you end up really caring about what happens to him, and what he might be faced with next. When the novel starts, Ender is 6 yrs old, and has finally been chosen to go to battle school, where his training to become the savior of the human race will begin. The story follows him through his trials there, and into command school. There is a very memorable cast of characters that support and oppose Ender throughout the novel. Most of them are boys from the age of 6 to 16, and really gets you thinking about what childhood should really be like. The ending to this riveting novel is all that can be expected from a great book, and really answers all of the questions posed in the novel. All in all, I felt bad after I was finished reading the book, and was sorry I had to put it down. Read this one if you find the time.

I am not the greatest reader in the world, and am not one for experimenting with authors I am unfamiliar with as I am afraid of wasting time reading a novel that leaves me cold and unmoved. I read about Orson Scott Card's "Ender" saga on Amazon.com and in Sci-Fi magazines, and because the book wasn't an oversized tome I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad that I did because it had me gripped from the first chapter, and the memory of Ender's story stayed with me for days after I'd finished reading it.

With the exception of The Lord of the Rings, no other book has left such a lasting impression on me. Also, like the aforementioned book, it is a novel that can be appreciated by almost any age group. The story is fast paced and action packed for the younger readers, but covers profound topics for the older reader. Ender experiences friendship and love, ostracism and loneliness, guilt and forgiveness. The final chapter is tragic but ultimately uplifting, and as with any great sci fi book will leave you contemplating for many days and drawing parallels with the present world. This would be a great book to study at school and discuss.

If you are like me and only read a handful of books per year, this book will remind you of how rewarding a good read can be. I will definitely read the other books in the series.

Not worth the time to read it

"Ender's Game" is, in my opinion, one of the greatest science fiction works ever written. This book contains not only a glimpse of the future, a world hanging by a shoestring as only Orson Scott Card could make it, but also a hero any kid who's ever been taunted for being smart can relate to. As a gifted student, I've seen firsthand the ridicule smart children are sometimes subject to simply because they're intelligent. When I first read this book, I identified with Ender in a way I've never identified with any other character in any other novel I've ever read. Card's rich descriptions of daily life at Battle School, the Battle Room, the Fantasy Game, and Peter and Valentine's plans weave an elaborate plot that's at the same time complex and simple. Without ever understanding the exact structure of the government of Ender's Earth, the reader can easily see it is doomed to failure. All in all, this book is a must-read for any child who tests above average! ! and for any person who has been the subject of ridicule because of their skill at something. The Hugo and Nebula selection committees certainly knew what they were doing.

Science fiction for those who aren't capable of handling real science fiction. No mind-stretching concepts, no uncomfortable questioning of assumptions, no imagination required. A simple, easy-to-follow plot, written in small, easy-to-understand words. The ending is predictable from early on. Plenty of reassurance for the hard-of-thinking. As a short story, it was a bland attempt at an implausible premise stretched beyond the breaking point. Inflated into a pompous novel, it's a crime

I am an avid sci-fi reader, and have to say, up front, that this book was one of the best sci-fi books I have read. I admit that there were some troubles, but the book was a very entertaining read. This book commented on some major issues of ethics and logic, if you slightly read between the lines. For example, you have the whole idea of sending 6 year old kids up into space to train to be commanders of armies. The question here is one of ethics and logic. The ethics part is whether or not it is ethical to separate them from their families at such a young age, and the logical parties about why this is done. Is it because the kids actually spike in military brilliance at that age, or do they spike at that age because of the training?

Orson Scott Card, the author, wrote this book to give a prequel to his as unfinished idea for Speaker for the Dead. Before he made it into a novel, it was a novella, a piece of work that is shorter than a novel, but longer than a short story. The original novella just focused on Ender, and it started in the middle of the novel. His primary goal in writing this novel was to set up Speaker for the Dead, and succeeded in that task, as the two books flow nicely. However, that leaves some things unfinished at the end of the book, so it is unsatisfying to some readers.

This book succeeded admirably in presenting an engrossing read, but still has a few flaws. At times, the book goes on about topics that seem nonsensical until much later in the story, and certain lines of thought that should have been explored more were forgotten, while others are discussed even after they've dried up. Still these issues were rare and minor, and don't really detract from the book as a whole.

I noticed in the reviews that many one-star reviews insult the people who liked this book, or the book itself, and have to wonder why. These comments add nothing to your information as to whether or not to buy the book. However, some points are made, but the biggest one that I see is that it is not an action book. There is a large volume of complaints about that, but it is not a real issue. There are other sci-fi+action books out there, and so those people should read one of those instead.

All in all, it is a great book that I would recommend to almost anyone.

I'm really not quite sure what the 'Ender Quartet' in this product title is all about, I was expecting the 4 books related to the ender series but instead only received the first book. The book is beautiful. Awesome gift. If I had known that this product was only the single book I would not have rushed the shipping, $50 on the single book wasn't so hot.

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.

My name is Rachel and I am 16 years old. I am a junior in high school and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card was a reading requirement for my English class. I also love reading outside of school; I do it as much as I can when I have free time. I have read quite a few science-fiction books as well as many other novels from various genres. Although we were required to read Ender's Game, I enjoyed it thoroughly and found myself reading way ahead of the class and unable to put it down.
Although I liked Ender's Game overall as a novel, there were a few components I did not particularly care for. The plot was somewhat split in two, one half concentrating on Ender's story in space, and the other concentrating on the simultaneous happenings on earth and the story of Valentine and Peter Wiggin. The issues on Earth, in my opinion, were not explained clearly enough. It was difficult for me to grasp which parts of the world were plotting to attack which others. Valentine and Peter talk about these issues as if they are "old news" but I seemed to be lost during these conversations. What I did like about the novel was being able to know what was going through Ender's mind at all times. Reading about Ender's struggles from home, to those from battle school, to command school and beyond and how he overcame every obstacle put in his way was enjoyable for me. I also found myself very interested in how Ender was given no opportunity to become close with all other students, but he managed to make a few extremely close friends who learned to love Ender despite his uniqueness.
Card's writing style, in general, was actually one of the main things that made me like this book. At the start of each chapter, Card uses dialogue among the various adult characters, such as Graff and Anderson, to foreshadow the events that immediately follow. He also writes in a way that allows the reader to know Ender's thoughts and feelings; most of the novel is written from Ender's point of view. Card creates a few round characters that we are able to learn a lot about. But he also includes multiple flat characters that we know so little about, but are still critical to the plot.
I definitely recommend this book to any fan of science fiction, but I also recommend it to any dedicated reader also, even if sci-fi is not a particular interest. Young children should probably not read this book because of the complexity of the plot. It might be hard for them to fully comprehend the different themes and certain specific plot points of the novel at such a young age. I suggest this to readers that are 14 years of age or older.

In the 22nd century, Ender lives in a modern Earth where there is a new Warsaw Pact between the countries in Europe, where each child receives a miniature computer that records all of their life experiences, and where law forbids adults to have more than two children. However, Ender also lives in world that has been invaded by alien creatures known to many only as the "Buggers", which are insect-like humanoids that are controlled by one central queen. If it wasn't for the bravery and skills of Commander Mazer Rackham, mankind would have been destroyed. That was several decades ago. After several years, Ender is about to have his monitor taken off. At this point of his life, Ender is barely 7 years old. At the local school, Ender is teased and taunted by many of the schoolchildren for being a third child. When Ender comes home, he has to play an exhausting game of Astronauts and Buggers with his seemingly menacing and evil brother, Peter. However, a knock at the door grabs Ender's attention as a man simply named Graff tells Ender and his family that Ender has been selected to be a trainee at the battle school that orbits Earth, where young children are trained to soon become military commanders. As two invasions by the Buggers have taken place, the third one seems close to many, and Earth needs all of the defenders that it can get. When Ender climbs into a space shuttle, he finds it to full of young boys. However, one of them begins to pick on Ender after Graff makes a nice comment about him. Ender reacts by breaking the boy's arm (unintentionally). When Ender arrives at the battle school, he finds himself in a group of beginners. However, Ender is placed in a more advanced sqaud. At this school, Ender practices military combat using a device that freezes the opponent with a lazer. Also, Ender receives a game on his personal computer. In one chapter of the game, Ender comes upon a giant. The giant sets out two glasses of liquid, one of which is pure, while the other glass contains a poison that always causes Ender to die. Frustrated with this, Ender moves his character up to the giant and begins to take the giant's eyes out using his hands as shovels. This is when Ender begins to realize: is a he a born killer? On Earth, Ender's brother, Peter, and his sister, Valentine, learn a terrible truth that Russia and other neighboring countries have brought together a new Warsaw Pact, and plan to begin another nucleur war with America and the rest of NATO. For the first time in their lives, Peter and Valentine team up together as brother and sister to reveal the dreadful secret. Back at the battle school, Ender begins to climb the ladder to greatness, and eventually becomes commander of the newly formed Dragon Army. After several months of overwhelming training, Ender experiences first-hand what it is like to command an army. Although Ender's sqaud has defeated every army he has ever battled with, he begins to suffer. He begins to wonder if this is the life for him. One day, however, Ender is approached by Graff, who announces to Ender that he will be moved to a new school. When Ender arrives, he finds himself on the asteroid Eros. In his new room, he finds an old man who instructs Ender to battle. Unfortuanetly, Ender loses in an instant, only to realize that his new instructor is Mazer Rackham, the man who destroyed the Bugger invasion. He says to Ender that the humans will be the third invasion on the Buggers this time. And unknown to him, Ender will be the commander. As his training goes by, Ender is introduced to a game simulating an important battle. As the final simulations get closer, each level becomes much more harder. When the final simulation ends, Ender has destroyed the capital Bugger planet, only to find that the simulation was in fact, real. As this battle ends, a short skirmish occurs on Earth, but subsides. Several years later, Ender boards a craft that will take him to one the Bugger worlds. While it will take only several months to cross space for Ender, for Earth it will be over a period of five decades due to light-speed. When Ender arrives on one of the Bugger worlds, he writes The Speaker of Dead, based on his experiences on the new planet and with the Buggers. Ender's Game is an excellent novel by Orson Scott Card because of its detail, its suspense, and because of its great work of science-fiction.

Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card, is an extraordinary novel to be read because of its superb detail. The novel, written in 1985, received the Hugo and Nebula Award for writing. This is an obvious reason that Ender's Game is a top choice among many readers for science-fiction. In the novel, the author is able to describe every battle down to the simplest part, which gives the reader an advantage. Also, the novel contains vocabulary that can be understood well by most middle and high school students.

Ender's Game also consists of a great deal of suspense that will cause the reader not only to be thrilled to the utmost extent, but it will also cause the person to keep reading on until their question is answered:What happens next? Such as an event includes when Ender is in the simulation of the battle between the human forces and the Buggers. Another is when Ender begins his journey into the battle school, where Graff and other experts are providing Ender with traps, personal hardships, physical conflicts, and other obstacles. In both of these, the possibility of Ender dying is high. These and other events will cause the reader to invest more of his or her time into reading more.

Orson Scott Card is an amazing science-fiction writer, and his book, Ender's Game, has won two awards and is also a New York Times Bestseller. While piecing together this piece of work, Card imagined a new Earth that would be much different than today. Although there is no second Warsaw Pact as in the novel, it describes a more similar Earth as well. Card's imagination included large and massive star-ships that took years to reach their destination, and large stations that orbited Earth. Orson Scott Card also created the Buggers, an insect species so different yet so similar to our own species.

Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card, is an excellent novel becasue of its large amount of detail, its thrilling suspense, and also because it was an extraordinary piece of work. The story was about a young boy who is taken from a young age and is trained to be a military commander to help ave mankind once and for all. I rate this book a total of five stars out of five.

A. Chappell

Other reviewers have remarked that the lack of description hurts the novel's quality, but they do not give Orson Scott Card enough credit: He offers the young reader ideas and action sequences in a loosely detailed, futuristic environment and asks you and your mind to fill in the details. This is important for young adult and children's literature, and Card should be commended.

Nonetheless, the motivations of the characters in the Wiggin family are categorical and un-dramatic. Peter is the smart, evil one, Valentine is the smart, kind one, and Ender is the smart and balanced one. This symmetry is central to the characters' actions and is quite forced, especially Valentine's weakness (because she's a girl?) in the face of people whom she knows (because she's smart) are trying to deceive her.

Ender plays the part of the tool in this novel. He is even informed by another character that human beings are, in fact, tools when humanity "needs them." Instead of a smart child being used to cure a disease, advance art and philosophy, or lead the world by example, the child is recruited to engage in a pre-emptive war campaign. The description of Ender's psychological turmoil is accurate, indeed; it's the description of a young mind being impressed upon and made less innocent by adults.

I do wonder if the novel at large argues for a naïve and barbaric just war theory via hindsight as well as blind fear of the unknown Other (the Buggers).

Those who gave this book 5 stars are going to hate me, but here I go.

First of all, this USED to be my favorite book, but now as I look back on it, I was young and happy to be reading an adult novel. I can now review it truthfully.

Part of this novel is dumb, like how Ender's Dragon Army wins ALL their battles, and they are only Launchies! (Young and untrained)

It made no sense to me HOW Ender did what he did (at the end). No sense at all.

If you wanna read an OK book and do it quickly, read this. You might even be compelled to read the sequels, who knows?

For you Ender lovers, remember I was one too. Now though, I see the REAL Ender's Game, and it isn't as good as you all say.

Sorry to anyone who loves this book. I'm just doing my job as a dutiful reader to tell what I think.

Adios

The reason to read this is because your teenage kids are reading it and they're enjoying the idea of children saving the world. Doesn't that pique your curiosity? That got me interested all by itself.

Preposterous stuff; in a world of geniuses, the protagonist (pre-teen) is a hyper-standout beyond all comparison; we know him as a compassionate kid and a boy who just wants to play, but he kills more that once. As he wends his way through the "games" that he thinks will prepare him in case of an other-worldly attack from a species called Buggers, he is curiously slow to appreciate the machinations of the adults that are teeing him up for an intergalactic showdown.

Meanwhile, back on earth, his siblings (teenagers) are virtually controlling all critical thought with opinion pieces that are contrived to stir the opposing viewpoints and personality types of the foolish adults who don't seem to challenge or understand this manipulation, but then they're such background characters you don't know for sure.

Disbelief comes roaring back whenever I try to suspend it.

But a sweetness emerges as they just still want to be kids, despite their genetically engineered superiority. Let's give this book a break; as intense as it is, it's essentially young adult fare.

If it's stirring up real emotions in our kids, let's take heed. If in fact they are so willing to eat up a worldview where their age group is critical for the salvation of humankind, perhaps they're weary of being so short-shrifted in adult patronization through most of their school-age existence. Taking a look at that issue alone is worth the price of admission.

There are lots of good SF writers out there. I've seen pretty good recent stuff from Vernor Vinge, John Steakley (Armor), and others. Even veterans like Larry Niven and Joe Haldemen still put out good yarns.

But nothing since Ender's Game was published in 1985 is as good. You have to go back to Heinlein and early Niven/Pournelle to find stuff this good - and there are darn few examples even then.

Winner of a Hugo and a Nebula, genesis of an entire series of books (8 so far and still counting), this book is a case study in how to write great SF. Great story, great characters, fluid style, and a superb twist at the end. All that, and it still appeals to an age range from bright ten year olds to mature adults. (My son read this book at age ten and loved it. He's since worked through the Ender's Shadow series, and the only series he likes better is Harry Potter.)

I buy extra copies of Ender's Game when I see it at the used book store, and give it to anyone I find who likes SF but hasn't read it. I've never had a disappointed recipient.

Essentials - the main character is Ender Wiggin, and we start when he's six, and just being taken to Battle School, where Earth's brightest are trainied for a war with alien enemies. They've already attacked twice, and mankind was very lucky to survive last time.

Battle School is rigorous, but a new standard is needed for Ender, the smartest and most capable student the school has ever had. The adults, who know they are not as smart as Ender, try to use their experience to plot a course to make him the best commander the world has ever seen.

The other students range from close to Ender (Bean) to borderline incompetent. And Ender has to learn to deal with his own nature as well as the challenges posed by other students in the mock battles that form the biggest part of the school's curriculum.

You'll find yourself immersed in his journey. Look, if you check my other reviews, you'll see a lot of lukewarm ones. You'll also see some high ratings, but the only other book I've gushed over like this is The Mote in God's Eye. Ender's Game is that good. Thank goodness that a movie effort is underway, with Orson Scott Card's involvement. Done right, it will be a megahit.

It was a grind. One game after another. I kept thinking that anytime something new would happen. You can't save a boring book with 2 chapters. This is not a great SF; in fact, it is a very low end one. Additionally, good SF must be believeable; this was not.

. . .and most profound Science Fiction novels ever published.

"Ender's Game" is a novel set in the not too distant future, where children serve in the great war against a sentient, alien race. This book can be read on a number of levels: simply for reading pleasure, for spiritual and moral enrichment (believe it or not!), for psychological understanding, for discussions on the morality of war, etc.

"Ender's Game" is a painful novel to read. The thought that our wourld might get to the point where children are exploited (for whatever reason) as soldiers is becoming frighteningly timely. Orson Scott Card deserved the Hugo and the Nebula he won.

This book is highly recommended.

Based on the 1977 novelette "Ender's Game," the Tor novel debuted in 1985. It was both a Nebula and Hugo Award winner, which shows that both fans and fellow science fiction writers thought this was a novel of distinction. I heartily agree, having originally read the novelette more than 25 years ago, the novel at least twice in the first year it was published, and having contemplated the social questions it raised many times in the intervening decades.

Andrew "Ender" Wiggin thinks he is playing computer-simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever-harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast.

Since the original stories publication, our language and society has changed so dramatically, that it is good to see how well the original theme has held up. Unfortunately, the later books in the series (After `Speaker for the Dead') did not have the verve and impact to keep my attention. The character "Ender" was distorted by time, age and experience - creating a less sympathetic being than the one portrayed in this far-future coming-of-age story.

Please do read this novel in the context of the time it was written. Reagan was president of the US, the Soviet Union was still his "Evil Empire," rap and hip-hop had not filled every niche of society with swear words, personal computers were just making slight in-roads into society, and there was still a bit of innocence in the world. A fine novel - highly recommended.

3 stars is the lowest rating I have ever assigned, and although admittedly I have only written 11 reviews, I still feel guilty. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card, was engaging and more than adequate as science-fiction fodder...and although I'm sure there are some obtuse reviewers here who wrote something along the lines of "if you didn't see the ending coming you're a moron!" I concede that I did not see the ending coming, although I felt I should have guessed it.
In any case, the novel Ender's Game focuses around Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, an extremely precocious child who is sent to Battle School alongside other bright children. The setting of the book is the future, as with so many sci-fi novels, and aliens known as "Buggers" for their insectoid features (This would later be changed by Card in one of his later novels to "Formic," a more intelligent, less juvenile name...but that is neither here nor there) have invaded Earth twice. The second invasion was barely stopped, and the Battle School is now being utilized to train new commanders for the next encounter.
Battle School revolves around a game which essentially translates to zero-gravity laser tag, although far more complex. The teachers and staff use the battle room to gauge the pupils' leadership ability and command skills- here Ender finds his calling. Despite being small and initially ridiculed, Ender works his way to the top.....but Battle School is just the beginning.
This book did not make me want to hole up in my room and read it all in one day, but it certainly was an engaging story...however, it is certainly not without flaws. For one, Ender is not terribly likeable, and also some of his actions in the novel are understandable, they merely serve to make us like Ender less. Moreover, Card juxtaposes Ender's story with the story of his sister and brother on earth, manipulating people on the home planet to go to war with Russia. Not only is the cold-war paranoia (in 1979) misplaced and ill-addressed in a book concerning mankind's battle with aliens, but the scenes are poorly paced and bring the narrative to a halt. The reader craves more time in the battle room with Ender. Lastly (ironically enough) the ending is absolutely abysmal, the only thing worthy of praise being that Card somehow, someway manages to go from a Deus Ex Machina to a feel-good ending to a Deus Ex Machina to a sappy, ham-handed attempt at social commentary. He should be commended for pulling off such a bile-inducing conclusion.
Despite my complaints, I still recommend this book...although more for a long plane ride then for an evening at home.

Ender (Andrew) Wiggin is the result of a genetic experiment - he is a cross between his two superintelligent siblings Peter, who is too cruel to be a good commander, and Valentine, who is to kind-hearted. He is sent to battle school at the age of 6 in order to be trained to save the world from the strange insect-like aliens called "buggers".

Orson Scott Card admits that the story is plainly told. However, it has nuances. They aren't poetic nuances like other quality fiction tends to have - they are philosophical. I'd say that this book, and the rest of this series, is for adult readers who are interested in the big questions. Who are we? How did we get here? What's the meaning of life? How did life arise? How should we live our lives? Etc. etc. The author has an uncanny knack for telling the story in a way which makes the facts point in the direction of several different conclusions: This knack is even more apparent in the later books of the series. This means that the book actually DOES move on several different planes. However, it's possible that you need a background in science and/or philosophy to get this.

This book is heavily inspired by game theory. This is one of my criticisms of the book: I didn't find it believable that battle school used such naive game tactics that Ender manages to radically change the way they fight. But it might be necessary for the development of the story - and to introduce readers to game theory from the ground. It's also based on a scientifically unsound view of how insect colonies work, but this may be because of the age of the book - science has moved forward since then. Besides, the author can claim poetic licence.

Ender is an Anakin Skywalker of sorts - but while Ender uses his gifts to try to save the world with the support of his teachers, Anakin is so seduced by his own abilites that he turns to the "dark side" - but still manages to be the "one who creates balance to the force". How Ender deals with his giftedness is controversial, and I'd also NOT recommend this to young readers lest they should be inspired to be an Ender, but end up like Darth Vader instead.....

Ender's game is a fascinating thought experiment and action story, one star deducted for some lack of credibility in the story. I also agree with the author that the later books are stronger: The philosphical issues truly come into play there. Some of the book's loose ends also tie up later in the series.

Ender's Game has many layers of meaning behind the cover. It is like an onion with its subsequent layers of meaning. On the first layer there is a story about a young boy who is being trained to fight in the Third Invasion of the Bugger, the aliens. His training is in the form of "games". The adults in the novel think he is the one who will defeat the buggers. Layer one of Ender's Game is the story and Ender's actions. At this level everyone relates to Ender in one way or another. The reader begins the game of decoding these layers when the first page is read. Orson Scott Card said about this decoding game, "...If you don't care to play the game, that's fine with me. I designed Ender's Game to be as clear and accessible as any story of mine could possibly be. My goal was that the reader wouldn't have to be trained in literature...to receive the tale in its simplest form." That is what exactly what Orson Scott Card has done with Ender's Game. At one junior high in Provo, Utah, a librarian reported that Ender's Game is the book that is lost the most. This book is popular not only among young adults, but it is also extremely popular among adults as well. It has a broad general young adult and adult interest. As time progresses and more people read Ender's Game its popularity will soar.

Even the most ADD prone reader will cut through this book like a knife through butter!

I didn't plan on doing a review for this, however, in reading what some others had to say I was compelled to register my opinion. Lets start with what this book is:

1. A very fun read (remember those, so few books are more fun to read than a great movie)!

2. An interesting commentary on human nature (almost like a futuristic Lord of the Flies).

3. A prophetic detail of futuristic warfare.

What it's not:

1. Hamlet, Hobbit, or even Snow Crash (it is very approachable by all reader skill levels, both in word and meaning).

Just my opinion.

Enjoy...

You're probably sick of how many people rave about this book, but there's a good reason for that! it's hard to put into this words why it's so amazing. if you're interested at all in science, space, the future, war, aliens, human nature and conditioning, child psychology, friendship... you'll be captivated this book. I can name 15-20 friends/acquaintences who have read it (most, in one sitting), loved it, and recommended it to others. i've seen copies of the book that are so ancient and tattered from people re-reading it repeated over the years and from it being lent to friends. Even people who never read books for pleasure, and were "forced" to read it by their friends' insistence, only had good things to say. I don't want to give any part of the storyline away, just read it yourself, it's the only way you'll understand.
Those who loved it can look forward to reading the entire Ender's series (Speaker of the Dead, Xenocide, and lastly, Children of the Mind) and be comforted that it's not over yet. But I recommend picking up Ender's Shadow before proceeding to Speaker (in continuation of Ender's life) because it parallels Ender's Game; it focuses on his friend's life and goes over what happened in Ender's Game, but from the friend's perspective - which is an incredibly novel idea, but don't worry, Ender's Shadow is equally suspenseful and exciting if you can believe it. After that, Shadow Puppets to find out what happens to the rest of Ender's friends, before you forget them.

The world is scared. It is terrified. An alien race has attacked the earth twice. Both times humanity has miraculously escaped destruction and annihilation, but now the fate of earth is about to be decided and the final battle for humanity is about to be fought. Who will be the savior of mankind?-Andrew Wiggins, a six-year-old boy who has been watched and raised for the sole purpose of preventing the end of humanity and forever removing the threat of an alien race.
This book, Ender's Game, by New York Times best selling author Orson Scott Card, is a Hugo and Nebula Award winner which has stood the test of time among millions of readers for almost twenty years. It is a book which has found and retained many avid fans since its first publication in 1977, which has motivated and urged Card to continue this saga into an in-depth series which takes the reader farther into the universe of Ender. This first book of the Ender saga is an amazing novel that inspires and empowers the reader. It allows the reader to see the innocence and simplicity of childhood, while at the same time the human nature in all of us to survive at any and all costs. Card does an amazing job of grabbing the reader from the opening scenes and tightening his grip until the final few pages when everything comes full circle.
In Ender's Game, Card introduces us to Andrew Wiggins a.k.a. Ender, a young boy who has been raised and trained from birth to be a leader, a commander and, as his name suggests, an ender to not only this war with the alien race of "Buggers", but all wars against them. The reader and Ender simultaneously come to realize that Ender's usefulness lies in arriving to "the point of no return." If Ender can be made to feel like there are only two options kill or be killed-then he can thus become an impenetrable marvel in his survival. Card uses childlike precision in describing Ender's peaceful, yet volatile temper as he searches out every avenue for peace, only to find that violence, often times, is the only catalyst for this sought after peace. Early on in the book Ender is faced with the decision of fight or flight as a gang of older boys accost him. Knowing that running will only encourage the boys to continually antagonize him, Ender chooses to fight. He beats the leader of the gang into unconsciousness and, when asked why he didn't stop when the boy was knocked down, Ender replies, "Knocking him down won the first fight. I wanted to win all the next ones, too. So they'd leave me alone."
From this, the reader may question Cards' view on violence as a solution for hostility, but perhaps he is suggesting more than what we see. This book encourages the reader to see the sacrifice of the few for the betterment of the many.
At the age of six, Ender becomes this sacrifice as he leaves his home and begins his training in battle school-a place where games are played to teach combat skills and separate the leaders from the followers. These games, however, take on a larger meaning to Ender, who is not asked to merely lead but to win-at any and all costs, no matter the circumstance or handicap placed upon him. Ender's ability to be manipulated in these games is carefully stretched to the breaking point by his superiors as they place him in near hopeless circumstances, only to one day help him succeed. Ender must win these games, for one day the games will end and the real battle will begin.
Sci-fi fan or not, all who read this book will find a love for Ender and his struggle with the "Buggers" and more importantly the struggle within him as he searches to find peace within himself.

First of all, i want to say I HATE SCI-FI! Well at least i thought i did... Ender's Game proved me wrong.

Ender's Game is about a boy (Ender) who was born to be a brilliant stategist. He is put into the military to train at the age of 6 and is expected to defeat a race of aliens the "buggers". Ender struggles throughout his military training disgusted with the tactics the adults use to make him the best officer ever.

Ender's Game was a great read. My favorite parts were the ones about the battle room in which Ender has to use strategy to win games. I recommend this to anyone. Even fantasy readers who find sci-fi distasteful (me) will find this book to be excellent.

I picked up _Ender's Game_ with few expectations. After all, I had abandoned science fiction (with a few exceptions, such as Isaac Asimov's oeuvre) long ago for more varied climes, and the long list of books in the Ender series made me very suspicious of Orson Scott Card as a writer. Well, my suspicion of Card was justified, but my wariness towards the book was not.

_Ender's Game_ presents the reader with a not-exactly dystopia inhabited by a frighteningly bright six-year-old boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin. He is tested relentlessly and in the end comes through. I vastly simplify things, yes, but that's the essential story. The ending is extremely moving, and the path there is filled with intriguing plot twists, character development, and quite a few viscerally emotional scenes.

Why only four stars? Well, it's not a perfect book. I am prepared to grant Ender genius status, for example, but I just can't believe in a station full of eight-year-olds who talk and act like adults. A station full of teenagers, okay, but the existence of so many adult-minded prepubescents strains my suspension of disbelief a bit too much. Not much to nitpick otherwise; besides some inexplicable scenes, it's a very solid, well-written book.

Unfortunately, Mr. Card couldn't leave well enough alone, but insisted on tying up every last loose end over the course of the next books (_Speaker for the Dead_, quite good but very different; _Xenocide_ and _Children of the Mind_, which I haven't read but which sound rather lacking; and the "Shadow" series, focusing on one of Ender's co-trainees, Bean, which contradicts Ender's Game and almost threatened my liking for the series). Ender's Game has a fantastic ending, Speaker a good one, but Card insisted on fleshing out the series, and thus killed the creative, imaginative process that great fiction spawns between author and reader.

Definitely read _Ender's Game_; if you need more, read _Speaker for the Dead_. If you need to know the rest, your own imagination may serve you better than Card's.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is a regular story that was packaged with a science fiction backdrop to make it more appealing. Ender's game does reflect problems in society by outlining the pressure that we put on the young to be number one. Ender's Game fails with grabbing the attention of an adult. The relationship between Ender and his sibling, Peter and Valentine, along with Enders internal stuggle to be the best or do what is right are the most important relationships and conflicts in the novel. Ender's game is a book for youth aged 10-16. My imaginiation wouldn't allow me the opportunity to enjoy this novel. I love science fiction but I think that Ender's Game fails at entertaining adult readers.

Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is a futuristic book that looks at how the world would handle being attacked by an alien species. Some say that art is an imitation of life, in many cases this seems to be true with this book. The world does not take being attacked and almost destroyed by the "buggers" and has taken on the attitude that we, the inhabitants of the Earth, must win at any cost. All the nations of the world have come together for this one purpose-to be prepared for the buggers if and when they attack next. More importantly, we want to get them before they get us.
When the buggers attacked Earth, it took the entire world by surprise. No one was adequately prepared. In the mist of all that confusion, one man, Mazer Rackham, made a lasting impression and the military wants to "recreate" his genius and bring it into this new generation. Driven by this purpose the military adopts what I believe to be an unusual tactic-they literally groom children from the womb for war. Mere children as young as three years of age are fitted with a "monitor" in the back on their neck that connects into their spinal cord. These "monitors" allow the controller to experience everything that the child hears, sees, feels, and does. Only by knowing the child's every movement, every thought, and every motive can the military forces weed out the best prospects for the war on the buggers. The children that are deemed worthy are then sent to Battle School to learn the tactics of war.
One child in particular, Ender Wiggins, shows extraordinary potential. It is he that is used as a pawn in the earth's war on the buggers. Although only six years old, Ender is highly intelligent and is driven by what he perceives to be a just cause. He is young enough to be easily controlled. His entire life has been orchestrated in such a way to leave him isolated and unloved. These two elements combined mark him as the perfect weapon. Ender craves acceptance-he will only gain that through excelling at Battle School. Ender wants to be loved-the only person who ever loved him, his sister Valentine, has been taken away from him. To further control him, his superiors give Ender just enough information to make him believe in their war, fearing that he would not fight if he was ever allowed to see the whole picture. In the end, Ender is a mere toy designed for a specific purpose-to kill-and once that purpose is accomplished, he is a dangerous weapon they want to dispose of.
If it is true that art is an imitation of life, I pray that we never encounter another species. This book depicts how little respect we have for each other and possibly for another life form. The drive was so strong to be conquerors that they were willing to sacrifice their own children. In today's society we send grown men off to war and they come back, if they come back, scarred and damaged. We send young men, barely able to carry the title of "man" on their slender shoulders into the territory of certain death. But we do not send six-year-old children. We do not disguise the horrors of war as "games" to entice the young mind and we do not use trickery and manipulation to strip children of their innocence in order to turn them into "universal soldiers."
Ender's Game is an interesting novel full of wonders and intrigue. It also makes one think about our humanity and our moral system. Just how far are we truly willing to go to be rulers?

Ender's Game is a wonderful work of science fiction. I'll leave the overall synopsis to the thousand or so other reviewers who've come first and focus on a few main points.

It's imperative that the universe in which a scifi novel takes place be well developed. Card does a wonderful job of developing a world different and fascinating and yet so familiar. It's not hard to imagine, given the threat of alien invasion and the challenges faced in Ender's universe, the governments of the world developing such a battle school and strike first mentality as Card envisions. The tactics used to develop children into capable soldiers, while at first a shock to the senses, don't seem so much so as the novel progresses. Of course we feel for Ender as he faces various challenges, some threatening his very survival, but we never question the validity or plausibility of those challenges. That is the real beauty of this book. Card creates a very believable world and populates it with characters we genuinely care about... and we do care about Ender.

In Ender, Card creates a wonderful mix of intelligence, innocence and strength. He's a child, not only tasked with saving the world, but doing so while struggling to retain not his innocence, but his very humanity. What is more interesting than watching a child, the very symbol of innocence, try and remain human as the pressures of a world terrified of invasion, desperate for a savior, weigh in upon him? Card's use of a child as the focal point in the timeless duty vs. personal morality struggle is simply wonderful.

A beacon of light in a world full of serialized Dungeons and Dragons novels and video games turned books trash

When I first read this book I was blown away.Never before have I read a book that had me this enthralled from the very start.I just couldn't get enough of Ender.I don't know if any other writer on the planet could match the depth of this book.It had a great plot and absolutely no slow parts.It was interesting from the beginning to the end.

I'm not a huge sci-fi fan,but I don't think it would be fair to categorize Ender's Game as sci-fi.I don't think it could be categorized because it covers such a wide variety of interests and subjects.

I'm not very good at writing reviews like this,but Ender's Game is such a great book that I had to try.I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes plots with a lot of depth.

Ender's Game is not "Just another science fiction book". It is a compelling military saga that demonstrates why during time of war we must be willing to sacrifice the few to save the many. They are the children. Ender and his friends (enemies) are spending their childhoods preparing for the final showdown between humanity and an apocolyptic force of insect/aliens.

But the book is not about the war, it is about preparing. Ender must constantly train playing video games and "laser tag" type games. I know it doesn't seem to exciting to read about 8 year olds playing laser tag, but the purpose of the games is to develop strategy. The reader will sit through a dozen games in a row, but you are always wanting more because of the strategy. What will Ender think of next. How will he turn the opponent's strengths into weakness, and his own weakness into strength?

Aside from the excitement of the Game, the story also provides a great deal of perspective on military protocol: Why it is necessary to follow rules at all times, and why it is necessary to break those rules. Ender is a tool of the military, he has no identity of his own, he exists only to serve the cause of humanity.

There is also a pretty neat subplot with Ender's brother and sister who are still on Earth. It deals primarily with using media to produce a void in the collective conscience of our civilization. If you cultivate the void and wait for the correct moment, you can fill it with whatever you think it should be filled with, people become sheep to your shepard.

To counterbalance the scourge of war, characters also explore ethical and philosophical questions the actions they will be forced to take in battle: we have to kill these innocents in order to save those innocents.

And after the Sci-Fi technology, the military, and the ethics, the author wallops the reader over the head with a shock that will leave you spinning for days. Remember how you felt the first time you heard who Luke's father was, or in the "Ususal Suspects" when you realized who Kaiser Sose' was? This is that same kind of feeling.

Like many of you out there I bought this book because of the amout of 5 star rating's it got. However, I believe that the reason why there are so many is because of the fact that most people surfing the net are of a young age. The main theme in Ender's Game is that you should always stand up to bullies and resent athoritiy. That is what Ender deals with time and time again. He's tough and stands up for himself and the young reader's go wild. If you have matured enough to not let bullies bother you anymore then you have no reason to read this book because the rest of the story is just average at best. Card is an easy writer, but not in a good way. He lack any real creativity in his style. He just blurrs through things as if the english language is a burden to the telling of his story. He lack elegance or grace. Now I am not a great writer, but I know when I am reading one like George Orwell for example. You can tell that Card really wanted to tell this story and does so with passion and conviction. His later books have had poor reviews because he does not have a burning story to tell. In addition, his poor writing style makes his stories even less pleasurable to read. Card does present an important issue in the end about the war, which I have noticed many of you young reviews did not understand and felt it was not related to the rest of the book. Probably because Ender was not fighting bullies anymore.

My friend, on discovering that I had not yet read it, grabbed a copy of Ender's Game, shoved it in my hand, and said, "Read it. Now." Well, I did - and I was instantly converted. Before I was through, I'd wound my way through the sequels (which, though they frequently fail to live up to the original, are still well worth a read).

All in all, Ender's Game more than lived up to my friend's strong recommendation and I have added this Hugo and Nebula Award winner to that short list of books I give to friends with complete confidence they'll love it as much as I did. I particularly like the fact that I can give it to a 12 year-old boy or a 30-something woman and still feel this confidence. It's a rare book that has such broad appeal.

Perhaps the strongest comment I can make in favour of this novel is that, after finishing it, I was saddened because I'd used up all the time I had to spend with Ender and his compatriots. The sequels helped, to be sure, but the characters are somehow more genuine to me in this work than the later ones.

I recommend this book without reservation.

Ender's game is a sci/fi novel that tells the story of a young boy named Andrew Wiggum (named Ender by his sister Valentine). The story takes place on Earth in the future. Earth has been attacked twice by an alien species called the Buggers, nearly destroying the human race. Mankind begins training young genuses to fight as solgers and commanders in Earth's defence in case of another attack. Ender is extreamly intelligent for age six and gets sent off to battle school to train. He quickly rises among the ranks of people at battle school until he is at the top. He then begins training to lead Earth's fleet in battle.

This book leaves you at the edge of your seat throughout the whole thing. If it is Ender's exteam violent nature or if the Buggers attack again. These things along with Orson Scott Card's Andrew "Ender" Wiggum make this book one of the best sci/fi books of all time. This is a must read for all sci/fi fans, and even if you don't like sci/fi, I am sure that this book will change some of your feelings about this genera.

Published almost fifteen years ago to critical acclaim, Ender's Game has clearly found a special place in the hearts and minds of science fiction readers all over the world. I buy this book as a gift for the new friends I make, as I grow older, and they always consider it a special gesture. The only thing more pleasurable than reading Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is giving a copy away to someone who hasn't yet read it. I titled this review "Start it on a Friday," because you probably won't be sleeping the night you begin reading it. If you don't have this book BUY it today, and you won't regret it, I promise you.

This is probably the only book that I have ever read that is better than Harry Potter. It tends to the more "serious" of matters, but Card digs really deep into your mind with this story of Ender, a young boy who is the dream of the Starways Congress with hope for him killing off the opposing alien race. He is taken from the one person he loves and put into Battle School- a harsh training program that changes his personality dramatically. The reason why I love this book is because you almost think it's something that's REAL...not the actual story, but the CONCEPTS that it implies. The plot and story itself are beyond exceptional, and the book almost taps into every one of your emotional sensors and triggers them all at one, creating one enormous explosion. Mine is definitely aimed toward perfection with this book, it starts well, ends well, and you can't put it down! It's so good you start THINKING like Ender (the main character) or the way Card writes! It's unbelievable, DEFINITELY a 5 star!

Ender's Game bore me to tears. It doesn't have any point to the story at all. The entire story is about a huge video game war with bugs. Blah, Blah, Blah... Please don't read this book. You'll thank me later.

Sadly, I have always had a very low opinion of my fellow highschoolers, thinking them to be, for the most part, unappreciative of great literature (I am no critic either, but that's beside the point). Either I was greatly mistaken all of that time, or Mr. Card is just a genius, pure and simple.

I was introduced to Ender's Game at summer camp, by a kid who had to read it for a summer reading list. Intrigued by the concept, I checked out a copy the first chance I got. From page one, I was enchanted by this book. Never have I felt so in touch with a character than Ender Wiggin. Wanting to share it, I immediately gave the copy to my mother, who was just as enthralled.

I now find that any person my age that I meet who reads at all will put Ender's Game on their top ten list. No doubt this is due to Mr. Card's skill with the language that allows his text to be as deep as anything by Joyce or Milton, but completely accessible to almost any literate person. It is that quality, coupled with the fact that most intelligent people can say "I am Ender," that makes this book appealing to teenage readers, but not any less sophisticated.

Entering high school I found that one of the English teachers, a wonderful man, actually tought Ender's Game in the classroom. I was filled with enthusiasm at hearing this, that a real teacher could appreciate this book as much as a teenager, but I was also somewhat apprehensive. A few of my peers, myself included, enjoy reading for fun or for school. Most, however, detest all types of reading, particularly when it is forced on them. Even the most brilliant works of literature are trampled when a kid is forced to read it and opens it with an attitude of "I don't want to be doing this." Ender's Game is a book that could potentially bring nonreaders out of their shell of ignorance, but might simply be wasted if assigned as a course requirement.

Despite this, I am still confident that Ender's Game will reach a wide reading base that spans all ages and will become the one of the few original scifi novels to truly reach the mainstream. I am Ender.

Ender's Game is the first (and best) in a series about Ender, a young boy bred to be a leader in a society where more than two children is illegal. An alien race, insect-like possessing a hive mind (sound familiar? see The Madness Season), has attacked Earth, and we live in fear that they may strike again, even though it was decades ago. Ender, a child of the state, is drafted into this war, and he is forced to survive a bitter and difficult life in military school. His sister and brother (his brother Peter seems to be based on a popular killer, who dissected roadkill in his backyard), take over the Earth while he's away at war - an idea that's doesn't sound so silly when you read how they manipulate the internet society. True genius at work, Ender's greatest triumph and worst tragedy make for a powerful ending. Once you're done reading it, put it down and read something else unrelated - the rest of the series doesn't carry as much of a punch.

This is probably one of the worst books I've ever read. Not just SciFi either, but in all of fictional works I've read. I am a big SciFi fan so naturally I was drawn to this book based on rave reviews and endless praise. The plot of the book has already been explained ad-infinitum in the 2000+ 5 star reviews on this page so I won't add to redundancy. All I can say is that Card MUST of intended this book to be for the 15 and under crowd because there is absolutly no way that this would be taken seriously in by adult Science Fiction reader.

I read something funny in one of the other reviewers pages comparing this to "DUNE"....yes, you read that right, "DUNE"...... are you serious?.....

Why don't I compare some R.L. Stine to Tolstoy? Or some Nancy Drew to Stephen King?

Don't fall for the hype if you are expecting a rewarding SciFi read. "Ender's Game" is junk you'd find in "HighLights" magazine.

Stay away from this waste of paper.

If you did not read this book by the time you graduated high-school, you owe it to your self to read it. I have read it many times and the story is never tiresome. This is a wonderful 'coming of age' story with roots in Lord of the Files. I loved the idea that childern are the focal characters, but not just any ordanary childern. Great ending as well. No matter how many times I read it, I can never seem to put it down. I only gave it five stars, because there wern't more to give.

With many dear friends who worship this book, I really, really wanted to like it. I'm not a sci-fi newbie, having read virtually everything by Bradbury, Asimov, Henry Kuttner, and many others. Orson Card writes a very pedestrian novel here, with yet-another Messianic "The ONE" (a la Star Wars, the Matrix, the Wizard of OZ, Bible) thread about THE BOY (a heavily misogynistic tale) who will save mankind. The "this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you" style of Officer Training that 6-year old Ender Wiggin is put into would make an excellent model for suicide bomber camps everywhere. In fact, I'll bet it does!

Peter, the character who embodies pure evil, is as beguiling as Eddy Haskell from "Leave it to Beaver", but while the Cleavers could see straight through Eddy from the start, NO ADULT, but only Peter's young sister, can see him for what he is. Of course she is powerless to stop him, or resist him.

Everyone asked me to reflect on the "twist" in the story at the end. When I finally choked this whole thing down, I was bewildered. TWIST? Have you people ever read anything else? Yes, it takes a tad bit unexpected turn at the end, and I'm told that I REALLY REALLY should try the more-sophisticated sequel. That's okay. I still have plenty of other things to read and enjoy.

I read a lot of books, but science fiction is not to my taste at all. I started reading Ender's Game for some unknown reason. It's one of the best books I've ever read.

My 15-year old brother does not read books. I gave him Ender's Game. He has not put it down yet.

In the introduction, Orson Scott Card says that he doesn't believe in hiding motives or secret themes beneath the words in a book. And you can tell in the writing. Everything is presented as simply as possible. There are no rambling paragraphs here in which the author uses the alien race to represent some real-world political stance or whatever. Every word in this book is tied directly to the story, which makes the incredible revelations and touching scenes stick with you all the more.

I'm not a science fiction fan AT ALL. My eyes glaze over when books get too technical, and the thought of spending months on a ship to get to a new planet, or shooting photon lasers at a slimy alien...it just don't get my juices flowing.

Ender's Game...is different. The science fiction elements presented here are believable without becoming too complex and boring. They're used to propel the story along, to make you feel what Ender feels, to imagine yourself as a denizen of Earth at this time.

The ONLY thing about the book that was kind of "meh" was Peter's role. It was great at the beginning, and his influence on Ender and Valentine was well-done. But what he and Valentine ended up doing/becoming...that was kind of dumb.

Otherwise - incredible book that nobody, NOBODY, should go through life without reading.

I was looking foward to reading this based on reviews. At least it was short and easy to read. Ender keeps going through the same fights, same promotions, same earnings of respect, same feelings of remorse, fighting the same mock battles, etc. Even his sister had to give him a pep-talk.....TWICE. That's a lot of repetition for such a short book.I had known about the ending already so I didn't even enjoy that so much. I may read the second. I doubt it even though I bought them together.

I would give this book 2 stars but today I am not in the mood to be nice to it. To start this book fails to represent the science fiction genre as it's character development is weak/ nonexistent and it's plot is drivel at best. Ender is a 6 year old genius who is monitored and then selected by the military to go into their space training program to fight an alien race known as buggers. The training ends up just being some stupid and useless laser tag game. In which you end up reading about for half of the book. Ender's unstoppable strategies are nothing amazing and it is like Card wants everyone else to look like complete idiots. Ender's "genius" could be seen as something as simple as not lining up all of your troops like in old times. Through out the story there are so many holes but it seems Card's only excuse is... "genius". Ender for instance is like a god in that no one esle can compare to his no experience required knowledge. I guess this book is aimed at the young self perceived genius. The biggest part of fiction in this book is how his two siblings split the world opinion in half and end up taking over the world by what they post on internet....LAUGHABLE Also his big bad last "test" is a joke as he just uses some huge chain reaction with a weapon that can destroy planets....When he is told what those little lights on the screen are I can hear that awful, cheesy "noooooooo" off of the latest star wars movie.

From the number of reviews on Amazon, Ender's Game must be one of the most popular sci-fi novels ever written. I have read many sci-fi novels over the years, and what I usually expect are ideas about science, technology and the future of humanity, based on insights into today's science, speculation, and imagination. Sci-fi novels don't have to hold up to literature standards, as the quality of the ideas behind it is what matters the most. In addition to the ideas, we also enjoy a good plot and adventure, fleshed out characters, and/or detailed descriptions of an imagined universe.

According to this criteria, I cannot say Ender's Game scores very high. While it does contain some speculations about military technologies and politics in the future, the lack of description and reasoning behind those few ideas is quite unusual when compared to other established sci-fi novels. The technological aspects of military training and techniques are also described with such superficiality that the artificial feel to it becomes quite palpable. **SPOILER ALERT** The crucial twist at the end, when it is revealed that Ender's game was real, is totally unconvincing given that we are never told how the whole system really works, beyond "they know you are a genius and would follow any orders given". Card needs to put more effort into convincing us that children can be leading adults, by actually showing it to us. ** SPOILER END **

Ultimately, it doesn't seem the author had much more insight into the future than your average reader. Which is why it sounds strangely painful to me that this book is repeatedly called the best sci-fi ever. It is a book written for kids and young adults about isolation and the psychology of military-style training, but hardly can be called science fiction.

I first came across this book while in 7th grade. At the time I purchased it merely for the interesting cover art, not knowing how much I would come to enjoy Card's work.
Set in the future where Humans are preparing for a third war with an alien species called the Formics or Buggers, Enders Game follows the path of young Andrew "Ender" Wiggen from a undersized child in elementary school to a teenage commander of the Human fleet.
Card's storytelling is top notch in this book, creating detailed settings and interesting characters to occupy the book. His ability to balance the immaturity and childish tendencies of the characters, while at the same time demonstrating their advanced intelligence is superb.
I was also impressed with the moral and ethical issues brought up by both the students and the commanders of the battle school as Ender faces and eventually overcomes several different obstacles on the way to his final showdown with the Formics.
The only bad thing I can say about this book is that I wish it were longer.

I can not believe that the Amazon star rater only goes up to 5. Out of 5, ENDERS GAME is some where around 17 billion/5. Amazon should reconsider their rating method.
CARD IS ONE of the best authors to EVER to write his thoughts on paper. No exaggeration. At all. I made the mistake of choosing to read this book in a group with other people also reading it. So no one can accidentally spoil the ending, no one can read ahead. I was supposed to read pages 1-75 over the course of one week. That was the longest one week of my young life. I first sat down to read it on my bed and was on page 85 before the dinner bell awoke me from the trance I was in. I was not on earth when that bell rung, but at battle school, in the game room, whipping Bonzo and his salamanders.
Parents be forewarned. Enders Game is a violent book. It involves homicide, murder in self-defense, but the book goes much deeper than that. This is not one of those books like the movie "Troy" or something. This is good, quality stuff here. All people 10-40 will give it more stars than I did. All guys will love this book, but do not get me wrong. There are some crazy people who do not like this book, but all sane people who were awake while reading love this book. Any one who doesn't like this book obviously hasn't read it, boys and girls alike.

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I am not one one who would be one to be referred to as a science fiction reader, but Orson Scott Card has allowed me to appreciate this science fiction book. I used to think sci-fi was a waste of time but now, after I read this masterpiece by Orson Scott Card titled Ender's Game, I look at these books with a whole new perspective. Ender's Game is action packed; it's all a sci-fi reader could dream of.
(...)

I read this book for the first time when I was about 13 and have read it at least once a year since (I am now 22). I found in the text a glimmer of who I like to think I am. They who thought it boring, anticlimactic, or poorly written have missed the stylistic point of the whole book. When you were a child, did you think you were a child? Did what you have to say make sense to you as well as other children? It's easy as an adult to observe language patterns among the young and criticize Card's depiction of what their linguistic abilities "ought" to have been, but think of how you viewed the world when you were that age. Have your language patterns really evolved so much in your own eyes that little geniuses speaking like adults is so far fetched? The fact that this adult was able to write from the perspective of a child shows his genius and empathy.

This book was written for they who have been that child, who are ready to understand that child, and they who can see outside of their little box.

The style, after a fashion, could be equated with A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce. He writes from the character's perspective as the character understands his world, rather than from the understanding and style of Mr. Card, per se.

The ending may not be earth-shattering to you or I, but the point of the novel was that the ending was earth-shattering to Ender. Card's work is not about the reader (though I'm sure he doesn't object to the royalties, haha) it's about Ender and the world he carries with him. He touches each person around him in a very profound way. That the book is written for Ender, not the reader. Even the book, as written, puts Ender on a pedestal, thereby emphasizing his absolute solitude.

A friend loaned me this book, and it sat on my shelf for months. "Just some book about some kid who outsmarts adults, not like I haven't heard that lame plot before," I thought.

I was completely wrong. This is an astonishing piece of science fiction, political maneuvering, military theory, and most of all, human nature.

You can read the plot summaries elsewhere. I think it compares favorably with Heinlein's "Starship Troopers", although the approach is completely different. What I liked about the book was how it manipulated me, the reader, into believing certain things that, in the end, weren't true at all. Fascinating exposition, tense unwinding, and just enough character development of the supporting cast to keep it believable.

I recently finished Ender's Game and enjoyed it more than most books of the Sci-Fi or Fantasy genre I have read. Orson Scott Card is a gifted writer. His charcterizations are wonderful and the story is engaging.

This book was recommended to me by a guy I recently met. I had not met many others that had read another series that has turned into my favorite epic saga of all time...that being George R. R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire.' Seeing that he was in agreement with me on Martin's series, I thought I'd give Ender's Game a try.

I had really high expectations for it and this is something I try not to do, because most of the time they can never be reached, no matter how good a book. And, unfortunately, I think it happened here too.

The book kept me interested throughout and proved to be quite interesting. The climax was not as big an event for me as I was hoping, possibly because I had an inkling of what would happen, and it did. I'd say more but I don't want to give anything away.

I definitely recommend this book regardless. It is enjoyable and is a good read that is not too long. I'd recommend ignoring all those reviews that gave this book (or any book for that matter) 1 or 5 stars. The 1 star reviews are all worthless. A 1 star review on a book like this is typically someone that has a negative outlook on anything popular. The 5 star reviews are more likely to be genuine though maybe over the top on the praise. That's just my general take on most reviews.

Anyway, get the book and read it, you won't be disappointed and you'll be satisfied with the time spent.

Enjoy!

Why You Should Read This

If you regard(ed) yourself as a gifted child you will find the reading cathartic. If you're a parent of a gifted child then you should regard this book as non-fiction. Anyone looking for a very good book to read over the weekend or during some other short interim of time then there are really no finer books. Ender's Game is an excellent book to give or recommend to someone unfamiliar with the genre who isn't desirous of much in the way of high-brow literature. If you've read other books by Card and are (rightly) puzzled and disgusted at his iconic status then you should give this one a try.

Why You Should Pass

There is an extraordinary amount of hype surrounding this book. Do not flip the cover open expecting to have your life changed. Have realistic expectations for what it is: a decent book with mass-market appeal. If you're looking to have your life changed or affirmed, seek other books. Do not expect heavy philosophy here, you won't find it. If you're looking for heavy philosophy likewise seek elsewhere.

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Enders Game, as I have come to realize, is a highly controversial book; you either swear by it or hate it deeply. I'm one of those people who swear by this book.

The characters are richly drawn, the writing is powerful and convincing, and the story is riveting.

Everything in this book just clicks; the ending was great, the beginning was great, heck, the middle was great too. Never was the book monotonous or dull, and never could I put the book down. An attribute to how much I like the book is that I've managed to read the book not just once, but three times.

So read this book. Even if you don't like it you can at least see what all the fuss is about.

Oh, and by the way, Enders Game will be made into a movie. (I can't wait!)

This book could have been written as a short story ... by a thirteen year old.

It could be retiled "Recess goes to Space".

How anyone could rate this little-boy-saves-the-day story alongside the greats of SF is utterly beyond me.

This book was lent to me by someone who simply couldn't wait to see what I thought of the twist in the tale. I won't repeat the conversation we had after I finished.

Thank God I didn't spend money on this simplistic, trivial, waste of paper.

Orson Scott Card's ENDER'S GAME is the best book in the WORLD! I read a lot of reviews saying otherwise, so I say this: read how many good reviews there are compared to bad ones. Believe me, ENDER'S GAME is a must-read!The plot sounds dull but OSC's terrific skills in writing takes that over.

Who can say that a book about a genius boy among geniuses in a genius school who hates himself because he is too much like his evil brother and misses his affectionate sister is not interesting? What about when there is a little boy in the genius boy's army who is only about six years old? What about if these kids act and talk, not like children, but adults? What about when the teachers ruin the kid's life so much that he has horrid dreams and bites himself in his sleep? Sounds gruesome now? Wait 'till you read the book, becase if you don't you are really being mean to yourself.

If you haven't read the book yet, you have two years to do so, as the Ender's Game movie is slated to be in theatres within the year of 2006; otherwise, you will be labeled as one of those people who read the book after you saw the movie, which is of course oh so not cool to the people who wear the buddy holly glasses. Nonetheless, you should read the book anyway as it is a very forward thinking story, upholding such a simple premise: we value children we raise and how we raise them, as they are the future of human society.
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The book seems well liked by males, even more liked by gifted children, as the book focuses a lot on the woes that gifted children, the children that will create the future, face while growing up.
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Even today's kids could relate to Ender and his schoolmates as they battle on their rotating space station that lies near the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter; normal kids today might not have to play battle games in null gravity, but they do undergo the same stress. Whether it's between them and schoolmates, parents, tests, team sports or hormones, the average kid is always in a battle... struggling with their own game.
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Ender's Game is not the one played in the battle-rooms, but the one he struggles with every day, it's his life; though, his life is not just any, it's the life of a person who holds the lives of others in his hands. More than science fiction, Ender's Game philosophizes what could happen if our future, our children, understood how much of humanities fate lied in their hands.
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It will be interesting to see how much of the book's premise will be illustrated on celluloid, but nonetheless, the movie will surely be delivered with a high emphasis on special effects, action, general production design and star power. After you read Ender's Game, consider Ender's Shadow, as the film will be a hybrid of both books. I have been awaiting the announcement of this movie for years, I can't wait to be the first nerd in line.

This was another book club selection. It was a quick, easy read - but left no real impact. A pure pleasure read - if you're into science fiction, that is. I thought the end was overly contrived...too cute. It was almost as is Card was getting as tired of the battle room as I was. Then, as if to suddenly try to redeem the book as more than just a video game fantasy, he rapidly ages his characters and gives them conscience struggles.

All in all, I wouldn't recommend this book. It's harmless, and there are worse books to read - but there are so many better ones out there, why waste the time? I'm just glad that I didn't shell out any money for my copy!

I read this novel for a college class in young adult literature, and when I began it, I wasn't just thrilled. I thought this was the basic science fiction novel that I had read dozens of times before. There wasn't going to be anything special here. But, I went on, and it didn't take very long to convert me. This is a special book that captivates you, and if you look deep enough, has the power to change you.

The plot centers around Ender, a child genious charges with the task of developing his mental abilities into military skills to defeat an alien race who had attacked the earth years before. This novel presents his years in school, playing inventive warrior games in space, and his attempt to save the world. He struggles with relationships with the other students (since he is a genious), with the powers trying to manipulate him, and with the intense need to succeed at war games.

The plot is so exciting and entertaining, but the novel also raises a lot of questions. There are the ethical questions about war and power, and there is a strong message about love and empathy. The novel also examines the life of children who are smarter than their peers, and it roles of teachers in students life. There is also an insightful discussion about "games" and reality. Lastly, there is Ender's struggle to obtain freedom from the forces manipulating him. His sister Valentine makes the claim that he can't obtain true freedom except by accepting the roles offered to him by the people who love him. He does choose to serve the people he loves and gains some purpose and happiness. I thought it was a powerful message from a truly wonderful novel.

The novel "Enders Game" by Orson Scott Card can be summde up into one word, awsome! I definitely have to give this book a rating of 5 out of 5. I would say this is my new favorite book. I'm not that much of a book reader, and I only read when i'm forced to. This book was so great that has in a way inspired me, and showed me that if you find the right book you can enjoy reading alot. From this book I have started to read some of the sequels that follow the first.
The book is about a young genius, Ender Wiggin, who is merely five or six. He os recruied by an international army whose goal is to protect the human race from extinction. The threat, a bug like alien species who are determined to destroy all that the humans strive for. These aliens, called the buggers, have already attacked earth twice, and are planning for their third and final invasion. Ender has been recruited as earths last hope, he and his frends from his battle school are to train to eventually fight in the last stand against the buggers.
I like so many parts of this book. One this is the detail that the author uses, it puts a cryatal clear image of the surroundindgs and what's going on in your head. He also has this great way of making you feel like you're in the book. Throughout this book I could imagine myself taking the place of Ender. The thought of being in the book gives you such a rush that you can't put it down, and sometimes i would find myself up untill 3 in the morning reading. One other thing the author did was used some writing that was hard to comprehend. Insteads of getting fustrated with this, i just found myself very curious. So I had to re read it a few times to get it. One example of this is "So they sent you out in a starship, got youup to a relativistic speed?" said Ender "And then i turned around and came home. A ver dull voyage, 50 years in space, but only 8 years had past for me" said Mazer.
This was with no doubt the greatest book I have ever read in my entire life. I would recommend this book to readers of all ages who love an action type science fiction book. I think that you should buy tihs book right away, so you can finish it and start on the others. Make sure that you have alot of time set out for this book, because when u start it you won't be able to put it down.

I'm usually disinclined to the sci-fi genre, so I had misgivings when I saw "Ender's Game" on my summer reading list freshman year. I expected a plot-driven, purely theoretical novel, a book that would examine machines in more detail than it would humanity. How wrong I was-- I have never read a novel of such emotional impact. "Ender's Game," through its starkly and brilliantly defined characters, takes the reader to the very core of human behavior, from manipulation and murder to love, empathy, and redemption. While the plot is superbly captivating and suspenseful, to me it serves as a device to illustrate much grander ideals. The internal battles that each character struggles with are as immediate and compelling as the raging inter-species war. Realism and idealism face off in a world where they cannot coexist-- Ender's fundamentally loving and nonviolent philosophies are swallowed in the immediacy of Earth's desperate situation. Valentine, Peter, and Ender together create an intriguing triumvirate of pacifism and moderation, conquest and ambition, and all that lies between the poles. This is no ordinary sci-fi paperback; "Ender's Game" catapults itself into a stratosphere beyond which any other novels of the genre have reached. A triumph on every level!

There has been a few times in my life that a book has hit me so hard that it almost left me staggering from the blow. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is one of those books. It is so full of insight and amazingly developed characters that it feels real. This is despite the fact that the main characters are very young children with intellects that are higher than your average adult.

The story takes place in Earth's future. The planet has been attacked several times by an alien race known as the "buggers." The attacks took place years before the novel opens, and the surviving humans fear that another may occur soon. Since humanity won the last war by a stroke of luck, they are trying to find a leader that will have the fortitude and skill to win the next war. They search for these leaders among the children of Earth. This is where Ender Wiggin comes into play. It is determined that he might have the ability to be "the one" that could rise up to defeat the aliens. The book is all about this discovery.

I would not want to give away any of the delicious plot of this incredible novel. Suffice it to say that it is a dark and sinister work full of suspense. It is not a book to begin at night in bed unless you plan on getting no sleep. It is simply impossible to put down. The premise almost sounds laughable. Believe me, it isn't. Card's greatest strength is character development. If you go into this book expecting typical "action" you will not get what you are anticipating. It is not a simple "fight the aliens" book. It is full of deep meaning, and it spoke straight to my heart. I identified with the main characters so much it was scary. The themes and motifs in this novel stay with you. It is impossible for this review to do the book justice. I, honestly, often tell people about it when I am browsing in a bookstore and find another person looking for a novel standing beside me. I have caused several strangers to by the book because of the praise I give it. I think everyone should read it. Even if you do not like science fiction, you would like this book. It is honestly my second favorite book of ALL TIME, and, trust me, I have read more than your average bookworm.

I was recommended this book by two friends while on a Spring Break trip as one of the greatest books EVER written (they were appalled that I had never heard of it before). I couldn't pass up skipping that one now I decided. I came home and started reading it and soon couldn't set it down! I was so enthralled in the book that I spent every moment out of college and work reading it! My girl-friend actually got jealous and upset that I was paying too much attention to the book and ignoring her and my studies!
It is enthrawling and suspenseful! It is amazing to see Card's view of the future (as the book was written way back in 1985). The strategies that Ender comes up to understand his enemies enlighten you to feel as if you are one of those smart children, like you know how he feels! And with that understanding comes the capability to crush and destroy them in competition. Yet he does not wish for power, or glory. Everything is in this story that you could ever hope for...and just when you think the book is running out of time to get to a good ending...the surprise will blow you away.
I have not read a book like this in a VERY VERY long time. It doesn't have any dull or slow moments, and it is hard to set down.

For anyone who has not experienced the saga of Ender Wiggin I cannot recommend this book enough. Following the early life of Andrew (Ender) Wiggin, the book captures the interest right off. It quickly moves to the battle school where children are forged into the military leaders of the future. One cannot help but pity Ender as he is forged into one of the greatest military leaders in human histoy. The story line is well conceived, the plot moves quickly and the characters are interesting. I would easily place this book in my top five SF novels of all time. If you have never read this novel, read it. If you have read it, read it again...it's worth it!

Geez, I was told that this book was so amazing and it was compared to Dan Simmons and his Hyperion series. PLease, please, please! This book could have been read in 3rd grade!
This was such easy reading and I never really felt "there" in this book. It lacks depth in character and environment. It was, however, entertaining to read. I continued to read the next three books and they seem to be written by a completely different person! They are much better written but they still are not totally engrossing. Good book(s). Not great.
Those of you that truly want to be challenged on a totally magnificant level while being amazed at the story, read Hyperion! Sorry Orson.

Although I'm an avid fiction reader and amazon shopper, this is the first time I've ever actually written a review...Notice, I didn't say I was a "science fiction reader". Not being partial to sci-fi books, I was shocked by how taken I was with Ender's Game. It is one of the top 5 books I've ever read....And I'm a 35 year-old female--Part of a market I doubt this book was aimed at.

Ender's Game is a compelling novel about the difficult first years of Ender Wiggen. This is by far the best science fiction book I have read, and has become one of my favorite stories of any genre. Orson Scott Card wonderfully portrays life on our future Earth. I could clearly visualize each setting because they were described with such detail.
Ender is a young boy (6 to about 13 throughout the book) who is a military tactical genius. He is sent up to a Battle School in space where he and other remarkable children his age are trained in to fight and command in a zero gravity "battle room." Aliens have attacked Earth twice and are expected to attack again sometime soon. The Military is hoping to select students from the school to lead the defense. Ender always wins all the games and is by far the most promising of all the kids. He is isolated and pushed to his limits in all of his training. He is so good that he is sent to Command School where he further continues his education. He fights battle simulations against his teacher, who is surprisingly, as smart as Ender.
I would strongly recommend this book to any reader even if you're not into sci. fi. This novel flows along without a glitch, and all the plot twists will keep you from ever putting it down. It is one of the books that makes you sad when you finish it, just because it's over. I would not be surprised if you read this book in one sitting because I know that you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Science fiction is all too often looked upon as an inferior form of literature. True, there is plenty of trash in SF, but also in romance and mystery and those are rarely refered to with the same contempt. One of my english teachers once said (and I apologize in advance if my quote is not a hundred percent accurate) that only a realistic novel (i.e takes place in a realistic setting) can achieve a high level of emotional effect, because the reader can only identify with the characters if they are placed in a setting we are personally familiar with.

Ha.

For any of you who might share this opinion, Ender's Game is the place to start your re-education. A masterpiece, one of the finest books written in the last fifty years, an absolute essential reading for all - I'll go as far as to say, especially those who are not heavy SF fans, because if you're a heavy SF fan and you haven't read it you're in trouble. Suffice to say that it won both the Hugo and the Nebula awards, and that it absolutely deserved them. Ender's Game is the most human, most touching piece of science fiction I've read, a perfectly flowing novel, the kind that is painful to put down. I wouldn't like to give too much of the plot away, but I would say that it takes plaee in outer space, and it does in some way involve aliens; and it's completely not what you might expect.

Orson Scott Card is a wonderful author, and of his books that I've read Ender's Game is most likely the best. Three sequels exist, all of them fantastic, but Ender's Game is by far the most accessible. The second book in the series, Speaker for the Dead, is also a masterpiece, but it's involves much more 'sci-fi philosophy' which some may find more appealing than the more psychological emphysis of Ender's Game and others may find somewhat tiresome. The others in the series, Xenocide and Children of the Mind, continue the direction the second part took and wander further off to long, complex phylosophical-scienific theories. Those two are certainly not for everyone. Ender's Game is, and it's the place to start. I've said enough. Read it now.

Ender's Game is the story of a young boy who is forced to fulfill a destiny which he would not have chosen for himself. In a time when children are bred and nurtured to become military prodigies, Ender is chosen as fulfilling the necessary criteria to become a dangerous weapon in the human population's battle against aliens who have attacked them in the past. The focus of the book, however, is not this battle itself so much as the training Ender and his peers must undergo in order to be prepared for it.

Those selected as being of proper aptitude are removed from their families to the Battle School, a remote space station where students are formed into armies and undergo intense training in the "game" of battling each other in military formations. The story is an interesting psychological examination of the turmoil in Ender's head as he continually faces the fact that his brilliance is intended by others to be used for violence. He is the best in his school and is keenly aware of it, but this leads to being continually faced with harrassment (and worse) by the other students. Ender must learn to handle this in order to prove himself as a capable leader, even as he wrestles with his internal desire to remain peaceful and abandon his training altogether. As Card quotes from Jesus's words in the course of the story, "I come not to bring peace, but the sword."

I find this an interesting examination of the role of violence-- in what situations can it be considered appropriate, or at least the lesser of two evils? In the course of the book Ender commits acts which he considers reprehensible, but for which the rest of the world is all too ready to excuse him. We as readers are forced to draw our own conclusions about the morality of Ender's actions.

I've never read anything by Orson Scott Card that wasn't at least very, very good (excellent is his usual territory). I think "Ender's Game" is his masterpiece (so far). (I haven't read the sequels yet, can they possibly sustain the comparison? I'll have to dive in and see.) Other reviewers have given some idea of the plot of this book, so I'll just say that very few adult or juvenile, popular or "serious" works of fiction in any genre can compare. It's not just my opinion; I bought the book for my nephew (one of those kids who hates to read) and he ate it up. If you like gaming and/or futuristic stories, or if you are interested in the workings of your own or others' minds & hearts, read this book. It's stunningly good. If you like "Ender's Game" and other books in the series, don't stop there. Orson Scott Card has lots of other good stuff to offer--how about a frontier America where hexes and spells are a taken-for-granted part of everyday life? (If this sounds interesting, check out the "Seventh Son" series.) I've been reading science fiction for over 20 years, and Orson Scott Card is one of very best the genre has to offer.

I was recommended this book by my father. Usually I am a strcit fantasy reader, rarely venturing into the somewhat "colder tone" of science fiction. However, I could not put it down after reading the first page and finished it in one day. Ender's Game, deals with children and the pysche. more than that, it deals with limitations; how far can you push a person; how far will a man go to get what he wants; and when does a child stop being a child? Ender's game deals with all these questions and more: how deep are the differences that seperate us? This book truly makes the reader think. Orson Scott Card is as much a genius, in his way, as the characters he has created. The book never drags and is never predictable. It's spontaneity makes the reader relate even more to Ender because we are kept almost as much in the dark as he is. Never have I read a book with a character so lovable as Ender. His non-existent childhood, the manipulation he is forced to be a pawn in, the fact that no one ever cuts him a break . . .all these things make the reader stand by him even more. Even if you are not a fan of science fiction, read this book. It is the story of men who must sacrifice a child for the sake of humanity and the child who surprises them all.

Ender's Game is a book that emblazons itself upon your psyche. The reader is immediately immersed in the adult-child war game realm of the characters and as pages turn you cannot help but to accept that human survival may depend on the creative thinking of a child. Of course, as the reader follows Ender's maturation as warrior and person there is the subltle recognition that children become adults two ways, gradually and then suddenly.

After so many friends raved about this book, I was very disappointed when I finally read it. THe premise is silly, the characters so comic-bookish as to be unbelievble, and the science is questionable. Maybe I am geting fed up with science fiction, but I still believe that one of the so-called classics should be much much better. Oh well.

I'm sorry, I just didn't like this novel. I found it unbelievable (seven years olds doing all that! Come on!), predictable (like everybody except Ender himself didn't all see THAT ending coming), and obviously written and with sequels in mind (which I refuse to waste my time reading). It's a good book for young teenagers, but not for us 30-somethings, and CERTAINLY undeserving of the Hugo and Nebula awards!

Ender's Game is not "Just another science fiction book". It is a compelling military saga that demonstrates why during time of war we must be willing to sacrifice the few to save the many. They are the children. Ender and his friends (enemies) are spending their childhoods preparing for the final showdown between humanity and an apocolyptic force of insect/aliens.

But the book is not about the war, it is about preparing. Ender must constantly train playing video games and "laser tag" type games. I know it doesn't seem to exciting to read about 8 year olds playing laser tag, but the purpose of the games is to develop strategy. The reader will sit through a dozen games in a row, but you are always wanting more because of the strategy. What will Ender think of next. How will he turn the opponent's strengths into weakness, and his own weakness into strength?

Aside from the excitement of the Game, the story also provides a great deal of perspective on military protocol: Why it is necessary to follow rules at all times, and why it is necessary to break those rules. Ender is a tool of the military, he has no identity of his own, he exists only to serve the cause of humanity.

There is also a pretty neat subplot with Ender's brother and sister who are still on Earth. It deals primarily with using media to produce a void in the collective conscience of our civilization. If you cultivate the void and wait for the correct moment, you can fill it with whatever you think it should be filled with, people become sheep to your shepard.

To counterbalance the scourge of war, characters also explore ethical and philosophical questions the actions they will be forced to take in battle: we have to kill these innocents in order to save those innocents.

And after the Sci-Fi technology, the military, and the ethics, the author wallops the reader over the head with a shock that will leave you spinning for days. Remember how you felt the first time you heard who Luke's father was, or in the "Ususal Suspects" when you realized who Kaiser Sose' was? This is that same kind of feeling.

I first read Ender's Game when I was in Elementary school. I have read it many times since, the most recent being this Spring (2000). This book is a timeless classic and surprisingly appeals to a great range of ages.

Any gifted youngster can instantly bond and identify with Ender Wiggin, a lowly 'third', upon whom the fate of the human race may just depend. The story is inventive and charming. The internal dialogue for Ender, and the characterization of the supporting cast is impressive. Card manages to paint a captivating landscape of people and environs, while still moving along the plot at an impressive tack.

The final 'twist' that puts this book over the top does not necessarily ruin its enjoyment (otherwise I would never have read it more than once), so if someone's spoiled that for you, please don't let it stop you from reading this book, you'll be glad it didn't.

Personally, I think Card should have stopped with this book, as the remainder of the series is not as "meaty". I just couldn't get into them like I did E-Game. I hope the plans to turn this book into a movie come to fruition, as I would be first in line!

In this age of marketing, advertising and intensive information exchange, superlative adjectives tend to be overused and abused. How can everything be unique or spectacular, for then good would surely be reduced to average? However, certain books (like any work of art or product/commodity) turn out to be true Classics, with broader and broader appeal; they actually improve with age as fine wine.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, can only be described as a true classic. It is a unique and brilliantly written work that keeps the reader enthralled and entertained throughout. The novel reads better now than when it was first published twenty-three years ago. The first book in a series (now five books total) of stories that revolve around lead character Andrew (Ender) Wiggin, Card weaves a totally believable universe containing two completely incompatible and utterly at-odds interplanetary species. One is the human race and one is a society of creatures known only as the "Buggers" due to their resemblance to insects. Earth society has temporarily suspended international hostilities to join together and fight the alien menace. This international cooperation spawns a worldwide recruiting process to identify, gather and train the best and brightest child minds. The ultimate goal is to mold them into leaders of the future human attack/defense forces against the alien Buggers.

Card does an amazing job of relating the thoughts and fears of children in the story, who are almost exclusively the main characters. Also, he provides the characters with passion, strength and emotions that one would expect to see in children pushed to the brink of endurance. Title character Ender Wiggin is unknowingly pre-selected to lead the human forces pending his successful training regimen, and the majority of the novel focuses in the time period Ender spends training in Card's wonderful invention, the "Battle Room". The Battle Room and the "Battle School" are the main reasons this novel is great SF. It combines futuristic scientific applications that seem only just outside of current human reach, such as interstellar travel and control of gravity, plus the wonderfully depicted psychological interplay of a group of the most talented and aggressive youths the planet has to offer.

Stylistically, Card is an excellent writer. His dialogue is top notch, and readers become very interested in the characters he aptly portrays. He uses strong, active verbs, that keep you on edge and reading the story way past bedtime. Recently, Card published the fifth novel in the series, Ender's Shadow, which retells the same story from the angle of a different character. Fans already familiar with the series will find the desire to re-read Ender's Game to cross-reference the newest addition to the Ender Universe. Like many great works by Jules Verne, appreciation of the Ender Universe continues to grow as time passes. The exponential increases in current technology in recent years only help bring Card's ideas into sharper focus and greater believability.

This is a must read book for all that claim to be fans of the SF genre. However, the story also stands on its own with exciting action sequences and exceptionally likeable and well developed characters. It was both a Hugo and Nebula award winner, which is validaion to give it an automatic read for most SF fans. Do so, you will be glad you did.

To my surprise, the last 40 pages of Ender's Game largely redeem the novel, and raise my rating from 2 stars to 3 (3.5, if I could), especially for young readers. I've read enough sci-fi novels that have great ideas but weak endings not to give a great ending credit when it's due. For more mature readers (I'm 31), the rest of the novel doesn't offer very much more than a few cleverly integrated concepts of the psychology of leadership, with little growth in the protagonist. Like a comic book superhero, Ender never missteps, and the obstacles he faces are all quickly dispatched with a minimum of fuss and exposition. One can see why the novel appeals so much to young readers. Minor point of logic: one wonders how victory could have been complete given the bugger's apparently extensive off-world colonization.

Buy it for your adolescent kid if you must, and just hope he doesnt throw it in your face for insulting his intelligence.

In the foreword of the most recently published _Ender's Game_, Card states that its detractors would select two avenues of criticism, and the reviews bear out his assertion.

First, children would not be entrusted with the duty of Earth's protection through command of a multinational fleet, because they lack the wit, mentality and experience to do so.

Second, some would find his writing entirely too simple to take seriously.

I refute the first charge on the basis that chess and insurgent warfare have already proven that a child can function as an effective combatant and strategist. In Vietnam, children were snipers and couriers of supplies and intelligence, in addition to carrying explosives on their bodies to detonate in public places where Americans were. In chess, Bobby Fischer, Josh Waitzkin and many international grandmasters developed their skills as children, to the point that they could defeat entire halls of adults in simultaneous games. If an extraordinary circumstance arose (such as a war with a poorly understood Other) and the means of identifying embryonic military geniuses were available, the Government might do well to exploit this pool of talent in defense of its own species. I think those who most strongly dislike this book do so because it invokes their own prejudices towards a military in all of its aspects.

Second, I like the fact that his writing doesn't give you a sharp visual focus of the work. Card made the story more effective and striking for me by allowing me to envision the manner in which everything appeared, functioned, et cetera. All of the children in the story have faces similar to people with whom I grew up, and that deepened the impact of children being forced to perform society's most unforgiving tasks. If you can see them as your children, siblings or close friends, then you will understand a pathos beyond the fantasy of power and invincibility that its critics have accused this book of being.

While I might have written this book differently, I am not Orson Scott Card. His ideas of training for the realities of conflict in space are basically sound, and for that alone he deserves some attention. Ender speaks powerfully to bright, young children who have been ostracized for demonstration of their intelligence and talent, and I would hand this book to any child in search of goals that utilize their talents fully.

When it comes to novels, I'm a big fan of science fiction. I'm an avid reader, and this is definitely one of the best books I have ever read. I've read it twice so far, and will probably read it again when I finish reading the parallel novel "Ender's Shadow." Superior storytelling.

This is a book for all ages. The reading is not difficult, yet the characters and plot have astounding depth. This is the book that started it all. This is Orson Scott Card's legacy. Almost everybody who has read Card has read Ender's Game at one time or another. Most started reading Card because of Ender's Game. Ender's Game's plot, characters, setting, and description are all top-of-the-line. This is the most incredible Science Fiction/Fantasy novel I have ever read, along with Watership Down and Stranger in a Strange Land. Some say this book is perfect. I have to agree.

Ender's Game is a highly compelling if slightly adolescent page-turner which, in addition to an entertaining plot, has a few excellent and truly original concepts. In some ways, Ender is a kind of teenage Howard Roark (see Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead"), but is several degrees more entertaining, several steps back from the abstract abyss, and at times, however, even less psychologically plausible. One of the most interesting concepts, and a profound thought experiment for the development of identity in the digital age, is a pair of teens who become influential world leaders despite the fact that their personae exist only on Card's nascent vision of the net, as pseudonymous personae hiding the fact that their alter egos actually are just emerging from puberty. Well worth it, but do not give in to the temptation you may feel to read the sequels, which are almost unrecognizably different in style, pace, and artificial depth.

This is a good "beach book." A quick read while on vacation, but it certainly doesn't deserve four and 1/2 stars. It was never thought provoking, which good science fiction should be, and it was completely predictable. Basically, it's about a bunch of kids playing war games, with some pop psychology thrown in for good measure. Card should have delved into the aliens more. In fact, I was surprised he waited until the end and then gave them cursory explanation. For an excellent sci fi read, pick up The Child Garden by Geoff Rymann instead.

I have a broad range of topics and genres that interest me, science fiction is merely one of them. BUT, out of all the types of books that I have read (romance, mystery, adventure, horror, sci-fi), Ender's Game is one of the most outstanding books in print today.

The story is in itself riveting. Deep and emotional, we discover that there's a little bit of Ender in all of us, which is why the story is capable of making such a tremendous impact on the reader's life.

One of the things in this book that I like so much is the way Card helps the reader follow Ender's line of thinking so well. His solutions, while brilliantly well thought, are in many cases, just common sense. But the reader is well aware of the fact that most of us wouldn't have been able to think ourselves out of a wet paper sack in the same situations. We are left feeling dazed and more than a little amazed.

Still, I think it is hard to read this book without the benefit of a few kleenex boxes nearby. Card is absolutely magic at making the reader actually feel Ender's loneliness and isolation. It should be considered mandatory reading and will surely go down as a classic.

A truly wonderful story and very enjoyable. It is not, however, a light, easy read and definitely not for the faint of heart. It WILL penetrate down to your very core.

Following a veritable blizzard of recommendations for this book, I finally decided to read Ender's Game. What I found was an exciting well-written novel, with just one key problem: Card doesn't respect his reader, and thus the novel is predictaable. I know something of Science-Fiction, having read it for many years. I wasn't expecting another Dune or Foundation, but to rank this novel among them is a horrible mistake. There was never a time in this book when I was not at least a page ahead of the author, usually further. The surprise ending should not have been a surprise to anyone who has dabbled in short science-fiction. One ought to read Ender's Game, and enjoy it, and perhaps even cerish it, but to rank it among the best Science-Fiction written is folly.

I thoght that this was the worst book ever and should be burned in hell

Okay, what is it about this book does everyone love?? I don't understand. It's boring, there's no action, and the kid beats people up (not that I mind that). It has GOT to be one of the most boring books I've ever read, and the few actions scenes are not that well written.

Instead of telling you about character development, plot, etc. I'll tell you a story -- there are enough posts here on these aspects.

Ten years ago I read Ender's Game. Five years after that I stopped at a bookstore to buy a sci-fi book to read during a flight. The sequel, Speaker for Dead, jumped off of the rack because that phrase revived fond memories of a book read years before. Isn't a book which can compel that kind of association worth reading?

I've read this book four times easy and Speaker at least three -- liked, but didn't rave over Xenocide, the last book in the series. And I usually don't reread old books!

Card's early sci-fi centers around a child with a special gift. This book will truly fill you with the wonder and amazement of "looking through the eyes of a child".

My name is Kevin Goulding and I go to Desert Ridge Middle School. "Ender's Game was a beautiful story of a young boy." Yeah right. I read this book in school and was extremely disappointed. I can understand breeding military genuises, but 6 years old? Nobody acts that much like an adult when they are six years old! No matter how much genetics takes over, you are not going to get a genius that young. All of these characters are incredibly unreal in the way they talk and act. You can only imagine how bad Ender felt when he found out that we were going to attack those poor, innocent little buggers. If you read the back cover, you read that they have almost destroyed Earth. How could you feel bad for them? Then the last 2 chapters went by so fast and pointlessly that I was left feeling confused when I finally finished that piece of literary garbage. Read some other reviews and you'll hear people spewing out trash about how great the book is. For the most part it was not descriptive, and I could not visualize the games, the ships, or the characters. Ender's Game was definitely worth a 1 to me.

The opening to this science fiction shows a frantic earth trying to save itself from aliens (aka "buggers"). The novel develops from an idea that rearing children to play games can save the earth from ultimate destruction. The earth is unified in this novel to defend and destroy the aliens. One senses that this is a tenuous aliance with differing factions jockeying for propaganda dominance and the right to rule after the "Third Invasion." The story progresses along a narrative of Ender Wiggin's training for command and combat. There are strange twists and turns in this wonderfully written science fiction.

There are many underlying themes and levels of understanding developed alongside this interesting and unfolding story. One level is the story itself. Others discuss philosophical and political questions. How much of life is a game? In chess there is an endgame strategy, and so it is fitting that Card names his book, Ender's Game. Can children be taken from their parents and developed into fighting machines incapable of affection or emotion without appropriate consequences? The novel pits emotions with missions and purpose and the sacrifice of youth for the survival of society. How much will it impact humankind is discussed but not fully developed or concluded. Overall, the book poses questions about life, training and education and the importance that kinship, friendships and relationships play in the development of the whole person. I read the novel at several levels and appreciated the author's intellectual challenge.

Ever read a book where you say "Okay, I'm gonna read to chapter three, and stop" but when you get there, it's like the book has hypnotised you, and you keep on reading...reading...reading...and before you know it you've finished it? Ender's Game is one such book. From beginning to climactic end, Orson Scott Card holds you in his grip, preventing you from leaving the mini-universe he creates in your mind. When a book is written in this style that only makes you ravenous for more, who cares about little things like vocabulary, literary techniques, and grammatical perfection? This is the basic concept of what makes reading books such as these fun. What makes Ender's Game so dynamic? First of all, Card uses precise language that gets straight to the point. Second of all there is a huge difference in the standards of our culture and Ender's that makes Ender's Game an extremely compelling book. Third, the tension and suspense is brought up to an almost unbearable level, until the ending comes. And believe me, it (the ending) won't dissapoint. Lastly, the plot itself is unprecedentedly superb in structure and originality. If you don't read Ender's Game, you do yourself a great injustice. It is a great book, and should be remembered throughout literary history. (by Jonathan Barchas)

As a 6th grade teacher, it's very typical to have to battle with students to get them to read. This book was the exception. I actually had students upset when I wouldn't let them take the book home so that they could read it on their own!

I highly recommend this book to show students, rather than tell them, that reading can be an "experience," and not just work. I had the students write for 10 minutes after each chapter. They were to explain why Ender felt the way he did and why. They also needed to write how they would have felt, and why, as well.

I don't know if it was all the book, or partly the bonding of thinking about how the main character felt, or both, but EVERY student in my class was fully enveloped in this book. When I asked them to read in groups, they read. When I told them it was time to stop, they were upset. When I asked a student to read for the class, they ALWAYS knew exactly where we were. It was amazing!

The plot of the book has been described over and over, so there's no need for me to repeat it, but there are a couple things to note. This book is not for an immature class. The story takes place in an almost all-boy's school. Boys from all ages attend the school, so there are things said and done that can be expected. There are a few cuss words said throughout the book, and the mention of boys walking around naked. However, the students get over it very quickly. There are a few chuckles during the first couple reading sessions, but then it's no big deal to them anymore. Actually, it may even pull them further into the book, since they feel that they're being treated unlike children during the reading.

I will read this book with a class every year I am able. Order a class set of these. You won't regret it! It's the best book I've ever read with students...EVER!

As a librarian I recognize that Ender's Game was hugely popular as a YA book (I'm not calling it a novel) along with the author's name, Orson Scott Card, several years ago. I thought I'd better read it before I started recommending it to Grade 5 kids looking to read science fiction. The real deal: I checked the circ listings for my county's 36 library consortium, and I'm the only one who has the book checked out.

The story has more action than depth, and unfortunately the action is very repetitive. The characters are dull; the adults don't grow with experience, nor the children with age. The voices and thoughts of the children are never childish, never strained by inexperience or emotion, even though we are introduced to these characters at very young ages. The only thing that helped me keep the perspective of Ender as a child was flipping back to the cover art to look at the appealing picture of Ender.

The storyline is suitable for a fifth grader, but the "highbrow" (not!) language will throw younger readers off course. Mature readers who can throttle through the stiff language will lose interest in the low level, predictable, condescending, stereotyped maneuvers at cloning a story.

I waded through it all, hoping to encounter a redeeming moment, but at the end the reader is left only with Ender's apocryphal remorse. Ender's Game is a perfect fit for the 1950's black & white television era when we went screaming from the likes of "The Crawling Eye" and "Them", but grossly disappoints today's sophisticated readers.

I just finished reading the science fiction novel called Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. It was a decent story about a fast thinking child, who is shipped out to battle school to be trained as a soldier in the expected alien invasion. Because the battle school instructors have seen his ability to think fast, and innovate, they know that they cannot treat him like a regular student. They make him 100% accountable for himself, even when people are out to get him. When he shows himself to be true leader material, the battle school administrators throw every challenge, twist or turn they can imagine his way.

As I do not wish to spoil the story, I will not talk about Ender's progress from this point. Ender faces many hardships with the daily grind during his training, his battle school teammates and enemies. He struggles as well with the mental demands everyone has for him, and the mental stress caused by the family he left behind. Throughout the story, you begin to feel the same emotions as Ender, which are not all bad.

I would recommend this book to any reader under the age of fourteen. Although I enjoyed the book, and it was on the honors reading list at my high school, I think that the concepts of the children engaging in outer space battles would be much more enticing to a younger audience. But over all, good read, good story, good book.

Thanks for reading.
Please give feedback.

Ender's Game is a great book for all ages and genders. This book is the story of a young boy, Ender, who is blessed with super human intelligence. He is taken to an area in space called Battle School where the government has bred super human commanders. As the boy grows, you go with him on his journey where the adults isolate him and destroys every last mental gate so that the government can use him as the ultimate weapon. This book is a great book for someone who doesn't like books that take their time. This book jumps right into the action and engrosses the reader through the whole story. From when Ender is a six year old boy trying to fight his way through simulation battles, to when he is twelve years old sending his army into a battle that would save the world. I this book think could be a considered a classic.
Even though Orson Scott Card, a great Sci-Fi writer, has a great choice of words, sometimes his plots can become convoluted. Because he is trying to come up with a new world, parts of the book feel a little bit dense or overworked. In the parts where he is trying write about how Ender learns to fight and how he teaches others are almost too detailed. This wouldn't be a problem with the book since the rest of the book is fast paced. I enjoyed a book with a lot of plot, but, I think that he has created a world that is ingenious. You never feel that he is just rambling. We feel for Ender, even though he has been pushed beyond the brink, and feel he is still loveable and has a great voice.
In the end, Orson Scott Card has found a way to revolutionize Sci-Fi books. He can explain his world in a way that is meticulous and perfectly crafted. This is a great book and can be enjoyed by everyone.

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 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.

Not only is this one of the greatest sci-fi novels of all time, it is also a primer on leadership, its concepts, and application. This gift version is beautifully executed and worth the 12 and change it costs on Amazon. A worthy addition to any library, home, corporate, or otherwise.

Having blown off life, spouse, and cats on Sunday in order to read cover to cover Ender's Game, I was left feeling cheated that no one had given me this book earlier in life and demanded that I read it. On my brief breaks from the book to forage for food in the fridge, I refused to speak to my spouse as I didn't want to come out of the world created by Card in this must-read book.

I'm not a sci-fi fan by nature and so wasn't expecting much. But I was hooked from page 1 and never looked back. I'm off to the local library to see if they carry the sequels.

Ender's Game is quite possibly the quintessential Sci-Fi novel. It's one of the best around with some truly unique settings and characters. For any fan of science fiction, this is a must read, and was one of the inspirations for my own novel The Elder Worlds: Book One.

I first read Ender's Game in high school, around the time I tackled my first novel, which went through many revisions since those days. Ender's Game was one of those books that was hard to put down, and played out almost like a movie. The writing style of Card makes it easy to visualize the characters while still allowing for individual interpretations.

Wow! I just finished reading Ender's Game for the first time, and I must say it has established itself as one of my favorite books. I won't focus on plot synopsis or spoilers--let me just share with you some of the things I most enjoyed. Oh, and by the way, Ender's Game stands on it's own. So you can read it and end with a sense of completeness. Although it does set the stage for its sequel, it does not do so at the expense of a good conclusion.

Card presents a world that is plausible--a distant future, but not one so disconnected from today that we do not recognize it. He did a superb job of expressing the human condition, especially in the primary actors of this story--genetically engineered children who were created solely in the hope that one of them would be the super-soldier they need to save the world.

His insights are profound, yet very simply stated. For example, in a society where conforming citizens have sworn-off their religious beliefs, Card gives insight into Ender's past by describing how his father insisted on baptizing the boy at home, even after disavowing his faith.

As a technologist, I was profoundly impressed by Card's insight into some technologies that were yet to see their rise: student "desks" that are (what we would today call) tablet PCs (with holographic displays); the reach and influence of "the nets" (or "newsnets")--a vast internetwork that foreshadowed the Internet (as we have known it since the early '90s). Card even foresaw how identities on such an internetwork could be assumed--that anyone could, indeed, be anyone on "the nets." His vision of what we would call the Internet included a two-tiered system: one that allowed anonymity, and one that required registration and identity verification--a very interesting picture of the future (I hope he was not prophetic here)!

The story moves quickly and the characters are very compelling. Yet, at the same time, they are disturbing. The engineered children of the Battle School, and particularly Ender, come across as adults in much of their thinking. Juxtaposing those thought patterns against the ages of these characters made them stand out as very unique and disturbing, yet all the while I found myself relating to the main character and many of the supporting cast as well. Yet, on top of all that genetically engineered maturity, Card still captured boyhood quite well (even if the dialog is a little dated) with dialog that reflected typical, gross boy-talk (e.g. fart-talk). I found myself pitying Ender even though he was always painted as the superior being. I found myself wanting him to win--wanting him to overcome--not just the enemy buggers, but to overcome the life he was presented so he could emerge as what he always wanted to be: just a boy without a care in the world.

Also, given the date of this story's writing, I found Card's socio-political insight keen, too. He did not foresee the fall of the Soviet Union, but he did envision that Russia would eventually end up dealing with uprisings in the Islamic states. Perhaps that one was a given with the Russian involvement in Afghanistan during that period, but I still find it profound given the tender nature of that region (and Russo-Islamic relations) today.

Wheter or not you are a sci-fi fan, I believe you'll enjoy Ender's Game. It is a wonderful book with a quick pace and memorable characters. You can't go wrong with this one.

When I was in fourth grade, my older sister read "Ender's Game". She had a tendency at the time to introduce me to good books she read, both of us being very mature readers. She read "Ender's Game" and fell in love. I asked her about the book, and she told me that I wouldn't be able to appreciate it. I was crushed. But then she said she'd read the first two chapters to me, and she did. I listened and fell in love myself, finding the story to be interesting, exciting, and very different. I was, however, not allowed to read the remainder of the book until I entered fourth grade, as my sister would not lend it to me, saying I wouldn't appreciate it. For four years, the first two chapters sat in my head. I would repeat them to myself so often, that by the time I read the full book, I knew the first chapters by heart. For four years I waited and waited, until the day I finished seventh grade, when I grabbed it and began to read.

It did not disappoint me. I finished it quickly, and then read it again. And again. All summer long I read it.
Why? Because it was amazing. It was nice to read about kids who are smart, because it made me feel good as a kid. It was a fascinating story that totally makes you think long and hard. Ender is a character both flawed and incredible, with his intelligence helping him and hindering him at once. The book incorporates some politics; just enough to be interesting, not so much that it overshadows the main plot. It's even scary sometimes, but it's the perfect kind. It's a great book to read, fun, interesting, and exciting all in one, and was definitely worth the four-year wait, though I would have rathered to have read it sooner.

For those who do not like it, I'm very sorry to hear that. For those who are uninterested in reading it, I feel even sorrier to hear that, because you are missing something incredible.

When I first bought this book, I was under the assumption that it was similar to Starship Troopers. I guess someone's review misled me...
It's nothing like ST, other than the fact that they are fighting aliens that are like bugs (and even then, their attitudes are completely different).

But, on the whole, the book is a solid read, with interesting characters with real development and personality. The beginning of the book however, I felt was a bit too slow. Other books like ST start off with a bang, and get things moving quickly so as not to put the reader off in the first 5 minutes of the book. This problem was quickly relieved as the book progressed though, and you begin to identify and like (or hate) some of the characters presented.

Really, the emphasis of this book is mostly on the people, not the plot. The plot can be summed up as a kid who plays laser tag in zero gravity with others because it simulates space combat with ships, which he does later on to fight aliens. Who cares? It's the characters and Ender's experiences with them where the real meat and potatoes can be found.

Ender himself is likeable to a certain degree. You want him to win, and you want him to be tough. But he isn't tough all the time. He is whiny sometimes, doesn't want to fight sometimes, and cries too much. Where have I heard this before? Oh right, Kira from Gundam Seed. At least he's not as bad as Kira though. Ender is much more likeable when he's confident with himself, and becomes a leader to be looked up to. His experiences with bullies and harassment when he's younger, and his ability to overcome those obstacles makes you respect him more. So Ender strikes a balance with being confident, and being a wimp, but I would have liked him a lot more if he wasn't crying and whining at those moments of weakness (although his reaction to what he did at the end of the book is understandable).

This book pulls off character development very well. Sadly, that's only shining point of this book. Like I said, this book is mostly Opera as opposed to Space Opera. There are no fantastic battles in outer space against a fearsome enemy (at least not directly). The book barely even mentions the buggers. Just a few mentions here and there in the middle, then again at the end of course. Even ST had more battles, and more discussion of Sci-Fi elements, and technology. Rico as a character was also a lot more likeable.

On the whole, this is a solid good book. However, it has its faults, and I think it's overrated. If you are looking for a good soap opera that happens to take place in space, then this is the book to get. If you are looking for Sci-Fi Space Opera, then I'd pick up Starship Troopers instead.

This novel started out as a short story in the August 1977 issue of Analog. Which was where I first read it. Talk about intense. Not until 1985 was it expanded to a novel. And the story has been carried forward through at least seven more books and a few short stories. Card won the Nebula and Hugo in back-to-back years, the only science fiction writer to do so. And the simple fact that there are more than 2,300 reviews of Ender's Game requires a thoughtful look.

First, it's not great writing. Even Card admitted, in the introduction to the 1991 edition (and rewrite) that it wasn't very good writing. The plot is pretty good though, and the characters are memorable. Despite some wooden bits, parts of the book are gripping. And the surprise ending - if it still a surprise to anyone - has always given the plot some extra electricity. But the book is not without its critics.

Second, I think it's morally suspect. John Kussell, in a thoughtful 2004 essay, takes serious issue with Card's creation of an "innocent killer." Kussell shows how the reader is manipulated by Card and the characters he writes into sympathy for Ender. Keep in mind Ender commits two homicides and and a xenocide - the extinction of an entire intelligent race - in the course of the story. Does innocence excuse homicide?

Third, I worry about the message of the book. Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is a physically gifted genius, genuinely the best the human race can produce. And he gets to murder with impunity. How many megalomaniacal teenagers will read that message wrongly?

Lastly, I found the novel to be oddly less intense than the short story. The novel feels "stretched" in places, with additional plots loosely stitched on to fill up the pages. The additional bits are interesting, and sometimes compelling, but the overall effect is reduce the overwhelming force of the 1977 short story.

Still, the book remains amazingly popular 20 years on, and I understand it is required reading at The Marine University in Quantico, Virginia. I politely disagree with the many reviewers here who call it the best science fiction book ever, but I think it is among the 50 best. I also disagree with those who dismiss the book out of hand. The book has been too popular for too long to dismiss with literary snobbery.

Good ideas (some borrowed from other writers), a good, even compelling plot, good characterization and adequate writing. Recommended, especially to younger readers. You can find the short story on-line by Googling the book title if you'd like to see how it started...

Out of all of the books that I've read, Ender's Game is by far the hardest novel to put down. From beginning to end, it has a captivating, and very real (though most would consider it a sci-fi) nature to it. Even as there are many characters who seem to be almost completely opposite, you often find yourself able to almost completely relate to them. Personally, this is the only piece of literature that I've been able to see myself in the main character's position, and really feel the experience first-hand so distinctively, that, contrary to any other story, not once did I hesitate about a decision made, thought expressed, or word spoken, and say to myself that I would have acted differently, or thought otherwise.

The basic plot of this story is that the human race is in danger, entering the third war against an alien race. Assumingly due to population reasons, every family is limited to two children, by law. The Wiggin's family however, is an exception. The government monitored their children to see if they could fulfill the role of a perfect fleet commander, as Mazer Rackham from the previous war had. The first two children were almost perfect, but the first, Peter, was too selfish and powerful, and the second, Violet, was too compassionate, so they persuaded the family to have a "Third", Ender, who was just what they were looking for. They send him off to Battle school, where he proved to be a military genius. The problem was that when it came to reality, he didn't like the thought of killing or harming others, although he was often forced into the situation; and to say the least, he was good at it. His teachers and mentors were aware of this, so throughout the story, even though they care for Ender, in order to rescue the human race, they feel obligated to manipulate and shape him in a way that would preserve his creativity, and motivation to continue on the path that he has already began to take.

One of the main themes that Orson Scott Card depicted in this book, was the idea of a game. As humanity struggles in it's war against the alien "buggers", everything, in a sense, is viewed as nothing more than a game. When Ender is sent off to Battle School, the majority of the combat training is taught through games. The reason that Ender is considered so special and important is that he has the rare ability to analyze his enemy and create strategy that ensures his victory consistantly. However, as he is able to understand his enemy he gains compassion for them, and in reality his victory is his last resort. When the time comes where his skills are needed, the officials convince him that it is just a game, as if it were his final test in Battle school.

Another important theme to consider is that of compassion vs. ruthlessness. As these are the two extremes that prevented Peter and Violet from being chosen for Battle School, you can see the traits conflict with each other from within Ender, as he is necessarily balanced between them. This is not just limited to Ender though. As the officials in the government and at Battle School see it necessary to be ruthless with Ender, they are compassionate with him and loathe the fact that they are obligated to do so, in the same way that Ender feels about defeating his enemies.

Overall, this is a rare book that underneath the story, asseses human nature in the deepest way. One that brings out real feelings that makes the rest of the story a giant metaphor for any situation that would reach us in the same way. This is most efficiently expressed in Card's message that, in a way, reality is a game that we all play, and the reality this novel contains, is Ender's Game.

I am currently reading Ender's Game and I have got to say it is one of the best pieces of science fiction books that I have read. I am not big on reading books but when I started reading this book it lured me in and is hard to put down. It is about a family that lives in a government that you can only have two children. This family that this book is about had a third child whose name is Ender, Also known as a third. Ender gets into a military school in space called battle school, where children are put into armies and have war games against each other in the battle room which is a room with no gravity. The kids who play the game do not know that they are being closely watched for who will be able to command a fleet when they reach adulthood. That all that I have read so far but I can't wait to finish it.

Maybe if I had read it when I was a kid, it would have hit home a little more. Great idea for a book, fun things ("Buggers") but after awhile I felt a little silly reading the ENDLESS descriptions of mock battles of six-year-olds.
Technical challenge: How could instantaneous communication across vast distances of space, even if it were possible, be achieved with a spaceship that is traveling at near-light speeds and thus would have a different scale of time? That's okay, relativity doesn't have to apply to kids books!
Nice work, Orson Scott Card.

This novel is the greatest science fiction book that exists. If you had to read only one science fiction novel in your life, this would be it. This is not just a personal view, but also that of the website of the top 100 science fiction novels where anyone could vote and this came up as the number 1 science fiction novel. Since the website also included fantasy, The Lord of the Rings, as expected, came up as the number one over all, but for pure science fiction, this is it. I read this book when it was passed around the office and everyone that read it, loved it. This has everything good and exciting science fiction is known for, aliens, space war, fate of the human race. Really it touches upon good and evil, which is a cross genre topic, so many not generally interested in science fiction can find it interesting. Like the Matrix, Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings, the main character is `the one' and all the responsibility that entails. What would one do when everything depends on ones actions and decisions. The basic plot I'm sure you've read elsewhere. The book is somewhat historically similar to the conditions leading to the defeat of the Japanese in World War II and the difficult decisions made then.

The hype surrounding Ender's_Game is substantial. And while much of it is accurate, a good deal of the "hype" around this book seems a bit inflated. I think it may be that I am in my mid-thirties and that my imagination is not what it once was (and possibly because at this age I cannot relate as I once would have been able to). If this is the case, it seems a bit sad for me.

Nonetheless, Ender's_Game starts off a bit tediously, finding our hero impressed into command school in the early chapters. It is reminiscent of Lord_of_the_Flies in this sense, with children largely left to their own devices. So, while interesting to some extent, it is only at page 175 or so that the book really starts to move and one's interest gets piqued. The conclusion is rather fascinating and Card is a master finisher, tying up most, but not all, of the plot lines... and leaving enough intrigue for one to set about hunting down the next in the series (Speaker_for_the_Dead).

That we find humanity's would-be savior cast into a role he is worthy of, but not necessarily prepared for is interesting. That he reluctantly carries the "redemption" of Humanity on his shoulders and sacrifices his life (re: his childhood) to do so is also an interesting parallel.

Anyway, I recommend this book. I do not think it is a _Great_ book, but it is a Very Good book. Card is a very, very capable writer. His style is smooth and comfortable. Ender is a great character and I did like the book enough to purchase the second in the series (which I am reading at present).

Almost 4 Stars!

Just for frame of reference I am 15 and an avid reader, I read about 2-3 books a week depending on the size and I've got to say, this book is excellent. I actually heard about it in a forum and everyone was raving so I thought "I have to read this book." so I ordered up a copy off Amazon. I was suprised, it was definately one of my favorite books of all time.

It starts out very good from the perspective of Andrew(Ender) Wiggin, a very young, small, and extraordinary boy. He is tormented by his older brother Peter and loves his sister very much, Valentine. He has loving parents but everything is turned upside down when he gets a device (that monotors his every move) removed. His first day another kid starts bullying Ender with a bunch of his friends. Ender has great intelligence and realizes if he doesn't hurt this kid bad enough the rest of his "gang" will beat him up. He ends up accidently killing the kid.

He is then selected to enter a training program in space, little does he know he is their number one pick for the captain of the elite unit to kill another race called the Buggers. He is swept up into this extreme training and meets a lot of people along the way, he has some interesting conflicts as well.

Overall this book is written brilliantly by the master of Sci-Fi Orson Scott Card. The way he writes it you can really feel Enders pains and triumphs throughout the story. He also develops character very well, for supporting roles in this and later books in the series.

The best part of this book was the ending, it was like the ending of a book in the thriller genre. I loved it. I actually loved every minute of this masterpiece, finishing it in one day. I highly reccomend this novel to sci-fi fans or just the average reader. Oh and although it may seem to be for younger children due to the concept, parents don't be fooled it's a little violent for the average under 11 reader.

-Kyle Walker

First and foremost, I just cannot see anyone disliking this book. It is misleading at first (I though that I was going to be reading a The Giver clone), but it quickly changes as Andrew Wiggin (a.k.a. Ender) is faced with a request to go to Battle School, a place where children are trained rigorously to defend the Earth from a mysterious race called "buggers." Once there, Ender excels in all his studies, eventually getting him a position in the Salamander Army under the spiteful Bonzo Madrid. Things only worsen as Ender moves up through the ranks and earns nearly homicidal enemies, while the teachers do nothing to see how Ender handles the situation. This is an interesting story, but what really made Ender's Game so good was that it played on the emotions of the reader; the reader could feel Ender's calm moments and his hate when he literally destroyed his enemies (ala the Dark Side of the Force). Orson Scott Card has sculpted a future Earth where compassion is all but a forgotten concept and sympathy is nearly void in all aspects. A truly dark and emotional book, Ender's Game will remain on my list of sci-fi favorites second only to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.

Wow wow wow wow wow...amazing. Everything shocked me, but the originality stunned me most of all. The creativity of this sci-fi/fnatasy book is impressive, and it alone desrves five stars. How hard is it to find original books?

the characters are also impressive, but what got be really besides the originality was the cleverness. Card is a genius, I will tell you. He made Ender (the main character) smart, but not with the tactics other authors use. Ender was honestly awesome...

You would NOT like this book if some language will tweek you, and, if you are under the age of 13, I do not reccommend it...

But otherwise, this book is awesome and all sci-fi fans need to read it. It will have you roting for Ender (I will not spoil why, but it is because of the fantasic characterization). Once again, ingenius and shockingly great.

Bravo, Bravo, Orson Scott Card....you have just given sic-fi a new breath of life (and hope.)

Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card revolves around a young boy, Ender Wiggin, who is selected to train to become a fleet commander to protect earth from an alien invasion. The training takes place at a distant Battle School in space where the young and brilliant Ender is repeatedly pushed to his limits to mold him into what he is needed to be, to become the next commander and win the war against the invaders.

I've read Ender's Game 5 or 6 times in the last 15 years, and recently listened to the audiobook. I honestly think that Ender's Game is the best piece of science fiction I have ever read. Card is unusual as a science fiction writer in that he delves deeply into the psychology of his main characters and their complex inter-relationships. Nothing is as black and white as it may seem. There is goodness and honor in Ender's enemies as well as a willingness to manipulate and kill in Ender. Ender is constantly faced with hard choices upon which his survival and the fate of the planet depend.

An important subplot takes place on earth between Ender's good sister Valentine and his sociopathic brother Peter, also young children. The two equally brilliant siblings take advantage of the anonymity of the net to pose as adults and publish opposing politcal articles, building strong followings and ultimately influencing the shape of world government. What is remarkable is that Card first published Ender's Game as a short story in 1985, well before the Internet became publicly available. In fact, the vision of the Net that Card lays out in Ender's game is just now beginning to be realized, some 20 years later. That two people could move nations by their writings on the web is plausible, whereas when this book was written it was still very much a fantasy. Card related in an interview that he had played around with an early version of Delphi and was inspired by the possibilities he saw.

The first time I read this book it was for a management class on leadership and training - how to provide an environment where people around you could grow professionally. I found most of the book brutal to read, especially the first chapter in which Ender is being tormented by his brother. The cruelty, ambition, win-at-any-cost world portrayed was not (and is not) the world I wanted to see. Yet it is against this stark background that Ender and Valentine's moral centers shine. So perhaps it is an effective narrative device needed to create the core conflict of the story. Without conflict, we would all sit around, smile, and drink tea; there would be no story to tell. Ender's trials at the Battle School are riveting and once I made it that far into the book I couldn't put it down.

In the last chapter of Ender's Game the entire premise of the book is shaken and we are set up for the next stage of Ender's Life in the sequel, Speaker for the Dead. The Ender Wiggin series is actually five books, with Ender's Game representing maybe 5% of the total, more like a prologue. The whole series is fantastic. In this world there is so much room for story and character development that Card writes a completely different version of the events of Ender's Game from the perspective of one of the other characters in Ender's Shadow and its sequel Shadow of the Hegemon.

If you are considering the audiobook, I highly recommend it. It is unabridged and several voices are effectively used for the characters and narration.

Look for the movie Ender's Game to come out in the next few years; there's one in the works. If they do it right I predict it will be the next Star Wars or Matrix.

Ender's game is probably the best science fiction story that I have read. Whatever you do, don't let anyone tell you how it ends. I hope that there is a movie before long.

I have read a lot of Science Fiction books, and I believe that this genre is one of the best (You get insight on the human mind through experimenting with extreme circumstances). Anyway, I was going to read this book for awhile, but never thought it would interest me. I heard it was amazing, but never wanted to read it. One day I decided to pick it up, and the rest is history. This book was intelligent, thought-provoking, and fast-paced. It told of people going through extreme challenges and how they delt with that. It was great, I don't want to give anything away, but if you like science fiction you have to read this book.

This is a totally forgettable book... the plot is ludicrous, the characters lack depth, and, well, it just bored me to tears. Ender, the Boy-Napoleon, who trains to command vast star fleets by playing the future's version of a zero-gravity paint-ball game... and his brother who gains control of the world by starting-out as an anonymous adolescent blogger. PLEASE!

While I enjoyed reading the book, at the end I though "is that it?" It got a bit repetitive, and the ending is guessable about 3/4 the way through. Based on the reviews, I was looking for more.

Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card, is the story of a six-year old boy named Andrew Wiggin, also known as Ender. The military needs Ender's abnormal genius to command an army to protect the planet from destruction. However, the military wants for Ender "a delicate balance...enough so isolation makes him creative. At the same time, he has to keep a strong ability to lead." The military decides to isolate him, control his life, and give him new and harder challenges, to the point that Ender's life is at risk. Ender is pushed to his limits time and time again until the final battle with the forces that threaten to destroy humanity. Ender grows quickly from a talented six-year old to an officer.
Ender learns that "no one has control over his or her own life, so they have to fulfill the roles given by people who care about them." Ender's Game has subjects and level in complexity, from death, war, sibling rivalry, the lust for power, and most importantly, the core limits every human has. This enthralling book contains surprises this review is not going to spoil. The characters are vivid; Card paints a portrait of a character then brings that character to life.
Foreshadowing is one of the most powerful elements of Ender's Game, but those powerful clues predict the plot chapters before it happens to the character, in such a way that thinkers and careful readers know what happens before it occurs. The human emotions and the lessons learned stay concealed regardless, so people need to deeply analyze the characters to understand the big picture, like Ender's intelligence progression, where his future challenges are known ahead of time, but Ender's reactions to them and his maturing are not known until later.
Ender's Game is a book for all ages; kids enjoy the plot while mature readers will love analyzing the real importance of people and events. This saga is quite dynamic, and all the characters are well developed; some, not just Ender, go through radical changes from where the book started until it ended. This book is a must in everyone's literary library, so buy it now! After reading Ender's Game, read Ender's Shadow, a parallel novel to Ender's Game, and Speaker for the Dead, a sequel to Ender's Game, both wonderful and original in their own right. Unlike Ender, Card was not playing a game when he created Ender's Game. This book is the one that defines Card as one the best science-fiction writers of our time.


Sam

My cousin Rina had been forcing me to read this book for nearly a decade, but I never got around to buying it-- I've never really been into science fiction, you see, and there were so many other books that I wanted to read. A few months ago, she finally gave up and bought me a copy herself. And I'm glad she did. Without giving away a single plot point, I would like to categorically say that "Ender's Game" is one of the most amazing novels I've ever read: touching, funny, sad, insightful, terrifying, and absolutely original. If you have not read this book, I urge you to do so now. Thank you, Rina!

This book is set in the future where families are given money to send two children into school. If they have more than two children they have to pay for their education which has an extremely high price. There is one exception to this rule. That is if your children are chosen and signed over at birth to be observed and possibly put into the military. Ender, Peter, and Valentine three siblings all had this privilege. From birth they were watched and each has failed. Each has received word that they were not accepted into the military program. When the youngest child Ender was six he was sent word that he was not accepted, the entire family was let down. It was unheard of to have three children and a disappointment that he was not accepted. In reality, this bad news was the last test before he was accepted into the program. They wanted to see his response to such a shock. The next day they showed up and told him that he was accepted into Battle School. Ender was seen as the genius, the impossible one that they had to mold. Mold him to make him the greatest leader that could defend our planet against buggers. Graff the "principle" of the battle school had a feeling about Ender and is going to do everything in his power to make Ender that leader. The leader that will not ask for help, make the best decision, and win the war.
This six year old was taken from his family and the people he loved, shipped off to a place where he was ridiculed for being too smart and made the out cast. With the help of Graff and Dap his officer in charge, Ender will hopefully become a powerful military leader. He does this by playing games, rising in the officer column and outwitting everyone with his mind. You will see how he works as the young boy who is out performing everyone at battles, hacking into computers, tactics and wisdom; and start hoping that he can achieve the highest goals that were set for him.
This book is a very fast read, even though it is a science fiction book, it is brought to you with high hopes and an underlying meaning. Always work as hard as you can. You start to fall for this young boy placed in a military school and you go through all his emotions as if you were him, you get angry at Graff who is pushing him too far but at the same time you are hoping he is right and can help show Ender who is really is inside. This book is an amazing read for any age level, and I hope that you can experience the life of Ender some time soon.

This is another one of those books that I've always meant to read but never found the right time. When I finally got around to it (years later) my only regret is that I waited so long to enjoy this terrific book. I'll admit to having a certain affinity for sci-fi and thus found the entire premise of "Ender's Game" to be entertaining. Ender Wiggin is one of many child geniuses genetically bred to command the world's military armada against alien invaders. In Battle School these children are trained through an arduous series of stimulated mock battle games where only the best and ablest can succeed. But Ender Wiggin is no ordinary trainee. He is thought to be the one who may become the ultimate commander who will bring final victory over the aliens. And, of course, all the while Ender is going through his training sinister and benevolent forces work relentlessly behind the scenes to thwart and support his efforts.

In addition to this engaging storyline, author Orson Scott Card touches upon several thought-provoking themes: the yearning for a childhood lost; the psychological fear and loneliness of command; the morality of exterminating an alien race; and, ultimately, how the inability to communicate led to catastrophic consequences. I especially liked the ending where Ender and the readers are left to contemplate the morality and humanity of this war. Not a heavy read but a thoroughly enjoyable one.

A story of a boy, a man before his time, Ender Wiggin-Earth-a man chosen to save the world from birth. Bred, raised, and trained for war, Ender Wiggin is accepted into Battle School. With his family left behind, only their thoughts drift thought his mind in this story about the savior of the human race. Chosen to lead the fleet on a battle to save humanity, can Ender conquer his own fears before conquering the buggar home world?

This thrilling novel leads us on an adventure into Ender's life-his siblings, friends, and enemies from the Battle Room where the ultimate game is played. A game designed to train the young; will Ender master it to save the world?

To find out get a copy of this sci-fi classic. A story that not only reveals things about Ender but also the very nature of humanity-and the oft overlooked sect of children forced to live life as an adult. An intriguing and thought-provoking story, Ender's Game promises to leave everyone feeling something. Fear, rage, or compassion-this story will not leave you untouched.

I have just a read Ender's Game. I'm reading it in a summer school class and we are dicussing many ideas and we came up with the conclusion this book is AWESOME. I also am half way through Ender's Shadow and that one is great so far. Honestly i think I like Ender's Shadow a bit more then Ender's Game, but only slightly. Orson Scott Card is an excellent author. Ender's Game makes you feel like you're up in battle school with them. If you like Ender's Game I defiantly recommend Ender's Shadow. I think it's a good idea to pick which one you like better and go along with that series and then finish the other one. Hope you enjoy this wonderful series.

ENDER'S GAME is my all time favorite book. Having been introduced to this book roughly 20 years ago, I have read and worn out many copies, and couldn't even tell you how many times I have read it. I have given away many copies as well, buying new ones as I use up or give away the old. At 226 pages (hardcover) the book is so compelling it can easily been read in one sitting.

It always amazes me when I run accross people who list this book as their favorite because to me the Sci-Fi genere has always seemed too obscure, and there are not many Sci-Fi books I enjoy reading.

As the Harry Potter series has successfully emerged, I have often drawn some comparisons between the two series and why they have attracted so much attention.

Both Ender's Game and Harry Potter have attracted an audience that would normally not indulge in the generes of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, or Children's books. While the Harry Potter series had attracted many adult readers, Ender's Game (which is not a children's book) has attracted many adolecent readers and acts as a bridge moving them into adult literature. Both Harry Potter and Ender's game tell the story of a young child (Ender is only 6 when the book starts)entering a dark and scary world, with a power neither one of them knew they possess. Both have enemies that they as children must conqure, with the fate of the world on their shoulders.

As a child (I believe I was eight or nine when I started reading Ender's Game)I believe it was those themes, along with the powerfully written characters that drew me to the book. As an adult I particularly enjoy the social issues the book raises, and seeing some of the science fiction become reality (the internet plays a heavy role in the book, even though it was non-existant at the time). Over time I have only grown to love and appreciate this book and would recomend it to anyone who loves to read fiction of any genere.

An awesome character journey presented by Orson Scott Card. With Earth testing children to see who will be their next great military leader to battle an alien race called the buggers, Ender Wiggin stands out from the crowd. While his grasp of military strategy is incredible, it's his inner conflict that will engross the reader. There are times when Ender loves the war games at Battle School, when it seems he is forming a solid core of friends. But the more Ender succeeds, the more the teachers at Battle School make his life a living hell. Advancing him quicker than normal students, presenting him with almost impossible odds to overcome, all in an effort to see if he can be broken. At times, it looks like they'll succeed. Through this the transformation of Ender is incredible. Despite his genius, we see how lonely he is, even how he sometimes longs to return home to a dysfunctional family and a psychotic brother. The last 80 pages have so many incredible revelations that you'll be scooping your jaw off the floor over and over again.

Have you ever encountered a boy who was only 6 years-old and was as intelligent as a 12 year-old? Well this is the case in a book called Ender's Game. A 6 year-old boy named Ender Wiggin is accepted to become a soldier in the army, but when he gets to a place called battle school he thinks of it only as a fun little game. The object of the "game" is to eliminate the opponent using hand-held flashers to deactivate the opponent's shields.He is sent to be the commander of his new fleet. This is when he meets his new fried called Bean. They become close friends at the training center and become quite good when put together with other students. Ender's team comes up with a whole lot of new tactics and stratagies such as zapping his own team and using them as human shields!
When Ender becomes 10 his team still hasn't been beaten by any opponents at anytime! Ender starts to fight battles that has him outnumbered 10 to 1, and he wins them all! Eventually his trainer, Col. Graph says that he wants to challenge Ender to a little battle, and Ender accepts. But there was one little problem, it wasn't actually Col. Graph who didn't really fight Ender at all! What Ender thought was Col. Graph, was reallythe alien mennace called Buggers! They wanted to eliminate the human race and wanted to take over the earth. I give this book an A+ easy! I recommend this book for all ages (that is all ages that can read.)

Not being an overly avid science fiction reader, I had some doubts as to the level of profundity and entertainment that could possibly be derived from a book that is entitled Ender's Game. Ender, I soon came to learn, is the featured protagonist, a 6 year-old boy quite unlike any other living in Greensboro, NC. Quite unlike any other in the sense that he exists with the superlative distinction that he is, without doubt, the genius of geniuses.

Being tested from the start by being picked on by older boys, Ender makes a rather indelible impression on the reader from the first chapter -- one of supreme courage, wit, and.....well...genius. To make the book enticing without giving anything away, I will succinctly state that Ender is drafted into the I.F.(International Fleet) army and thrust into learning not only how to win complex and immensely challenging Battle Games, but also valuable life lessons along the way. In a book that succeeds on multiple levels, you find yourself highly entertained and wanting to find out what happens next -- as well as learning from the daunting adversity that Ender incessantly faces and the ingenious methods and strategies that he uses to masterfully overcome it.

In closing, I recommend Ender's Game to anyone from 9 to 90. Not only can kids learn a great deal from this book, but adults can, without a doubt, as well -- especially from a leadership or management perspective.

"Winning is everything because without it there is nothing."
- Mazer Rackham

What a book. Ender's Game was recommended to me by a friend who thought I might enjoy it and it's safe to say that I did. I've always been into books that make you think, that indulge the mind of the possibilities and scenarios in the near future. Ender's Game was no exception. Since devouring the Harry Potter Series, I was looking for another book or a book series to take its place until the rest of the Harry Potter Series was finished. Today, I have ordered the box set with Speaker of the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind to further my reading into the Ender's Game Series. If you haven't picked up a copy of Ender's Game, do so. You won't reget it.

Update *8-19-04*

I've now read the entire series thru shadow puppets

After you read this, I would highly HIGHLY recommend the rest of the series! :)

I loved Ender's Game. I only read it though because my seventh grade brother did(I'm a fith grader,). It wasn't picture-book easy but I enjoyed and understand it so much I read it over and over!As soon as I started I became attached to Ender. The characters are so relalistic It seems like they're with you in the room. I also,in some ways, relate to Ender. I have been the small smart one in some things so I have to work to the top.I am very competivive although my competivnes can't compete with Enders. I bet your wondering Why won't she tell me about the book?!. Well I don't want to spoil the book!!!!!!

The Earth was attacked by aliens, called buggers twice. They were able to win both wars, but a third war seems near. Therefore the World Government is "breeding" military geiniuses.
Ender is one of those geniuses who is supposed to save the world. But only the most genius of geniuses are allowed to attend the "Battle-School", where they are trained to kill. What bothers him most is that he doesn't like to be a killer, and kills "on accident" and then has nightmares about it. As time passes, less and less people like him. The only person he really likes is his sester Valentine, some thousand miles away.
In this Nebula and Hugo Award-winner Orson Scott Card describes hate and loniness, but also new friendships from a 3rd person point of view, but the reader kind-of thinks that it is Ender's diary, because the authors tells many times what Ender is thinking.
Even though there are many geniuses and brilliant commanders, will mankind survive a third time?

This book was recommended to me by a fellow Marine, and I was a little leary after thumbing through it, as it initially comes off as a typical sci-fi novel about aliens and space stations. With a little prodding, I started to read it and, to my surprise, I couldn't put it down. Ender's Game hosts allegories to the struggles and sacrifices that unit commanders face to accomplish the mission, and touches on issues of battlefield morality and the psychology of warfare. Written in the third person, it allows the reader to experience the effects of training on a young boy who is pressed into ultra realistic and accelerated training to face an expected threat from a misunderstood and hostile alien race. Any business professional or person who is interested in success topics would enjoy this book. It deals with the pros and cons of winning at all costs and places the reader right in the stress of split-second decisions and intuitive and creative thinking. Highly recommended and a book on the Marine Corps professional reading list.

I came across this book in the Middle Eastern desert during Operation Iraqi Freedom. This book was on the Untied States Marine Corps Commandant's Reading List and handed to me by my lieutenant. During lulls in operations, I would read this book. It kept me hooked, so much so that I carried it in my cargo pocket every where I went. The concept was fresh, the characters interesting, to the point I wish I wrote it myself. The only problem I had with the book was the ending which I didn't too much like, but it's still a good read. Upon completion, I did the Marine thing and passed it to one of my young non-comissioned officers to read. I am looking forward to learning more about the character Bean in Ender's Shadow!! Get this book, you won't be disappointed.

It was a real page-turner. The charm of the book lays mostly in character development (Ender's and Valentina's - others are mostly cardboard) and vivid and somewhat gruesome descriptions on the here-and-now events. The book is flawed though by the mostly linear storyline and sickeningly melodramatic ending with an Alaska-sized logical hole. Nevertheless, quite recommended for the fans of hero-based sci-fi.

Card is perhaps the best genre writer working today, as this novel amply demonstrates. Ender's Game is a bildungsroman, or coming of age story, of a very young military genius, Ender Wiggin. At the tender age of six, Ender is recruited by the powers-that-be for battle training in hopes that he can be molded into the leader who will destroy the dreaded alien invaders

It may be helpful to compare this book to Robert Heinlein's classic Starship Troopers, which has some broad similarities of plot. Troopers has strong a basis in the sciences, both military and social. Card leans more toward fantasy; his real fascination is with human beings and their feelings, not with the technical details of how the hardware works. So if you're the kind of sci-fi fan who reads a book hoping to learn something about physics, dig out an old Asimov book instead - Card's not your man. Also, the hero in the typical Heinlein juvenile is not only super-smart (like Ender's characters) but they are often "gee-whiz", "can-do" types for whom everything always seems to just fall into place. Ender, on the other hand, is often conflicted, frequently miserable, and constantly manipulated. One reason this book is so long is that Ender seldom has an easy victory - instead he has to fight his battles over and over until he finally wins. And while Heinlein's ingénues always have an older comrade to mentor them, Ender is intentionally forced to learn everything the hard way - by himself.

Card is so skillful at making us sympathize with poor Ender's plight that we can't wait to see him jump the next hurdle. We care about his fate with an intensity that is almost unknown in genre fiction, which is probably why so many reviewers claim that this novel is really serious literature. While that seems a bit much, there's no denying that for sheer entertainment value, this book beats 3 out of 4 "literary classics". Accessible enough for younger readers, but too intense for children, this is a book that practically everyone will enjoy. Don't miss out on one of the greatest sci-fi/fantasies ever.

If you're looking for a quick, light read; or you're looking for a serious, well-written piece of literature; or you're looking for a fictional treatise on leadership and command; or you're looking for a socially-charged essay about the dangers of charismatic leaders and clashes of cultures - this is a GREAT choice.

Card created a fantastic - maybe even unique - work in Ender's Game. From a military perspective, only the scenery and technology is unfamiliar - set as it is in a time far in the future. Otherwise, the book could be a textbook on extreme leadership challenges. In fact, it was recommended to me while I was attending a military leadership school. And it was better than any of the assigned textbooks or practical exercises.

Not "into" the military - don't fret. There's enough anti-establishment, anti-violence undertone in the book's message to tickle anyone's imagination.

Highly recommended, and couldn't agree LESS with the reviewer who complained about the book's message. It's not about the virtue of child labor - it's about the virtue of a childlike sense of loyalty and adventure, a child's willingness to take risks, a child's love of the "game". And, most of all, it's a serious message about the contrasts between intelect and experience.

I first read Ender's Game the summer of my 7th grade year. I was forced by my parents to pick 3 books to read. I stumbled across this book, and it seemed decent enough. I was in for a pleasant surprise.

Every single paragraph in this book is a masterpiece. The dialogue, and even more importantly, the plot, is simply excellent. I cannot express my appreciation to Card for writing this book. I have spent countless hours reading Card's other books, both in the Ender series, and ones not in the Ender series.

The plot is so well developed that you will not be able to put the book down, and I truly mean that. It might be wise to choose a 3 day period where you will be able to read this cover to cover. I know I got it at like 5 PM one day and read until the sun rose the next morning and I had finished. It is that good. If there is one book that you read this year, please choose to read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

The Earth's fate rest in the hands of children leader amongst them Andrew "Ender" Wiggins. That is the extent of plt summary this review is going to get. This novel is periphally science fiction, but like the true masters before him Card uses a speculative setting to focus on humanity. I always felt the best sci-fi were humanistic novels that happened to contain extrateresstial or extraoridnary occurances. Ender's Game leads the pack. Card did such an intensely accurate job in his characterization, that I'm sure I am not alone in being choked up watching the government manipulate Ender for their own ends, but "with the best of intentions" Ender is a wholly three dimensional character as are his comrades whose training affects the fate of the earth. This novel is better I thought than his follow ups Speaker for the Dead Etc. And with Ender's Shadow series released(I haven't read it yet but its on my list) I know at least this past summer there was renewed interest in the original, and rightfully so. One of the best aspects about this novel is its universal appeal, my friend who doesn't read as a rule LOVED IT which says much about Card's talents.

This book was the best I have ever read which is why I give it a five star rating. The book is genius in its self along with Ender and the humor is quite good. Yet I couldn't get over the fact that the enemy was called the buggers, it just sounds so corney and who would be afraid of a bugger I wouldn't. I can understand that the kids call each other fart eaters and other childish names but when the adults call each other fart eaters as well I couldn't help but to think how juvenile it was. With all this in mind I still couldn't put the book down from the moment I started reading it because it truly is the best book I have ever read so when people say the book is childish they're not wrong in saying it but that doesn't make Enders Game any less of a book and it shouldn't affect you're decision on wether or not you should read the book.

I'm not the sci-fi or fantasy type, but this is one of my all-time favorite books because 1) It spoke directly to me (in other words, I identified with the characters) and 2) it caused me to reexamine my world because of the unexpected conclusions the book reached.

Ender's Game was a fun read even with it's flaky story lines (training adolescents to save the world, kids vying for power by using the nets, etc.) The thing I don't understand is why so many people think it's the best sci-fi book ever written. Anybody every read Asimov? If you like sci-fi then you will enjoy this book, but I think you would be disappointed with Ender's Game if you don't like sci-fi.

the plot essentially involves super-genius children receiving military training in preparation for an invasion of alien insect creatures. much of the novel consists of detailed tactical descriptions of the equivalent of paint-ball played in zero gravity. the children then graduate to "command school" and rain on star-fighter simulators.

The similarities between ender's game and the dreadful movie "Starship Troopers" only make matters worse.

I read sci-fi either for (i) intelligent imaginings about future technology, or (ii) xeno-anthropology, for lack of a better term.
Jack Vance and Iain Banks come to mind. This book lacks any of these qualities...

However, the book has received good reviews from reputable sources, so maybe it just was not my cup of tea.

I was very impressed with Ender's Game. There are not too many books that can hold my attention like this one has. We, being my English 1 Honors class, had to read this for an assignment. Seeing as how this was for class, I wasn't too sure about the quality of Ender's Game. In the first chapter, this book grabbed me and held on tight through the entire novel. In my opinion, this book had the right amount of action along with a splash of political and phychologic aspects. Though these elements got pretty confusing, the story fleshed it out enough for me and much of my class to understand.

The main character, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, goes to a Battle School to train so that he may fight an insectoid race of aliens, known as buggers. Science fiction is not my niche in novels (alliteration is fun), but killing aliens is almost always cool in my eyes. Throughout the book, Ender faces a lot of conflict, both with other characters and also within himself. I do not want to give a lot of the plot away, because Ender's Game is something you have to read and experience for yourself.

Overall, this book was very enjoyable. It was hard to put this book down, and when I did, I wanted to read it even more. I hope you decide to try this book out, and if you do, I do not think you will be disappointed.

I know this is heretical, but in terms of sheer enjoyment I actually prefer some of the sequels. The mood of _Ender's Game_ is a bit oppressive, and as a former homeschooler who has never fit in well to conventional peer groups I find the social world of Battle School frightening and even repulsive. Of course, that's the point--the book appeals precisely to nerdy people like me who identify with Ender's anxiety and isolation. We would love to think that, like Ender, we are brilliant heroes on whom the world's salvation depends. And that's where the book gains its power. It sucks us in by making us identify (in wish-fulfillment) with Ender's brilliance and his unique role in history, and then it clobbers us with the realization of the horrific cost of being a hero. _Ender's Game_ is the answer to the legions of juvenile books in which young heroes, "just like us," solve the unsolvable mystery or stop the evil treasure-hunters or save the universe from the forces of darkness. Card says, in effect, "So you enjoy imagining yourself a hero? What if, suddenly, you found out that what you had been imagining was real? What if the heroic games you play really resulted in the deaths of millions, in the extinction of a sentient species? How would you feel then?"

Yet _Ender's Game_ is no simple morality tale. There's plenty of morality in it, but it can't be expressed in a formula (which means that the preceding paragraph is only partially accurate). Card brings this home in the sequel, in which we see how from idolizing Ender humans come to hate and despise him (ironically through his own writings and those of Valentine), and yet neither response really fits the reality of what he did.

For Ender cannot be reduced to a stick figure, unlike most characters in sf. The great strength of _Ender's Game_, the reason it is one of the greatest books of its genre, is the characterization of Ender. This is not without flaws (does anyone really believe, imaginatively, that Ender is quite as young as Card would have us believe? This will be a strength when the movie comes out, since the movie will almost certainly have to add a few years to Ender's age), but it is one of the great triumphs of sf, a genre not known for its characterizations. _Ender's Game_ is not primarily an adventure story or a novel of social criticism; it is above all the story of Ender's struggle to save his soul, to develop his gifts without destroying himself and those around him. Does he succeed? Read the book and decide for yourself.

This book is without doubt one of the great science fiction books, without all of the stuff you don't want to hear! It takes you into the life of a young boy, nicknamed Ender, who quite literally has the world depending on him. I felt strongly for Ender, he was more than a character in a book to me, but that I can't explain. This is a must read, and I suggest it to everyone.

Ender is a young boy who faces all kinds of demons in this book. In the not so distant future, aliens have already attacked once, and are about to attack again. Those in charge are scrambling to find someone to save the world against the aliens, and Ender is the one they find.
Ender's Game is entertaining and well written, but those who read it purely for entertainment value will also find something much greater. This book forces you to think about some critical issues.
To put it simply, this book is one of the best there is.

"I've watched through his eyes, I've listened through his ears, and I tell you, he's the one." A young boy named Ender Wiggin lives in a future time where there are reproduction laws. Two children per couple. But Ender is different. He is a third. The small, strange boy, a government guinea pig with no idea what is in store for him. In this futuristic Earth, there is a hatred for buggers, a strange alien life form, and a new war is about to unfold. With his caring sister Violet, and his corrupt brother Peter, this strange family could change the world. Orson Scott Card does a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire book. He has a great way of keeping the book in your hands. Followed up by Card's sequels, THE SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD, XENOCIDE, CHILDREN OF THE MIND, ENDER'S SHADOW, and SHADOW OF THE HEGEMON, it kicks off an action-packed, wonderful series. The Foundation trilogy brought him to the idea of a battle room, where people train for fighting wars in space, and inspired him to write a book about it. It's by far the greatest novel I've ever read in my favorite genre. Unlike most sci-fi books, Ender's Game has so many emotions in it to keep you reading and picturing the characters. It was published in 1977, and I read it in 2001, but I still think it's a great book. It won the Hugo award in1986, and the Nebula award in 1985. It's more for 12 to 13 year olds, because of it's difficult words and concepts, but I loved it.

I first read Ender's Game two years ago when I was 13 or 14 and I liked it but not until now, after I've re-read it many times, have I come to understand what the book is really about. The story seems simple enough on first glance. Ender Wiggin (I love him more and more each time I read the book. He's just so cool) is taken from his family at the age of 6 and sent up into Battle School in the asteroid belt. There he is pushed past his limits, both physically and emotionally, as he plays war games that the teachers, his enemies, lay out for him. Then he is taken off to Command School where he meets a new teacher who is smarter than he is (::gasp::). Ender plays games on a simulator, against this teacher, only to find out in the end that they aren't games at all. At the end of the book he is completely torn and weighed down with a deep sadness and guilt.

However, the book is not just this story about beating an alien race in a war. Through Ender's thoughts and feelings, Orson Scott Card raises many moral and ethical questions, including the fight in the bathroom and the concept of Ender's compassion. Ender's understanding of the mind was something I found especially interesting, because I've read all the Ender books that are out (including the newest, Shadow of the Hegemon) and since I think that understand what Card is trying to convey about Ender, I sometimes find myself so annoyed with characters who don't realize that the Speaker of the Dead is also Ender the Xenocide.

Nevermind. The point is, Ender's Game is an amazing book, one of my favorites. And it is not shallow and solely readable for entertainment either. It is deep and thoughtful at the same time. You will find yourself wishing you were Ender's friend, wishing you could help ease his burden, wishing that there are more people like him in this world. Because from the people I know, there is no one like him, and I love him all the more because of it.

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In my meager nineteen years of existence, I have somehow managed to read a hell of a lot of books. Out of all those books - horror, non fiction, scifi/fantasy - only Ender's Game has exceeded my expectations. I've read all the hype, again and again, and so I finally sat down to read the book. Again and again.

I'm not even a fast reader, for God's sake. Not to mention that I have a very limited patience while reading. And yet, somehow, I read Ender's Game twice in one sitting. (Where's the 6th star, anyway?)

While the concepts in the Ender's series *are* somewhat unique, they're not 100% original, nor are they entirely spectacular.... Aliens threaten earth, and the government establishes a battle school program to prepare genius children in the ways of intergalactic war. Simple enough, but that's not what makes this book my all-time favorite.

Also, there's not a lot of symbolism, and the style Card writes in is plain and direct, not flowery. But this simplicity is precisely why I love reading Card. (I also recently read Enchantment. I highly recommend that as well). This simplicity in writing is what makes Ender's Game "stick." I read it last spring and now that spring is around again, I'm finding myself having flashbacks from the story, remembering the most minor details. Not to mention that its simplicity makes it accessible to all reading ages.

What really hit me, though, was the conclusion. Oh my. I remember reading the last twenty pages the first time around, thinking to myself, "Ok, this ending looks like it's about to fall flat on its..." and then, BAM, it struck me right when I least expected it - at the absolute end of the book. All the loose ends were tied up firmly (although I must admit, I found myself re-reading the conclusion a few times over just to make sure I didn't miss anything), and then the book was finished. There was barely enough room for anti-climax.

The only real drawback I can find with this book is that, by reading it, your standards will shoot past the clouds. Once I read Ender's Game, I found myself getting disappointed with the rest of the books out there. Ah, it used to be so easy to find a book that impressed me...

ps: The rest of the Enders books are EXCELLENT. None of them are nearly as quick-paced as Ender's Game, and occasionally they trudge along, but they expound on the main storyline wonderfully. All the details fit together smugly, in the end. My highest recommendations.

This book was given to me as a advanced reader's edition for the re-issuing in 2001. I'll admit, I was doubtful, but I'm so glad I read it!
I am part of a Reviewers Staff group at a bookstore, so my job was to read it, write a review for the store, and then tell people about it. As you can see, I loved it, and am now typing this review for anyone in doubt of Ender's Game. This book was really superb. My top ten books of all time (so far) are all six Ender's Game series, (including Beans' Shadow books, he's another Battle School Graduate) and the four Harry Potter books. Two more "Shadow" books are coming out soon. Then the final count will be eight for Ender's Game.
I so far have gotten five people to read Ender's Game. They haven't finished, but they say they love the Battleroom, the weight-less "room" where the child military geniuses have mock battles against other mock armies (such as Rat, Salamander and Dragon.). Older students are the commanders of the armies, and experianced soldiers are platoon (or just plain toon) leaders. The rest of the soldiers are just soldiers. There is one remarkable thing about these soldiers, though. They are taken from their homes at age five or six, and graduate from Battle School at age fourteen or sixteen. They spend their entire childhood in space! They are then shuttled off to Tactical, Stratigical or Pre-Command School. Lastly, they fly to Command School, where even the location is a secret, and nobody under twenty-five is trusted. This is a pretty bad mistake, considering they put their future of humanity in the hands of a bunch of 10 year-olds. This isn't a game anymore, they are trying to save humanity against the ultimate enemy, the Buggers.

I bought Ender's Game because so many people recommended it to me. Later I wondered why I had listened. A book about a little boy who is a genius, taken away from his family at the age of six to save the world? Not my cup of tea, or so I thought. One of my reading groups, Armchair Readers 2, was doing a group read of Ender's Game and I thought I might as well read it with them.I was pulled in almost from the beginning.

When Earth was attacked by the "Buggers", they were taken by surprise. It was almost an accident that humans were able to destroy them. To prepare for another invasion, Earth began breeding military geniuses who would save the world. Children wore monitors from an early age so that their every thought, word, and deed was recorded. Ender Wiggin was the best of the best. Taken from his family at the age of six, he begins his education in war games strategy and command.

My heart ached for Ender's lost childhood and loneliness. As each test got harder and his isolation more complete, his determination for success grew. He knew he couldn't depend on anyone but himself because that was all he had. I quickly became attached to Ender and some of the secondary characters, as well. Geniuses all, they knew the world was depending on them and they pushed themselves to their limits. I highly recommend this book.

Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is a very absorbing novel about a super-genius preteen, Ender Wiggins and his militaristic growth and training to become mankind's savior in the interstellar war against the enigmatic buggers, a reticent, ruthless, mysterious race of ant/ human hybrids. The majority of the story follows Ender's training at Battle School, the "basic training" for all soldiers and commanders in Ender's futuristic, war-threatened time. At Battle School he faces manipulation and ostracization at the hands of both his teachers and fellow students, but, despite the odds Ender always seems to emerge triumphant, overcoming bullies, loneliness, isolation, and the incredible pressure of being the world's only hope for survival.
The diction in Ender's Game is dogmatically simple and succinct, making it a fast and enjoyable read. At times, however, it becomes difficult to relate to Ender for readers uninitiated or unfamiliar with the military, or for those not proficient or uncomfortable with scientific theory. Also, the characters, especially Ender and his siblings, have a certain ability to distance themselves from the reader, as it may become hard to completely empathize with children who possess the intelligence to manipulate public opinion through subtle, clever "internet" editorials or with pre-adolescents with the ruthlessness to kill remorselessly. However, despite this fairly unavoidable distancer, Ender's Game is still definitely a page-turner.

In Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card, the reader enters a futuristic universe where human beings are engaged in a struggle for survival. Having twice survived alien attack, the humans, fearing a more powerful invasion, have developed a program to breed and train a warrior who will lead them to a final victory. From the scores of children, a young boy of six, Ender, exhibits the traits needed to assure that victory. And therein lies the story of Ender's Game.
Orson Scott Card is prophetic as he takes the reader into a future where a young child, property of the government, endures a lonely, isolated existence as he plays endless hours of games designed to prove his ability to lead and to win. There is, however, another reason Ender must play to win. His own destiny depends on it!
Ender's Game is an enjoyable, thought provoking read. Orson Scott Card does a wonderful job of displaying a cold, calculating, world where the value of a child is based on his/her abilities to fight against the aliens. Card also does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into the story and allowing the reader into the mind of a special young boy with a greater purpose than defeating an alien enemy.
If you enjoy science fiction, you must read Ender's Game and the other books in the series. And if you are not a fan of science fiction, you may still find Ender's Game a thought provoking story that will leave you contemplating the possibilities of a future world and the role human beings will play in the universe.

Ender Wiggins is not a normal child. Most children would go to a school to learn things like math and languages, but Ender Wiggins gets sent to a space station to learn how to command an army against an alien species. In Enders game, by Orson Scott Card the students on this space station are constantly manipulated and forced to encounter situations that could be harmful, so the teachers can know more about them, and therefore decide how to and prepare them to command an army. Unfortunately, dangerous and harmful things will sometimes happen because of their teachers' decisions.
The book isn't exactly science fiction, even though it deals with things like aliens and space stations. Instead, much of it is about the human mind, and what is right and wrong. Should the childrens' lives be at risk so the military can have better commanders? It takes the reader inside the mind of a child who is in this situation and shows what happens and how he thinks, and what the results are of this school he goes too. I would recommend this book to people who like science fiction or books that make them think for a long time after reading it.

A couple words- Read this book!
Ender's Game follows Andrew 'Ender' Wiggin, a brilliant young boy who is brought to the orbital training station. There, he recieves training to become a military commander.
Earth had been attacked by a race of aliens, who were trying to take over the planet for their uses. The human race then fought them off, and prepared for another invasion. They took children, and trained them to lead the defense of earth. Ender is among the smartest ever.
He is trained at Battle school, where he takes part in a series of games, or mock battles. He developes new tactics, and along the way, realizes the truth behind the battles.
I was taken away by the story of Ender, and am a fan of the other Ender series books.
What made Ender's Game so brillient was the morals and the exploration of the human mind that Orson Scott Card wrote. Ender goes from a scared little kid to a mature teen under battle condistions and the way it was portrayed was phenominal. Ender burns out, realizing what he has done and what he has to do to live up to the stresses that he was shaped under.
Ender is nothing short of brillient. He created a new way of thinking in the battle school, and shows the underlining hero-against-society plot, and the hero-under-pressure plot. This book touches the basic human in a person, friendship, leadership, love and care-- not to mention morals.
In the end, ender has to choose between the human race and the aliens in order to survive.

This intriguing read will have your interest until the end. In the future, it is not permitted to bear more than two children under normal circumstances. Andrew (Ender) Wiggin is a lawful THIRD, destined to become a hero. During childhood, he endures the torment of his older brother Peter while seeking asylum with his sister Valentine. Ender's elder siblings are turned away from the battle school, but Ender is chosen to attend. After several exhausting years of excelling in academics, tactical skills, and strategy, Ender finds himself leading an army of fellow children through inexorable drills and combat maneuvers. The third invasion of the Buggers draws near. Mazer Ruckham led humans to a marginal victory during the second invasion by exploiting a weakness that he discovered while all odds were against him, but the Buggers are capable of adaptation. Time is running out and the humans may soon face their extinction. Will Ender's adroitness in battle lead the humans to victory over a foe they can not understand? Can a child really save the world? Is there a surprise ending? The answer to all of these questions is... maybe. But one thing is certain: THIS WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. Are you prepared to be eaten alive by ugly BUGGERS? Wear spikes on your clothing at all times to prevent consumption and never trust people who look like giant insects because they're probably not people.

Wow, close to 1500 reviews so far! This book was recommended to me by a very intelligent woman, and I enjoyed reading it. It is a relatively quick read and the pace of the story well serves the content.

With so many reviews, I'm sure there is not much I can add. I consider this book average sci-fi. Another recent review mentions that Card insists that he never read Starship Troopers. That may be true, but I certainly found myself thinking about that far superior work very early on while reading this one.

One comment, I have not seen, in any of the reviews I have read so far, mention of Card's hilarious preoccupation with which way is "down." By halfway through the book, I thought I would become ill if he revisited this simple premise. The attempt at a tie in, using this 'theme', at the end was meager.

There was a lot of promise for exciting action in the descriptions of the games at the battle school. In my opinion, Card did not capitalize on this. Rebounding off walls, sliding along walls, 'stars' to hide behind, the enemy gate, etc. - yes, I understand all this, but it is not compelling. Ender's tricks and new ideas are offered as revolutionary grand strategy by the author. But there is not enough substance there. That would have been an interesting element on which to spend more time.

In my estimation, Card missed the target just a bit with this one. There were the seeds of decent ideas however (all of this touched on in other reviews). I'll probably try the other books in the Ender quartet.

Ender is the savior of the world, the end of the Buggers. Mankind is in a desperate fight to save the world, though it is delayed over decades because of space travel.

Ender is the last chance before the human race is wiped out and he is a child. The teachers instruct him at a battle school for children, promoting him too early, isolating him and making him into a killing machine. He struggles with his killer instinct (represented by Peter his villainous older brother) and his compassion (represented by his angel sister Valentine).

As adults read this they often find sympathy for Ender as one of their own children, not wanting him to go through the isolation, but know it is necessary for the greater good. Teenagers and children view themselves as Ender, always struggling to define themselves and fighting against the authority in their own lives. Readers of all ages become emotionally invested in the characters because of their vulnerability and tragic circumstances.

Ender¡¯s Game is well constructed, exciting, and well worth reading.

Talk about strange coincidences--right before I read this book I read (and loved) "Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone". And for awhile I had to convince myself that it wasn't just a REALLY dark version of the same story. Two ingenue, whizbang kids; two sets of imperious adult authority figures; two misfits among misfits. If I'd only watched "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" immediately before reading "Harry Potter" I'd truly be scared by the similarities.

But all this seems like really nebulous coincidence. "Ender's Game", on its own, is a fun, if often unsettling, read--one of those books it's easy imagining being turned into a movie (and subsequently ruined on celluloid--do I need to say "Battlefield Earth" or is everyone on the same page?). Card's action style is occasionally obtuse--at times I wasn't exactly sure what was going on in a particular battle--but the interpersonal stuff is dead on. And that is what matters, when it's SF and not battle-heavy Fantasy. (Yes, I already know there are LOTS of fantasy novels that feature very nice character development--I've read and loved many of them. George RR Martin, Robert Jordan, RA Salvatore, of course Tolkien...)

I also felt the story ended a little abruptly, although I suppose this added to the "surprise" ending aspect of the book. I guess I should admire Card for not going the route of other writers, and take 150+ pages to wind a story down. This was actually a VERY quick read for me. Books of this length usually take me 3-4 weeks of casual reading; I finished this one in 4 days. I hate those '70s paperback review cliches, but I'll use them anyway--it is a page-turner, and I couldn't put it down (Damn, I know I'll hate myself in the morning for that....).

It helps to have some interest in hard SF and/or military writing (or computer games, for that matter). If you do, you'll probably have a nice week reading "Ender's Game".

As classic Hero's Journey, "Ender's Game" is one of the ten best science fiction stories of the twentieth century. It uncannily predicted the Internet and personal computers many years ahead of time. The story is both tense and sparse yet gripping from almost the first page. Card is a writer of immense power and this seemingly grim story of a boy conceived and brought up to be a leader and fighting machine is a bright tapestry about determination, loyalty, and bravery. This story is the beginning of the "Ender" saga, but very different from the other books in the series. I have read it many times and never get tired of it.

The book Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, is an action filled, thrilling yet emotional science fiction novel. The book is about one little boy named Ender Wiggin who is the third child in his family and a genious along with his older sister Valentine and brother Peter. Ender Wiggin is specially chosen out of the rest of his siblings to go into the military and train to fight off the buggers, who are aliens from a different planet who attacked Earth years earlier. The military training is not just any average army- it takes place in space. Ender, only being six years old, turns out to be the best at all the military games. At a young age, he manages to beat older kids of 12 or 13 years. Although Ender is the best at the games, he is not a happy child. Ender not only misses his family, mostly his sister Valentine, but he is also picked on constantly at Battle school. Soon enough, Ender is transferred to a school where he is one of the youngest boys. Now at the age of 10, Ender is trained by Mazer who was the one who saved Earth from the buggers years ago. Mazer worked Ender day and night- hardly leaving Ender and time to sleep let alone relax. As Ender wins every battle on the video games he is commander of, he suprisingly saves Earth. The entire time Ender fought battles on the video games, he was being fooled- it was real. The ending of the book becomes very intense and the suprise at the end is amazing. I highly reccomend this book to anyone- even if you've never read Science-fiction before!!!!

Ender's Game is the reason I started to get into reading as a kid. Since then, i have read it 2 more times, and each time, it seems better. I'm not usually a big fan of science fiction, but this book really moved me. I really had a hard time putting it down. I can not say enough about this book - the style is excellent and easy to read, the plot is well developed, and the characters are surprisingly realistic. Even if you don't particularly like science fiction, I think this book would still appeal to you. You can feel the character's emotions as if you were there yourself. Card's descriptive style is incredible. By the first 30 pages, you already feel a connection to Ender (the protagonist), in which you can't help but find yourself rooting for him. Also, the author's potrayal of society and the government and its role in the story really makes you think. Everyone I've recommended it to(which is a lot of people) really loved it as well. I also recommend the book's sequel 'Speaker For The Dead'. Its nothing like the first book, but still just as good. Read Ender's Game first though, and if you liked it, then read the next one. You won't be disappointed.

To me, the best science fiction novels are those that can incorporate character, location and emotion into the work. This helps add to the flavor and makes the reader care about the novel as a whole. Dune does it (by all accounts the masterpiece by which all other Sci Fi novels should be gauged in my book), Hyperion does it (hugely!) and now, so does Ender's Game.

The story revolves around the life of a young boy named Ender Wiggin; he's basically been inducted into the military without his knowing it (sounds kinda scary...and familiar!). His life, as it turns out, has been set---in the stars so to speak. The military, seeing his genious (spelling?), exploit his gift for strategy at every turn. And the most amazing thing, is that Ender knows it! He's not smart and oblivious to what's going on! Come on! But it isn't the fact that he HAS to do what the brass wants. It's that, if he doesn't, mankind MIGHT be exterminated from the universe (or at least from earth). The final 'game' that Ender plays....well....you'll just have to read it, because I don't want to spoil it ALL for you. But I will tell you that you must go on and read Xenocide after this one. If you don't, you lose the perspective that Ender had at the end of this book. The remainder of the series is questionable, but these first two novels are top-notch.

In this book, it is 2250 AD and world has changed. The governments of the world have formed the World Government, and their are two parts, the Hegomony (Communist) and the Polemarch(Democrocy/Theocracy), and they have formed the Warshaw Pact, a document that insures peace in the world. They have done this because the buggers, an alien race, has twice tried to colonize earth, but we have beaten them - for now. Now to insure that earth wins again, the World Government has taken to breeding military geniuses, and then training them Also, population control has been inforced, so no more than two children are allowed, unless permited by the government. One such family, the Wiggins, were permited to have a Third, and his name is Ender Wiggen.Ender is a genius, and the government takes him, and all the other geniuses of the world, to Battle School, a place where they train them to become commanders and Admirals of the worlds International Fleet, or Space command. At Battle School, the boys are trained through "games" against each other. Ender Wiggen is the genius among geniuses; he wins all games, and now he is their only hope to save the world from the buggers. Now that time is running out he must move on the Command School. He is their only hope. Even while at Battle School, Ender's brother (Peter) and sister (Valentine) have turned the world against it's government. Together they create new identity's through the internet, Locke, and Demonothese. They then mass e-mail their ideas to the world, exposing the Hegomony in their effort to take control over the world, and in time become Earth's leaders. This book is really good, and I would tell you more about it but that would ruin the entire book. Trust me - I don't read that much, but after reading this book, I bought the whole series. Orson Card does a great job of entering and revealing the human mind and all of the feeling inside of it. The games played are written fierce and exciting, even though played by kids of twelve. The characters are very memorable, and the massive amount of stratedy left me reading this book the whole night. This book is recomended to those kids that love to read, and even to those who hate it. It shines through to every person, even if your not a Sci-Fi fan, this book is a must-read, and after your done reading this book, you'll start loving to read.

I first read this book many years ago when I was but a boy, and I can honestly say that this is the book that turned me into an avid reader. The book has obvious appeal for younger readers (Ender, and most of the main characters are children of remarkable ability), but it is by no means young adult fiction. Card uses the childrens point of view to look at humanity in a new and fresh way, in a way that escaped me until later in life. I've reread the book more times than I care to mention here, and it always provides me with new insights.

Probably the most important aspect of the novel is that it just expounds coolness. The plot is incredible and deftly crafted, the characters ring true and win the reader's heart, and every kid and adult reader wants to go to, or wants have gone to Battle School after reading ENDER'S GAME.

I've made many people read this book, and every single one of them has loved it. So now I'm making you read it, and you'll love it too.

I'm not a big fan of science fiction. Actually, I shuddered away from it. The thought of reading about quantum physics, mechanics, psionic anything or disrupted quazars made me shudder. Reading was supposed to be for relaxation---not bashing you for your next science lesson.

But my brother handed me Ender's Game anyway. He insisted I would like it (Perhaps because he notices my resemblance to Ender? j/k of course not...I'm no genius.) I was really preparing to go to sleep so I thought that reading it would help. Instead of helping I didn't get to sleep at all until my mother insisted me to. I LOVED it.

It didn't bash you about your next science lesson (the science there was at least comprehendable...)and the introduction grabbed me right away ^_^ He sounded so--intelligent and so logical. He also has a rhythm to keep a sentence sound flowing. The next day I was telling my brother, "He sounds so intelligent!"

And then I continued on to Ender's Game. The story itself is superb! What if children did think like that? And those incidents do happen. Those that are gifted or at least have something other people don't are usually hurt one way or another because of it...There are people like those in Battle School.

Even though set in the future this book is a remarkable reflection of our society today. Not to mention how they keep the human emotions intact. They didn't become demi-gods just because of what time they are in.

This book is quite deep and profound. I'd recommend it to anyone just as long as they don't take the words SCIENCE FICTION to heart while they read this book. Don't rate a book by it's genre, rate it by how it was written. Frankly, Ender's Game seems like a different genre from SF, an inch away from it.

I hope you get to read it! And the following books after it as well! ^_^

I read a lot of books, and I don't have a problem putting them down to do things. Until this book. I always had to know what happened next. I found myself reading and walking, reading and cooking, and reading all night long rather than sleeping. A definite must for Sci-Fi fans. Ender's Game also may be of interest to gamers, internet junkies, and military buffs. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the rest of the series.

Possibly the most heart-wrenching story I have ever read. Also one of the most profoundly insightful and beautiful. I agree that to pigeonhole this masterpiece into the oft-misunderstood genre of science-fiction is to commit a monsterous literary injustice. This is a story of such remarkable beauty that I have carried its message with me ever since my first reading.

To put it lightly, I cried when I finished this book. At age thirteen, I was left feeling betrayed by my own species. It is perhaps the only story ever to leave me feeling, quite literally, sick to my stomach. In the annals of my literary experience, no other single piece of literature has impacted my soul in a more important way. This story should be read and studied in schools the world over.

This one will be remembered for a very long time.

I know that there are 1214 other customer reviews about this book; I need to write a 1215th anyway.

I read this book first when I was in fifth grade. I remember sitting at my desk near the side wall in Mrs. Lopiparo's classroom and reading the final few chapters. I began to cry. When I looked up, through a dizzy of emotion I could see that Mrs. Lopiparo and the other students were looking at me. I couldn't think, I couldn't say anything; I just buried my head in my arms and cried.

Now I am a junior in college, and my roommates are reading Ender's Game for the first time. I get excited just thinking about that first reading of theirs--the first one!--and I know that, even though they may not cry as I did as a fifth-grader, their first reading won't be their last.

Ender's Game is a brilliant piece that works like great literature - for people who don't want to intellectualize, it's an exciting gripping rip-roaring easy-to-follow adventure story of a precocious child going to war in space. For the people who like to intellectualize and think about what they read, it is filled with much meat over which to wax philosophic, in regards to the ethics and morality of total warfare, what it means to defeat an opponent, what is sacrifice-able in terms of preserving a society (such as childhood innocence), what are the real ethical boundaries of preparing and training for war, etc. Like Shakespeare, the book is genius because anyone can enjoy it no matter how "deep" they wish to dig into it, or if they desire to dig into it at all. Card's prosody is also that rare kind that truly keeps one turning pages, riveted to the magnificent story.

I am not a fan of science fiction. I read the occasional sci-fi book, and it is usually one that is potentially meaningful to a reader outside the genre.

'Ender's Game' is one such a novel. On every level, intellectual and emotional, it grabs you and doesn't let go. It combines brilliant concepts, such as the battle-room and the 'Speaker for the Dead', with emotional depth and intensity. Ender is one of the most memorable characters in science fiction, right up there with Paul Atreides. The struggles of this innocent child to remain human and at the same time become a hardened killing-machine are heart-rending to watch, summoning tears many a time. All the children who are heroes--Bean, Petra, Alai--are admirable yet at the same time pitiable, sacrificing the innocence of their childhood on the altar of civilization. One can cheer them on yet at the same time grieve, that they had to lose so much in exchange for what they gained.

The plot is fast-paced and always surprising; there's no putting the book down until it's over. The ending was puzzling to me the first time I read the book, but now I see it as a vindication of Ender as a human being, as opposed to a cold killer. His role is reversed from killer to life-giver, and he is able to reclaim the humanity he has desired for so long.

Ender's own dual identity, the battle-room commander who still misses his older sister Valentine, is portrayed flawlessly. His joy becomes the reader's joy, and his suffering the reader's suffering. That is the true greatness of this book.

Certainly Card's best work, from an author noted for his exceptional ability to breath life into his characters.

Card isn't just an amazing science fiction novelist, his writing style draws the reader in, and I must say, made me turn off the TV! Card's uncanny ability to write about a character's perception of fact and knowledge rather than an author's "truth"--knowledge given to the reader as fact--further compliments his concentration on power, manipulation and control. And all this set upon a plot strong enough to stand on its own as one of the best sci-fi novels ever!

This book really makes you feel sorry for Ender. It gets you inside his head and you know how he thinks and everything, even when it doesn't tell you what he is thinking, you know what is going through his head. I can guarunty that 99% of the people who read this book will love it. This masterpiece by Orson Scott Card will be remembered by me for all of my life. Read this book or you will have really missed out. If you read this book I would read Ender's Shadow before you start Children of the Mind.

When I saw the Amazon.com top 100 books of the twentieth century list "Ender's Game" was near the top. I read the synopsis and decided it sounded interesting. I looked for it online but it was out of print. I looked in used book stores but it is so popular a title that they sell out fast. Finally, a few weeks ago I found the book on Amazon. When I started to read it I was immediately shocked at how accurately the author was able to tap into the lives and fears of little children, at least of what we adults can remember of our own childhoods. Within the first few pages anyone who was ever been picked on as a kid will form an instant bond with Ender. Ender's story is told in a straightforward manner, and with the tenderness of an adult looking at a child they care about deeply. The result is that it gives the reader an emotional attachment that doesn't get weaker as the story goes on, but rather seems to intensify it. From the very beginning our hearts are with Ender, and Ender's heart is with his sister, who he isn't allowed to see. In a very real sense this book is a love story about siblings, friends, and teachers and students. The book's "Sci-Fi" aspect provides only a setting for the story and should in no way influence you one way or another. This book is about real human emotions, and about reflecting on who we are as indivuduals and as a society. It's full of compelling moral dillemas, bitter rivalries, and surprisingly exciting action. The one warning I will give a potential reader is; it is emotionally powerful. It will break your heart at times and lift your spirits at others. Some readers will be offended by the brutality of some of the characters in this novel. I've read other reviews comparing Ender to Napolean, and one review that was way off the mark comparing him to Hitler. The truth is that Ender had no intention or desire to be a leader, and the thought of killing anyone sickened him. His genious was being used by the Hitlers and Napoleans of his world. I, like most people I know, am a reader who likes certain authors in various genres. Card is not on my list. To be honest, I don't know for sure that I'll read any of his other books, (except the Ender "series") but that shouldn't stop anyone from reading this masterpiece. It stands on its own as a great work of fiction and, in my humble opinion, a timeless, genreless clasic.

This book, Ender's Game, is a very different book. This book is a little different that the books I'm used to read, but I still thought it was very good. Aliens that they call Buggers have almost wiped out the human species. TWICE! now they are expecting a third. Now the government is making a kind of superhumans. They are smarter ans stronger than the regular human. they are called Thirds. Ender, Andrew Wiggins, is a third. He gets picked on at school all the time. In this book you will go through his emotions of Ender going through the traing he has to undergo for the next invasion.

A young boy who fulfills his destiny to save the universe is almost a common character in fiction, a poor example of which is George Lucas' "Phantom Menace". Lucas should have given up his pitiful attempt at writing, and should've simply copied "Ender's Game" in entirety - Lucas would have ended up with an immortal masterpiece. Card is a rare genius on the level of Charles Dickens, and he created a character in Ender so complex and vivid, yet so familiar and near to our hearts. This novel will stand the test of time as one of the very few greatest sci-fi of all time.

I've now bought Ender's Game 5 times, since I first read it years ago. Other copies have been permanently borrowed or lost in moves. I will always ensure I have a copy in my library.

The story is timeless and pulls the reader in, as a young boy is taught and trained, in the name of Earth's defence and survival, to win at all cost and destroy an enemy; known as the 'Buggers'.

Ender is separated from his family at an early age and brought to a battle school, located in a space station.

His skills as a thinking warrior, who doesn't just win against an enemy, but destroys the enemy during an initial confrontation, is recognized by the International Fleet, and is cultavated through both battle games and personal isolation purposely caused by the instructors.

Ender grows as a warrior and leader, but is internally conflicted as the pressures from the battle school weigh heavy on his psyche. He is a boy, expected to act as Julius Ceaser, Napoleaon and Alexander The Great. He loves and respects life, but knows he is expected to cause total genocide on earth's current enemy; the Buggers.

The first thing to say about this book is that it takes children seriously. Although most of the characters are in the ages of 6 to 12, they are described as other authors describes adults. As the book contains almost no descriptions, either of enviroment, people, clothing, etc, it's easy to believe that the story is about teenagers, or even older people!

The story isn't original, and there's not much of it anyway. Ender is taken to military school at the age of 6. There he win battles, feel lonely, grow older, and win battles again. The whole book. Still it is entertaining, one really cares for Ender, the only character really described (the others are describes in terms like "short", "fat", "young", etc, almost never more than a word). Among the strong parts are discussion about leadership, strategy and the ruthlessness of the military when trying to accomplish a mission.

I liked the book and couldn't stop reading it. Now, afterwards, it seems unrealistic, Ender (and his siblings) are so much smarter than everyone else that rest of the characters seems made of plastic. The idea of having a 12 year old child commanding a space fleet is never really explained. The techonology is sometims advanced, but one notices that the book was written long before VR-technology.

Still, this was nothing that bothered me when I was reading the book. It's a good one, and well worth reading.

Ender's Game: A review, by Jay of London

Ender is a 6-year-old genius at the beginning of our book, when he gets the Moniter removed. Ender believes that he can go back to a "normal" life, after having the goverment retract their Moniter, and Peter, his brother who (to put it nicly) is a future Exterminator (not really, power-hungrey Peter gets what he wants, and deserves, in the end), anyways, Peter will start having a "brotherly" relationship with him.

Then Colenel Graff comes and whisks Ender off to Battle School. There Ender learns to be a good soilder through isolation, games, "Fairyland", and using his own creativity.

Valentine, the only one who loves him, (his parents do, but it gets complicated), ends up siding with Peter, in a plot to take over the world.

I'll leave it at that, but just know that this is one of the best books I've ever read.

I hadn't read the gushing reviews of Ender's Game when I initially picked the book up. Rather, I had seen it advertised at the local cinema on one of those advertisements that are flashed before the feature starts. I picked it up on a whim, wrongly assuming that it would be a cheap and fast thrill ride. Despite some questionable promotion tactics, the book deserves a place on the shelf of any action-loving reader who also desires a careful examination of an extremely compelling case of coming-of-age, isolation, and resignation of the human condition to surprising circumstances and irresistible powers.

Orson Scott Card convincingly delivers this case via Ender Wiggin, a genius child chosen and manipulated to become the saviour of a futuristic Earth from insectlike aliens. Even as Ender completes his military training at a dizzying rate, he grows to realize that not only is humanity's fate at stake, but so is his personal sanity, ethos, and connections to those he holds dear.

The book's ideas about human condition could have been presented in a non-Sci-Fi setting, but the fact that it is lends itself well to the almost inhuman nature of Ender's tragic ordeal. Through Ender's interactions with the memorable cast of supporting characters, the reader can immediately connect with and address the universal emotions people undergo - from stress, fatigue and shame, to excellence, camraderie and unconditional love. I read this story in about a day; unfortunately some of the only recreational fiction I have enjoyed in about a year. I can truthfully say that I believe it was a good move to purchase this book. It is intensely moving, and while may not necessarily be life-changing for its readers, Ender's Game is great enough that it can be.

Frist thing frist is that Ender's Game is a great LITERARY classic, and a great book for every kind of read as long as they are a bit brighter than the average person. I for one am find the reviews for this work that badly rate it very humoeous they have completely missed the boat on Card's work.

The bad reviews for this book have 3 common flaws in them, the first is that to fully appricate this work one must have grown up being brigter than those around you, the second is that one must read not the story but the idea it delivers to one and also one must not take the ending aas the end but as the begining as Card intended. The hardest to explain here will be the the fact the story is centered not around the stroy but the feelings and thoughts of Ender as a person, the space travel and interstller warfare were merely a back drop to the feelings of an extremly intellagant person who desipite all that he knows is still a child. The idea of the pain Ender felt for each loss he inflicted, the idea of brothers and sisters and families adn how they don't alwasy get along, the idea that even an alien mind can be understood, the idea of adults underestimateing children, and most of all the prevaling human sprit that will bleed and sweat to save itself and than cry over the harm it has done. In this work Card has spoken to my sprit and my mind, I can feel Ender's pain and see the world through his eyes as well as my own, and I can also see my own life through Ender's eyes. If one reads the story only once and only reads the story it is a wated effort and one should haven't even bothered reading it in the frist place and should deffinately not put one's 2 cents into a review of a work one has never truely read.

If you like me to discuss my views on this book please e-mail at heywhatup@hotmial.com or conntact me on icq #2876555

Ender's Game is by far the greatest book I have ever read! It has to do with the life and upbringing of Ender Wiggin, a six-year-old genius who is the Earth's only hope for victory over invading "bugger" aliens. I recommend this book to people who even don't like science-fiction because it's not as much about space battles and aliens, as it is about life. It makes you think and understand some things about human nature that you would never even think of otherwise.

this book was one of the best i have ever read. i had to read it for literature class, and at first i looked at it and i said, "no way. this is like over 350 pages." but as i started reading it, it made me want to read more and more. it has an incredible story line and plot. beautiful book.

I've read most of your books in the top 20, and i see no reason why Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card isn't there it is the best book i've ever read, and i know many who feel the same way. Please, rethink your rankings

One persisting quote I keep reading about Ender's Game is that even if you are not a sci-fi reader you will still enjoy this book, and I have to echo that statement yet again. I have passed by Card's books over and over again never once thinking that one day not only would I read one, but feel compelled to write a review of it HERE. Suffice it to say that unless you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you will most likely identify with Ender in a BIG way. We've all felt like a out-cast at SOME time, right? Well you find yourself wondering how you would react in the same situations as Ender does, and before you know it, you have developed almost real feelings for this character. Orson Scott Card has written a novel that is not only VERY entertaining, but captures the very essence of what growing up on the 'outside' is really like--despite the circumstances of being set in the future on a Battle Station orbiting the Earth. Ender's Game is clearly a SUPERIOR book, and deserves the Hugo and Nebula Awards. I am almost ashamed to admit that I haven't read the rest of the books in the Quartet because I only recently finished reading 'Game' but rest assured, Mr. Card has earned my loyalty in a BIG way. This book is just plain good. Do yourself a favor, at the very least borrow it from the library, after finishing it, I bet you will end up purchasing a copy of your own, as well as the rest of the series. Its one of those books you just HAVE to own a copy of. Having a 'loaner' just doesn't cut it. Gotta have your OWN. Have I sufficiently made this out to be the best novel of all time, yet? Well it ISN'T, but it IS GREAT--now go and GET IT!

This is, by and large, my favorite sci-fi book of all time. Ender's Game had so much impact to me. This is the only Orson Scott Card book I have read, and I fully intend to read Speaker of the Dead sometime in the near future.

This book was very real to me. The way the characters acted was very realistic. Their views, opinions, and the way they talked are how people in that position speak today. The plot was very real and the book nearly impossible to put down.

"INTENSE is the word for ENDER's GAME." The New York Times spoke truly. This book was a continuous stream of excitement. A Hugo and Nebula award winner, Ender's Game has touched the hearts of many.

Almost one-third of the people who I know have read Ender's Game feel that this book is their favorite. As of now, about 860 or so reviews have been written in Amazon.com, with an average of four stars. This is not merely coincidental. With exception of a few, Ender's Game is simply a great book.

One reviewer has said this, which has so much truth. To truly understand Ender's Game, one must have experienced some of what Ender experienced in Ender's Game. Gifted and talented students, army aviators, and more have written Mr. Card about how the book touched on their lives and how THEY were the Enders in the book. This made Ender's Game mean that much more to them.

So many people (including me), have made Ender's Game "their" story. Mr. Card says it best. "The story itself, the true story, is the one that the audience members create in their minds, guided and shapede by my text, but then transformed, elucidated, expanded, edited, and clarified by their own experience, their own desires, their own hopes and fears."

This book has meant so much to so many people. Buy this book, check it out from a library, borrow it from a friend. All I'm asking you is to try this book. I admit that some people do not like this book, but look at the reviews made; over nine out of ten people rated this book four stars or more.

The only reason I read any of this book was because my friend (who thought it was great) gave and forced me to read it whenever I was in his presence. This "book" was absolutely horrible. The main character, a child named ender, is supposed to be a super genius at military strategies. Yet he lets his brother beat him up. Then he gets toted off to military academy where other children get the chance to bully him around even after he beats them up. This was the single least enjoyable part of the book, since I am not a sadist. Then he single-handedly beats up and "revives" the innocent "buggers" by playing a video game, founds a new colony and starts a new religion. Somehow I see more fiction than science in this part of the book and would have enjoyed it were it not for the sub-plot about his siblings and taking over the world on the internet. The idea that a six-year old could do all this with the learned responsibility and advanced experience of an adult is laughable. For believable sci-fi read something by Pohl or Clarke.

Ender's Game is the most catching, involving, and absorbing book i know. Through word of mouth, myself and about 20 other friends read it while in high school. I only know of one person who read 1/2 the book one day and finished it on the 2nd day. ALL of the rest of us read it in one sitting! It's so suspenceful and amazing that we seriously could not put it down. Some of us, unfortunately, picked it up at the time of final exams and lost a whole night's sleep. Others have 2 or 3 of the book, because they've read it so many times the book had become torn and withered. Still others keep having to purchase the book because they let people borrow their copy, and those people never returned it. All in all, if you like sci-fi and you decide to read only one book, you need to pick this one. No wonder the author won so many distinguishing sci-fi writing awards. You'd only understand what i mean if you read the book, you can't get a taste of it just by hearing opinions or reading the back cover of the book. So do yourself a favor and pick up Ender's Game on a day/night when you know you have a good couple of hours to spare! =)

Post Bugger war, the government biogenically breeds humans to be geniuses. Ender Wiggen a government geniuse deals with a childhood of trials. Monitored for most of his life he faces trials of courage. Whether its being beaten up by his older brother Peter or usings his geniuse brain he overcomes all his challenges and passes the tests. Card takes the reader on a voyage of a boys life. With extream detail he sucks the reader into his fantastic novel. Whether its in a battle at the battle school or at the lake on Earth, Card glues the eyes of his reader to the pages of his book. He proves a kids dedication to a life of troubles. To a true Sci-Fi fan this book is a wonder. Most will read it multiple times. This book is not just for kids, adults enjoy this book too. His captivating plot requires a reader to sit and read all day. The 324 pages in Ender's Game go by quickly so readers beware. Most readers who I have talked to have read this book in about 8 hours. Ender's Game is a sure Sci-Fi classic.

I recently read Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" for the first time. Like many books that one has heard countless raves about, this one does not live up to its press. Briefly, the points that it failed on are: 1) Card goes to great lengths to create the institution that drafts Ender Wiggin as the big, bad, paranoid, authoritarian military government that could destroy an entire alien species. But all the people who run the system are basically good, misunderstood people. Come again? Some folks are just evil. These characters were not believable. 2) The poor aliens are just misunderstood also? Once again, there are bad folks in the world (and out in the universe) who cannot be stopped except by killing them. Of course, then there would be no sequels. 3) It's possible that Ender's siblings could have created such alternate personas on the Net, but to think that the entire (paranoid, all controlling) government could be suborned by such simple measures is ludicrous. Ender himself is a great character, brilliant but manipulated by those around him. It's a shame Card didn't write this book ten years later; the immature, unrealistic view of the world and its institutions makes this book hard to read. I know from reading some of Card's later work that he has improved greatly. Don't base your opinion of his work on this one.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I couldn't stand "Ender's Game." Orson Scott Card sets up the big, bad Earthlings as the villains here, starting a war with the poor victimized Buggers over a misunderstaning. Yes, the humans don't understand the Buggers, but Card doesn't play fair with his readers--there's no way that the humans could possibly understand! And the Buggers commit at least one massacre themselves before the outbreak of war because they don't understand either. I appreciate Card's point that "different is not necessarily bad," but reading this book is like viewing a politically correct new exhibit at the Smithsonian--for example, the USA is now the bad guy for nuking poor Japan, never mind that nobody asked Japan to sieze land all over the Pacific or attack Pearl Harbor. Humanity isn't fighting fair in Ender's war, and Card is a good enough writer to make you feel bad about this unless you stop and think. Why take extra casualties by fighting fair? As one writer put it (in a magazine almost 40 years ago) "you can't keep a good man down, unless of course he limits himself to acting like a good man." If I had read it during the Vietnam War, when my draft number was 147, I would have loved "Ender's Game." That war has been over for more than 20 years. There are legitimate wars, and "Ender's Game" is noxious but very well written junk.

I was interested in this book because it's gotten so many strong reviews -- both positive and negative --from other readers of Amazon's site. Unfortunately, the author's smooth command of language and subtle characterization were flawed by the fact that the text is colored dark navy and appears on black pages, thus making it virtually unreadable

This was the first science fiction book I have read in a long time. And after reading "Ender's Lame" I am ready to go back to reading anything else BUT science fiction! I have never before read a more pretentious and shallow, not to mention silly story than this one about space boy meeting the bee people. That t.v. show, "Santa Claus Versus the Martians" had more depth than this trash. The thing that irks me the most about the story is the lack of believability. OK, I can deal with aliens attacking Earth, the military breeding kiddie war-geniuses, and war games in space. BUT THE DAMN SIX-YEAR-OLD, ENDER, ACTS LIKE AN ADULT! Future kid or not, he is nothing like a child, except in size. He thinks, acts, and talks like an adult. Card never offers any explanation as to why Ender is like this. The reader just has to accept it. Why couldn't Card give some explanation for the way space-boy is, or at least use an adult for the protagonist instead? The most unbelievable aspect of Ender was his advanced adult social skills. He knew things NO six-year-old could possibly know, such as one time when he offered his commander a chance to "save face." You learn these kinds of skills through experience, and usually far into adulthood. Question everything you read, readers. Just because it is science-fiction does not mean it has to be shallow and insulting to your intelligence

A 6-year old child prodigy is viewed as Humanity's last, best hope against an alien menace... but can he be honed into an unbeatable military genius before it's too late?

Yep, that's pretty much the story, with some sub-plots tossed in that feel like filler (though this is book 1 in a series, and they may well come into relevance later on.) Per the author's introduction, this started life as a short story and was subsequently fleshed out to novel length. It certainly feels that way.

On the bright side, this is a quick read and doesn't require too much brain power on the part of the reader. The library I got this from shelved it in "Young Adult" which I feel is appropriate.

Unfortunately, this was one of OSC's first novels, and it certainly feels like an early work by a starting author. Bare-bones descriptions, stilted dialogue that seems unbelievable from the lips of someone still in single-digit age, and a painfully predictable plot. Science fiction is notorious for requiring "suspension of disbelief"--which I normally have no problem with. The suspension required here, though, wasn't anything technical (super-fast space travel, etc) but the aforementioned social aspects.

I'm not sure why this won the awards it did. I recognize that there's something of a cult following to this book, and again I'm not sure why. I didn't hate it, but I didn't go "WOW!" either. I can only assume that the street-level buzz around it built it up too much for me. I probably would have liked it (more) if I'd read this 30 years ago, but now I only felt let-down. I have no interest in reading the rest of the series.

In the introduction to Ender's game by Orson Scott Card, Card talks about how many years before the book was written he came up with the idea of the "Battle room" a room for simulated combat. He never came up with a story he could use this idea in, until Ender's Game. Looking back at the book, it is easy to see that the same idea of simulation is used as a metaphor for human nature, war, strategy, and morals.
The book is about Andrew "Ender" Wiggin. From the start, we learn he is a third. Since the earth has become overpopulated, each family is only allowed to have two children. However, the Wiggin family's two children were both incredibly smart, but both had extreme tendencies. Peter, Ender's older brother, is almost psychopathic, yet calculating and controlling. He is cruel to both animals and his siblings, Ender and Victoria, the middle child. She is incredibly kind, and emotional, almost to the point of weakness. They were both almost sent up to Battle School, a large orbiting spaceship with multiple simulated combat rooms. However, there extreme tendencies kept them out. The government asked the Wiggin family to have another child, to see if he could have the perfect tendencies.
Once Ender is sent to Battle School at the age of 6, he is immediately once again treated as an outcast. He is put under the control of an officer who is rigorous and precise. He is not even allowed to fire his weapon, out of spite. He is eventually moved to another group, where the officer is extremely lax. The book spends most of the time talking about his time in Battle School.
This book has so many different levels. One that I've already touched on is simulation versus reality. Not only does the battle room train the children soldiers, there is a "game" the students are allowed to play. It is in reality a psychological test. At one point, Ender goes beyond the realm of the game's programming, and enters a virtual universe of his own subconscious. This area is used as an analogy for the rest of the book.
Another theme is the interactions between different family members. While Ender is away, Peter and Victoria start false accounts on the internet that they use to showcase their views. However, their online personas are the opposite of their real selves. Victoria's screen name, Demosthenes, is a raging conservative who will rant and rave about American security. Peter, as Locke, is a calm, cool-headed liberal. They are forced to use each other's advice to write as their online personas.
Another theme we see is that of good and evil; more specifically, the line between the two. The purpose of the Battle School is to train soldiers for the war against the insect-like creatures nicknamed buggers. However, when it comes time to attack the buggers, Ender is stricken with grief, since, in his words, "Once I truly understand an enemy, I love them." A metaphor for this same struggle is found in Peter and Victoria, who are both forced to work against and with each other at once.
This is one of the classics of science fiction literature. It is much more suited towards a teenage audience, but it is by no means simplistic, and can be enjoyed by adults as well. It is not an action-packed thriller, but a thriller nonetheless. Well written and enjoyable, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in science fiction.

Wordy, banal, and politically wrong-headed; the kind of thing that appeals to unsceptical adolescents who find it "deep" because they believe it resonates with their own minuscule experience of life. Which is also true of Miss Rand's work.

The characters were two-dimensional and unsympathetic, and the writing pedestrian. Also, the big surprise twist at the end was a surprise chiefly because it was utterly, ludicrously non-credible.

Don't waste your time. Go read Patrick O'Brian instead. It will be much, much harder going -- and it will be much, much more rewarding.

I like Science Fiction just fine but must not love it because there have been many years I haven't read even a single SciFi title. I had read a few of the standards over the years without much prompting and recommend them all - Frank Herbert's Dune Series, Philip Dick's Valis Trilogy and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (became the movie Bladerunner), Asimov's I, Robot, Ray Bradburry's Farenheit 451, Robert Heinlein's The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Arthur Clarke's 2001: Space Odyssey, C.S. Lewis's Out of the Silent Planet trilogy, and I'm sure others.

My son Merrick introduced me to Orson Scott Card and his child genius Andrew Wiggin - Ender. A slow start - probably because of my own low expectations - and an ending that was so unexpected that it made me want to read the book again. Immediately. I'll leave it at that so I don't even stray towards a spoiler. My reading of preferred genres goes in streaks I admit, but I devoured all the books in Card's series as quickly as I could get to them: Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind, Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, and I'm sure I'm leaving something out. (Thanks Merrick!)

Ender grows up in a home with a cruel older brother, Peter, and the love of his life, Valentine, his older sister, the only one who doesn't seem to resent his brilliance. Card does have an ability to see the future - his description of communication over the Internet before Al Gore had the thing really up and going is amazing - and in a world of overpopulation Ender wasn't even legally allowed to be born. Peter and Valentine are both eligible to be selected for Battle School but Peter's anger turns to lethal hatred when it is Ender who is chosen to train as a fighter to repel a hostile alien forces's next invasion.

My description may make this sound trite but the psychological, moral, and physical conflicts are brilliant and emotionally exquisite. Off topic: Did 'they' ever make the Ender movie? I saw ads so I'm sure they did. Was it any good?

Like Frank Herbert in the Dune books, as you read through Card's series you find an author who doesn't just create other settings or even worlds - but whole cosmologies complete with religions, races, histories, and complex moral dilemmas, including definitions of the soul and consciousness. (Yes, there are some slow sections, particularly in Xenocide, but the whole experience is more than satisfactory.)

Just a note or two about Card. He is a descendent of Brigham Young and graduated from BYU and the University of Utah, and did doctoral work at Notre Dame. He served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While passing through Salt Lake City on a Delta flight I saw that he has also written the novels Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel and Leah, which are known as the Women from Genesis Series. The Internet says he lives in North Carolina now. I don't know anything about his ongoing personal religious life but would simply observe that as with other author's from a high identity religious background, there is a discipline and training of thought that seems to spawn a counter-intuitive imaginative freedom with the ability to dream up huge, comprehensive, and interconnected realities as he's done in his Andrew Wiggin novels.

On a recommendation from a friend, I found this book in my neighborhood paperback exchange. By all evidence of the physical object, I went into the read cautiously, as it seemed to resemble any of the dozens of pulp sci-fi novels surrounding it.

The writing was, in fact, nothing particularly special. It was, as expected, a fast-moving, simple and rather un-nuanced writing style. There were no big surprises, and read like a pulp novel.

That's the extent of the criticism, though. Although as literature Ender's Game was lacking, the story and the characters were all brilliantly captured and relayed.

Card did a spectacular job capturing the psychology and the complexity of the interplay of individuals with one another, with their society, and with the institutions forming their realities.

Though it did not exceed a simplistic telling of a tale, the subjects and characters were so wonderfully captured that Ender's Game was a complete joy to read, and bore an intellectual payload far overshadowing the writing itself.

Ender's Game is a good idea that was botched by providing an artificial, easy solution to every moral dilemma.

From the beginning of the book you're supposed to feel nothing but sympathy for Ender. He's the poster boy for a military eugenics program, brilliant, yet kind and gentle. Through the entire book he has to overcome obstacle after obstacle, but each obstacle is presented in such a way that Ender acts perfectly. Ender's always brilliant and he always cares about other people. Yawn. The book misses every opportunity it creates for looking at ethical dilemmas, yet it presents so many that would be ripe for discussion. Population controls? Eugenics? Education? Militarization of society? Manipulation of children? These are just some of the moral dilemmas that Ender's Game just glosses over.

The book does have a solid fan base. The reason it has so many fans is because boys want to be Ender Wiggin, which isn't a bad reason to like books in general, it's just that Ender is such a terrible role model. Ender gets to beat up (and even murder) his enemies, such as school bullies, while being the smartest kid, and he never takes real responsibility for his actions. It's the dream of every bright kid everywhere, but neither reality nor better novels are like that. Ender's Game presents a magical, unbelievable world where the solution to everything is just to be smart enough and strong enough to beat up everybody who's a bad person, and if you do something really bad (not like Unabomber bad, more like Hitler bad) then it's not your fault.

The rest of the series reads like an apology for Ender's Game, but falls into the same trap of resetting every moral dilemma with some magic button that you can only figure out if you're smart enough, and Ender's the only one in the galaxy smart enough to press it, apparently. The messages of the series? You just have to be smart enough, and if you care you'll never have ethical problems because you can always find a perfect solution, and eugenics works, and people should have large families. If you're looking for a good hero for young boys who like Sci-Fi, then keep looking because there ain't one here.

Throw a dart at a list of Hugo winners. You will find far more sophisticated fare and better ethical dilemmas wherever the dart lands (as long as it doesn't land here). Ethical dilemmas are a hallmark of good science fiction, magic answers to all your problems are not.

All said, the book isn't badly written. Like most popular sci-fi produced in the past few decades, it is paced well, the story is tight without extraneous fluff, it stays true to its core (however demented), and the prose flows well. Card obviously knows how to put together a paragraph or two he just doesn't know jack about ethics.

It is difficult to write a review on a book considered by many to be a modern-day classic of science fiction. I risk either falling flat in an attempt to give an honest, insightful review, or raving in a manner which invariably leads to disappointed hopes. I will err on the cautious side, therefore.

I think what draws people to Ender's Game is that it is as much psychological suspense as it is science fiction. Thus, readers who rarely enjoy SF are enthralled by Orson Scott Card's imaginative prose and engaging characters. Ender's Game is a fantastic introduction into a genre that is often classified as "nerdy." It can be enjoyed equally by hard core sci-fi fans and pedantic literary critics.

I am a freshman in high school and I thought that Ender's Game was a fantastic book. Ender is a six year old boy that gets taken into space to be trained for war. While it is hard to believe that a six year old is getting trained for war, it is amazing to read about everything these young children can do. The adults and the world leaders actually believe that the children have potential to help the world, instead of just being worthless children. Orson Scott Card describes the different places and events so well that you really get drawn into the book. It makes you feel as if you are there with the characters watching the story unravel itself. Card also brings in many different challenges and he shows how Ender copes with all the difficulties. An example is that Ender had many people that hated him and even wanted to kill him. When these people attacked Ender, he had no choice but to fight back. Even though his enemies were all bigger, stronger, and older than him he was still able to beat them by using his amazing strategist skills. All of the different plot twists makes the book very interesting and you never get bored while you read it. The book also shows how a very hostile alien race, the buggers, was planning to kill all of the humans, and take over Earth had some kind-hearted members that wanted to live in peace with the humans. Ender found a queen from the bugger race that survived and wanted to rebuild the bugger race to live in peace with the humans. This relates to our world today because it shows us that we should not stereotype against a group of people because even though some people are hostile it does not mean that every person with the same ethnicity is hostile.

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.

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.

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

I loved this book! I was not, nor had I ever been a sci-fi fan. However, at the request of a friend I gave Ender's Game a try. I could not put it down. I fell in love with the characters. I fell in love with the story. I am now reading further into the Ender Series as well as the Shadow series and I cannot get enough. You should take the time and give these books a try. Let yourself fall into their world for awhile. You will not be disappointed. I am now a sci-fi fan...at least as far as fans of Ender and Orson Scott Card are concerned.