Title: Ender’s Game
Author: Orson Scott Card
Series: Ender’s Saga #1
Genre: Science Fiction
The Overview: From New York Times bestselling author Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game―adapted to film starring Asa Butterfield and Harrison Ford―is the classic Hugo and Nebula award-winning science fiction novel of a young boy’s recruitment into the midst of an interstellar war. In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race’s next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew “Ender” Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn’t make the cut―young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training. Ender’s skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister. Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender’s two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives. –Goodreads
Niki’s Review [5/5 stars]:
I’ve read this book twice – once when I was a teenager and again a few years ago, almost two decades later. Both times I read it, I felt the impact of the ending and all the great momentum that got us there. But it was only on the second read that I appreciated all of the more quiet moments of the book and felt like I really got the full experience. There were some grittier things the first time around that my wee little self wasn’t prepared to handle, but adult me wanted expanded on. I’ve since read through more than half of the Ender’s Universe books in chronological order and have enjoyed them thoroughly. I definitely wouldn’t have been ready for them twenty years ago, but right now they are exactly what I’m in the mood to read.
Ender’s Game sits on a pedestal of books that completely dazzled me. What made it so good? First off I think school settings instantly trigger a certain fondness for books. But this school setting took it further by utilizing young brilliant minds in a game that required a lot of tactics and strategy. There were plenty of scenes where we get to see the game played with some very satisfying outcomes. All for stakes getting higher and higher in this incredible momentum build, making it one of the best culminations I’ve ever read. Truly breath-taking stuff. Ender is such a cool character because he quietly breaks the mold, yet still seems poignantly human and relatable.
This was one of my first science fiction books, and it definitely fueled my interest in the genre and set a high standard of expectations. I think my 5-star rating reflects both how brilliantly I think it was written, as well as extra points for what the book meant to me personally in my reading journey. Ender’s Shadow, while different in many ways and perhaps not quite as brilliant on paper, hit me in the same meaningful way and is also one of my favorite books. Love for both of these stories has sustained me through a series that so far has been enjoyable, but not quite as impactful. Either way, I’m loving the journey.
Overall, if you have any interest in science fiction at all and have not read Ender’s Game, you’re sorely missing out. I consider it a staple of the genre.
Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Karen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa, Derek, Kelly, Grace, Carmen, Leticia, and Leah! <3
Dave’s Review [5/5 stars]:
This was my second time reading Ender’s Game, and if anything, I enjoyed it even more this time. It remains my favorite science fiction book, narrowly edging out both Dune and Hyperion, which are also near flawless books. Even knowing where the story is going (and perhaps able to appreciate what he is doing because of that), I was impressed by how effectively Card balances an exciting military science fiction story with a surprisingly thoughtful exploration of Ender’s character and psychology.
The battle school setting is a huge part of what makes the book work so well. The zero-gravity battle room provides a genuinely compelling setting for the increasingly complex games, while the competitive environment among the children creates constant tension. What initially appears to be a training exercise gradually becomes something much more serious, and Card does an excellent job of showing how Ender learns to think several steps ahead of everyone around him.
Ender himself is an exceptional protagonist. What I particularly appreciate is how much of the story is devoted to his thought process. We do not simply see that Ender is brilliant—we are allowed to follow his reasoning as he analyzes problems, anticipates his opponents, and develops increasingly unconventional solutions. At the same time, his intelligence is balanced by his empathy and growing isolation, making him considerably more interesting than a typical child-genius protagonist.
One of the things I appreciated more on this reread was how effectively the novel sets up the rest of the series. The ending provides a fascinating bridge to Speaker for the Dead, which is almost completely different in tone and subject matter, while also establishing the foundations for the Shadow books and Bean’s story.
Having read it once before, Ender’s Game remains an incredibly entertaining, intelligent, and well-constructed science fiction novel. After many years at the top of my list, I cannot imagine many books being able to displace it any time soon.
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