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Ender's Game Alive: The Full Cast Audioplay
Experience Ender's Game as you've never heard it before! With an all-new, original script written by Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game Alive is a full cast audio drama that reimagines the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning classic.
Ender’s Game Alive puts you into Battle School with young Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, as he trains to become the general who will lead Earth against the Formics, the alien "buggers". Removed from his family at the age of six, Ender must prove his strength and his leadership, even as he fights his own doubts. The stakes are nothing less than the fate of humankind.
Ender's Game Alive is performed by Kirby Heyborne, Stefan Rudnicki, Theodore Bikel, Scott Brick, Samantha Eggar, Harlan Ellison, Susan Hanfield, Roxanne Hernandez, Janis Ian, Rex Linn, Richard McGonagle, Jim Meskimen, Emily Rankin, John Rubinstein, Christian Rummel, and a full cast.
Ender’s Game Alive puts you into Battle School with young Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, as he trains to become the general who will lead Earth against the Formics, the alien "buggers". Removed from his family at the age of six, Ender must prove his strength and his leadership, even as he fights his own doubts. The stakes are nothing less than the fate of humankind.
Ender's Game Alive is performed by Kirby Heyborne, Stefan Rudnicki, Theodore Bikel, Scott Brick, Samantha Eggar, Harlan Ellison, Susan Hanfield, Roxanne Hernandez, Janis Ian, Rex Linn, Richard McGonagle, Jim Meskimen, Emily Rankin, John Rubinstein, Christian Rummel, and a full cast.
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published October 22, 2013
29 people are currently reading
790 people want to read
About the author
Orson Scott Card
892 books20.7k followersOrson Scott Card is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is (as of 2023) the only person to have won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for his novel Ender's Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986). A feature film adaptation of Ender's Game, which Card co-produced, was released in 2013. Card also wrote the Locus Fantasy Award-winning series The Tales of Alvin Maker (1987–2003).
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 270 reviews
December 13, 2021
“Humanity does not ask us to be happy. It merely asks us to be brilliant on its behalf.”
As I listened to Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game Alive, I went from disappointment to curiosity, wondering about the value of a full cast audioplay here. Given how this was written and edited, the story is almost entirely driven by dialogue. Does this make it more accessible? I could be wrong, but I don't think so. This production doesn't even serve as a good introduction for those thinking about reading Ender's Game. Instead, like the movie that also disappointed me, I think it only turns you away from Ender's world. This is a shame because the novel is the first in a very very interesting series that is often overlooked. And that's not even mentioning Ender's Shadow, a parallel novel to Ender's Game that to me packs more punch than the original. Okay, I'm approaching rant here. Suffice to say that Ender's Game Alive did not do it for me.
“Remember, the enemy's gate is down.”
As I listened to Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game Alive, I went from disappointment to curiosity, wondering about the value of a full cast audioplay here. Given how this was written and edited, the story is almost entirely driven by dialogue. Does this make it more accessible? I could be wrong, but I don't think so. This production doesn't even serve as a good introduction for those thinking about reading Ender's Game. Instead, like the movie that also disappointed me, I think it only turns you away from Ender's world. This is a shame because the novel is the first in a very very interesting series that is often overlooked. And that's not even mentioning Ender's Shadow, a parallel novel to Ender's Game that to me packs more punch than the original. Okay, I'm approaching rant here. Suffice to say that Ender's Game Alive did not do it for me.
“Remember, the enemy's gate is down.”
October 25, 2013
Short Review: I am a HUGE Ender's Game fan. I have read the book probably a dozen times in paperback, kindle and audiobook. So initially I was going to skip this because I thought it was just going to be a full cast version of the audiobook. But I got sucked in because Card wrote it as a radio drama with some different text. There is no narrator, so the only action is in dialogue, which makes for a few odd places because someone has to describe the action in dialogue form and it doesn't quite fit.
I also was put off by the voices. Because this is acted out (by voice if not visually) it really feels odd that there are no children's voices here. There are only adult voices even though most of the characters are 6 to 12 years old. I understand it is easier to get adults than kids, but it felt jarring.
The final issue is that this is a pretty severe abridgement. Ender's Game Alive is just over 7 hours and the unabridged audiobook is just short of 12. That is a lot of cut content and for a true fan like myself, I feel it. Maybe others would not feel the abridgement quite so much but I thought it was too much and it hurt the character development.
On the whole I think you should skip this and get the unabridged 20th Anniversary Audiobook instead if you want an audio version. This is done well, but I don't think it is as good as the full audiobook.
My full review (which is mostly the same as above) is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/enders-game-alive/
I also was put off by the voices. Because this is acted out (by voice if not visually) it really feels odd that there are no children's voices here. There are only adult voices even though most of the characters are 6 to 12 years old. I understand it is easier to get adults than kids, but it felt jarring.
The final issue is that this is a pretty severe abridgement. Ender's Game Alive is just over 7 hours and the unabridged audiobook is just short of 12. That is a lot of cut content and for a true fan like myself, I feel it. Maybe others would not feel the abridgement quite so much but I thought it was too much and it hurt the character development.
On the whole I think you should skip this and get the unabridged 20th Anniversary Audiobook instead if you want an audio version. This is done well, but I don't think it is as good as the full audiobook.
My full review (which is mostly the same as above) is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/enders-game-alive/
May 24, 2023
I read the book and watched the movie last year but this audio play was a bit disappointing. It was nice having a full cast but literally none of them were believable as their characters.
April 15, 2021
Those who count Ender's Game as an all-time favorite book will likely have mixed feelings about this full cast recording (Harlan Ellison plays a part, but it's not clear which one). Telling the story almost exclusively through dialogue forces the use of a LOT of exposition in the early going, and Card revises the setup a bit to address criticisms and alleviate the responsibility born by Ender and his parents for some of the early happenings while Ender is on Earth as a child. Things pick up after the first hour when Ender reaches Battle School, which is also one of the best parts of the book, and the cast comes to life with the addition of several new characters. Unfortunately, the ending feels rushed and some of the surprises are telegraphed a bit too much. At times the voice actor emoting is too overdramatic, undercutting the sobriety of the events. Card also wove in material from many of the other Ender books and stories, which makes things feel a little too cramped at times. This audiobook is fun for those who have already read Ender's Game and want to experience it again in a different format, but it's not the best introduction to the story for beginners.
August 5, 2024
3.5/5
This was an interesting experience, having the original Ender's Game revised and told in a slightly different way. That said this was not as good as the original story and ultimately felt unneeded.
This was an interesting experience, having the original Ender's Game revised and told in a slightly different way. That said this was not as good as the original story and ultimately felt unneeded.
October 30, 2013
To call Ender's Game Alive an audiobook is almost grasping at straws, but I don't think the publishers are trying to mislead anyone. In fact, the title goes to great lengths in defining the content as an audioplay. That's an interesting evolution in and of itself, because this "new" branch of audiobooks is little more than a throwback to radio shows from the beginning of the 20th century.
Orson Scott Card wrote the script for this audioplay himself, which is sort of a double-edged sword. In the one hand, you're pretty much guaranteed that the audioplay will be faithful to the book. On the other hand, I have to wonder whether Card is so familiar with the material that an outsider to the Ender universe might end up lost in the translation from novel to audioplay. Having read the original book myself, I can't really make any claims as to how well the audioplay would hold up for a first-time listener. The jury is out on that one.
The story itself is peerless, and really stands in a class of its own. No problems on that front. The audioplay version brings a great energy to the proceedings, especially when it comes to conveying emotions. The huge cast of voices ensures that characters are [usually] easily identified without having to resort to narration. Sound design was also impressive, with stereo effects put to great use in simulating zero-g spins or moving away from characters in the battle rooms. High marks also go the foley work, where the sounds were just enough to add to the story without becoming obtrusive.
On the not-so-positive side, however, there were some real drawbacks. I've always laughed at the cheesy narrator voices from those old radio shows, but the complete lack of a narrator highlighted the necessity of that function. Even knowing the story as I did, there were still moments where mental orientation took a little longer than I would have hoped for. There's also the fact that the story begins when our character is just six years old, and there is absolutely no effort put into making him sounds that young. For an audioplay - where everything is interpreted by what the listener hears - that sort of dissonance between what we're told and what we hear really hampers believability.
I also have to wonder if this audioplay would have benefitted from being broken into episodes or chapters. There are some musical interludes that hint at divisions in the play, but seven-odd hours is a long time to go without giving the listener a pause to process and compartmentalize what s/he has just read.
As an audioplay, Ender's Game Alive hints at real potential for the format, even if I don't think it's ready for prime time just yet. If you've read the book before, this is a worthwhile extra. For anyone who hasn't yet read the book, I wouldn't recommend this audioplay as a good starting point, but I would encourage you to try out the unabridged audiobook instead.
FTC Disclosure - I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Orson Scott Card wrote the script for this audioplay himself, which is sort of a double-edged sword. In the one hand, you're pretty much guaranteed that the audioplay will be faithful to the book. On the other hand, I have to wonder whether Card is so familiar with the material that an outsider to the Ender universe might end up lost in the translation from novel to audioplay. Having read the original book myself, I can't really make any claims as to how well the audioplay would hold up for a first-time listener. The jury is out on that one.
The story itself is peerless, and really stands in a class of its own. No problems on that front. The audioplay version brings a great energy to the proceedings, especially when it comes to conveying emotions. The huge cast of voices ensures that characters are [usually] easily identified without having to resort to narration. Sound design was also impressive, with stereo effects put to great use in simulating zero-g spins or moving away from characters in the battle rooms. High marks also go the foley work, where the sounds were just enough to add to the story without becoming obtrusive.
On the not-so-positive side, however, there were some real drawbacks. I've always laughed at the cheesy narrator voices from those old radio shows, but the complete lack of a narrator highlighted the necessity of that function. Even knowing the story as I did, there were still moments where mental orientation took a little longer than I would have hoped for. There's also the fact that the story begins when our character is just six years old, and there is absolutely no effort put into making him sounds that young. For an audioplay - where everything is interpreted by what the listener hears - that sort of dissonance between what we're told and what we hear really hampers believability.
I also have to wonder if this audioplay would have benefitted from being broken into episodes or chapters. There are some musical interludes that hint at divisions in the play, but seven-odd hours is a long time to go without giving the listener a pause to process and compartmentalize what s/he has just read.
As an audioplay, Ender's Game Alive hints at real potential for the format, even if I don't think it's ready for prime time just yet. If you've read the book before, this is a worthwhile extra. For anyone who hasn't yet read the book, I wouldn't recommend this audioplay as a good starting point, but I would encourage you to try out the unabridged audiobook instead.
FTC Disclosure - I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review.
December 4, 2013
This is the 4th version of the story I have experienced. I've read the original Ender's Game (which I still think is the best), Ender's Shadow, the movie and now this Audio Play. This is worth a listen for no other reason that that the format is cool. The format reminds me of Adventures in Odyssey that I used to listen to as a kid.
August 15, 2019
I loved this live performance of Ender's Game. I had read the book first, then saw the movie, and now listened to an all-cast performance. I feel so bad for Ender and the other kids being drafted into the armed services, and then Ender .
December 11, 2018
3.5 stars because the audio production was incredible. As other reviewers have mentioned, this is likely not an ideal way to "read"
Ender's Game
. There is too much left out of this production and without a narrator, it lacks the critical character growth to make this the powerful novel it is. I definitely recommend this to people who have already read the book and what a fun production, or like me, want a refresher.
August 31, 2021
I very much like this book, but I dislike a lot audioplays.
September 16, 2021
If you are put off in the early stages or before you've even started, by an adult cast playing 6-11 year olds, please at least give it a chance. Yes it's really jarring and sounds ridiculous. But once Ender is in battle school they stop mentioning ages so much and you can just enjoy it. I don't understand the decision to cast it that way but actually I thought most of the actors did a fantastic job.
Coming in at a much shorter runtime than an actual audiobook of Ender's Game, a lot of the nuance and depth is sadly lost. I didn't feel quite as involved in the story as I did when reading the paperback.
But I think this audio-play is a gift from Mr Card to us fans of the Enderverse. Certain reveals are moved around, things from other books are highlighted, characters who play a bigger role elsewhere are given more significance. This is a homage to the entire series and I really enjoyed that.
Highly recommend for people who have read the book but I'm not sure how well you would get on if you started with this.
Coming in at a much shorter runtime than an actual audiobook of Ender's Game, a lot of the nuance and depth is sadly lost. I didn't feel quite as involved in the story as I did when reading the paperback.
But I think this audio-play is a gift from Mr Card to us fans of the Enderverse. Certain reveals are moved around, things from other books are highlighted, characters who play a bigger role elsewhere are given more significance. This is a homage to the entire series and I really enjoyed that.
Highly recommend for people who have read the book but I'm not sure how well you would get on if you started with this.
December 1, 2014
This audio production made me appreciate the novel waaaaaaaay more. I wish I could listen to the entire series like this. I connected with the characters and the plot so much better through this style of telling. I remember reading the book and getting lost and bored through all the battle scenes and behind-the-scenes discussions about Ender. This though made me really visualize. A story told strictly through dialogue makes you focus on what's really important. So I wound up LOVING Ender's Game Alive when I had found Ender's Game only somewhat entertaining.
So if you hated Ender's Game, you might really like this!
And if you loved Ender's Game, I imagine you'll really enjoy this adaptation. My husband, a huge Ender's Game fan, raved about it (best birthday present I've ever given him). And it's written by Orson Scott Card, so you know it's faithful to the book.
Verdict: give it a shot!
So if you hated Ender's Game, you might really like this!
And if you loved Ender's Game, I imagine you'll really enjoy this adaptation. My husband, a huge Ender's Game fan, raved about it (best birthday present I've ever given him). And it's written by Orson Scott Card, so you know it's faithful to the book.
Verdict: give it a shot!
July 2, 2021
Highly enjoyable. I've read the book and Ender's Shadow multiple times, but this still felt fresh and exciting. Card doesn't adapt Ender's Game, he rewrites Ender's Game using the same outline but delivering it differently. Voice acting was superb. Wish there were more.
December 20, 2021
I didn’t like how manipulative this story was or the underlying themes of racism, sexism and xenophobia.
June 3, 2024
A really enjoyable adaptation of this classic book.
June 4, 2024
A few details were changed from the original, but overall a pretty good retelling of the story.
October 29, 2013
Awesome.
I mean, there's not much else to say. Awesome.
I mean, there's not much else to say. Awesome.
December 16, 2021
Just to be clear, this is a review of this audioplay version only. I've read "Ender's Game" as a novel a few times now, and there's a reason it won just about every major award in the F&SF world -- 5 stars, 'nuff said.
But even with a stellar voice cast, this version underwhelmed me. True, the story was necessarily truncated for the format (the whole Hegemon subplot gets only a passing mention here and there, for instance), but for me it was the way the whole thing was produced. A good portion of the time, it plays like a multi-cast reading of the book -- just voices with no background ambiance, music ... basically anything that grounds the listener to a sense of place in a scene. Serious white room syndrome. Compare this to the lush production style of the recent Sandman audio productions. Night and day. I also found some of the dialog a bit stilted. This isn't uncommon in stories that were adapted from another medium (whether film or novel), but it shows the value of having someone well-versed in writing for audio-only involved in the scripting. If Orson had just teamed up with someone...
Anyway, it could be that my expectations were just too high, given the proliferation of great audio drama that has surged over the past 5 years. If you go into this expecting more of a multi-voice reading of a new version of the classic book with a few SFX thrown in and some linking music here and there, you won't be disappointed. At the end of the day, of course, it's still a good story.
But even with a stellar voice cast, this version underwhelmed me. True, the story was necessarily truncated for the format (the whole Hegemon subplot gets only a passing mention here and there, for instance), but for me it was the way the whole thing was produced. A good portion of the time, it plays like a multi-cast reading of the book -- just voices with no background ambiance, music ... basically anything that grounds the listener to a sense of place in a scene. Serious white room syndrome. Compare this to the lush production style of the recent Sandman audio productions. Night and day. I also found some of the dialog a bit stilted. This isn't uncommon in stories that were adapted from another medium (whether film or novel), but it shows the value of having someone well-versed in writing for audio-only involved in the scripting. If Orson had just teamed up with someone...
Anyway, it could be that my expectations were just too high, given the proliferation of great audio drama that has surged over the past 5 years. If you go into this expecting more of a multi-voice reading of a new version of the classic book with a few SFX thrown in and some linking music here and there, you won't be disappointed. At the end of the day, of course, it's still a good story.
August 11, 2025
“In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him.”
Stumbled upon this full-cast audiobook while browsing the Audible Premium Plus catalog yesterday. Finished it in less than two days! Ender’s Game has remained one of my all-time favorite sci-fi novels since I first read it in 2015.
This audio production is a complete reimagining of the original novel, rewritten from the ground up by the author himself. It’s told entirely through dialogue without a narrator, yet it still captures the essence of the original story. Surprisingly, it works beautifully, with performances ranging from good to exceptional.
On the downside, while the cast did a great job portraying the innocence and emotions of the main characters, the children’s voices often sounded older than their ages. Unavoidably, some elements are omitted or changed in this adaptation compared to the original. The pauses between sections tend to drag on longer than I’d like.
I hope similar adaptations are produced for the rest of the series. If you’re new to the series, I'd recommend starting with the original, whether you read it or listen to it. Overall, this adaptation provides a truly enjoyable and immersive way to experience the world of Ender once more.
Stumbled upon this full-cast audiobook while browsing the Audible Premium Plus catalog yesterday. Finished it in less than two days! Ender’s Game has remained one of my all-time favorite sci-fi novels since I first read it in 2015.
This audio production is a complete reimagining of the original novel, rewritten from the ground up by the author himself. It’s told entirely through dialogue without a narrator, yet it still captures the essence of the original story. Surprisingly, it works beautifully, with performances ranging from good to exceptional.
On the downside, while the cast did a great job portraying the innocence and emotions of the main characters, the children’s voices often sounded older than their ages. Unavoidably, some elements are omitted or changed in this adaptation compared to the original. The pauses between sections tend to drag on longer than I’d like.
I hope similar adaptations are produced for the rest of the series. If you’re new to the series, I'd recommend starting with the original, whether you read it or listen to it. Overall, this adaptation provides a truly enjoyable and immersive way to experience the world of Ender once more.
June 24, 2025
4.5 stars for Ender’s Game, (4.25 while listening to the cast audio)
This brought me back to reading in middle school again. Obviously this was a fun listen, but they skipped out on a lot of the battle sequences. From what I remember, the books described everything way more vividly. In this version, it felt like a lot of what I enjoyed in the book was cut. I still enjoyed the story, but I feel like I want to read it again with the actual book.
I’m giving this audio version a 4.25, but Enders game as a whole for me is 4.5 stars.
Orson Scott Card is a weirdo. I know it’s a kid book about child geniuses, but there were like 10 poop jokes, and there was very casual racism that I actually didn’t even remember.
Glad I have all the books in the series already so I don’t have to buy them :D
This brought me back to reading in middle school again. Obviously this was a fun listen, but they skipped out on a lot of the battle sequences. From what I remember, the books described everything way more vividly. In this version, it felt like a lot of what I enjoyed in the book was cut. I still enjoyed the story, but I feel like I want to read it again with the actual book.
I’m giving this audio version a 4.25, but Enders game as a whole for me is 4.5 stars.
Orson Scott Card is a weirdo. I know it’s a kid book about child geniuses, but there were like 10 poop jokes, and there was very casual racism that I actually didn’t even remember.
Glad I have all the books in the series already so I don’t have to buy them :D
May 28, 2022
I got an audible account for my long commute to work and I’ve been digging into their free catalog where I found this. It was not exactly what I thought. There was no narrator so it felt like an old time radio play complete with sound effects. It was entertaining and still conveyed the story but you didn’t get any of the character’s internal monologues.
It’s been a long time since I read it but it seemed like they added bits of dialogue here and there to describe scenes.
Definitely going on to speaker for the dead.
It’s been a long time since I read it but it seemed like they added bits of dialogue here and there to describe scenes.
Definitely going on to speaker for the dead.
June 2, 2019
This audio drama was very well made, but I thought it was misleading to call it "unabridged." When I saw that on Amazon, I thought it would be the full book, but in dramatized form. No, they meant it was an unabridged version of the abridged audio drama. Yeah...
It was written by Orson Scott Card, and many of the changes to scenes came from other short stories. That being said, some of the additions felt like the extra details that J.K. Rowling and George Lucas are criticized for. In trying to justify the ending and the secrecy leading up to it, some things are smoothed over, rather than the sudden reveals in the book. I'm assuming by now most people know how it ends, but if you haven't, don't start with this audio drama. They give too many details that make it easy to guess what is coming.
I thought the actors did a great job. Stefan Rudnicki was excellent narrating the original audiobook, so it was fun to hear him fill that role again as Graff. I had heard the men who played Ender's father and the Command School pilot in other audiobooks, but it was a little sad that such good narrators had small parts. Kirby Heyborne was great as Ender, even though he felt very whiney, that was probably on purpose. It was a little weird to have adult actors portraying kids--especially Bonzo's deep voice--but I understand why it was easier to do. Still, it would be cool to have actual kids narrate the story, giving you a real feeling of what it would have been like.
It was written by Orson Scott Card, and many of the changes to scenes came from other short stories. That being said, some of the additions felt like the extra details that J.K. Rowling and George Lucas are criticized for. In trying to justify the ending and the secrecy leading up to it, some things are smoothed over, rather than the sudden reveals in the book. I'm assuming by now most people know how it ends, but if you haven't, don't start with this audio drama. They give too many details that make it easy to guess what is coming.
I thought the actors did a great job. Stefan Rudnicki was excellent narrating the original audiobook, so it was fun to hear him fill that role again as Graff. I had heard the men who played Ender's father and the Command School pilot in other audiobooks, but it was a little sad that such good narrators had small parts. Kirby Heyborne was great as Ender, even though he felt very whiney, that was probably on purpose. It was a little weird to have adult actors portraying kids--especially Bonzo's deep voice--but I understand why it was easier to do. Still, it would be cool to have actual kids narrate the story, giving you a real feeling of what it would have been like.
February 22, 2019
I very much enjoyed this production, although the voice acting left much to be desired. It made a few changes in its adaptation, but nothing that really detracted. I do wish they had hired actual children to voice the kids.
September 26, 2019
The dialogue was just SO CRINGEY I could not stand one more second of it. Find other ways of conveying information, no one talks like that... dnf
May 11, 2021
Read the original and Ender’s Shadow first in order to form a more complete picture of what is going on. Then I would say it is a 5 star.
November 23, 2021
This takes what is already an awesome story and turns it into a movie for the ears. This is superbly acted and the story being turned from narrative to audioplay was done to perfection.
August 31, 2020
Adds another dimension, super enjoyable. A couple contradictions from the book but if anything it was enjoyable contrast.
February 23, 2018
I really enjoyed this cast rendition but, of course, the voices for the children were far too old for their projected ages. I did enjoy hearing a book I loved reading, with so many varied and talented voice actors.
August 16, 2021
I really enjoyed this audio book and the voice selections. It brought a depth to the roles.
September 26, 2015
The cast made a huge difference to the enjoyment and engagement of this audio book. Where often male only readers sound whiney and play females poorly, having a full cast eliminated any of the cringe worthy lines that made it hard to know who the heck was talking. The effects were also great.
The interludes were fruitless but not awful.
The story expanded on the movie Enders Game perfectly. It kept to the story but added so much more. It was so enjoyable that you didn't notice you were sailing through the disks. It was well articulated and wasn't an easy book to write considering the point of view of a child.
As a parent, it pulled on my maternal strings and sense of entitlement to choice that clearly the people of the future lacked. Seeing children act and think like adults and the indignation and sheer outrage at them being just pawns for 'the greater good' of a species was insanity at its finest.
Enders Game draws on experiences from all walks of life. It kills me that they did not reveal why Bean wasn't human and what his purpose was. Obviously they can create life by force so it makes me curious if perhaps they merged Beans DNA with their famous Ras'.
I was disappointed that throughout the story there was so much emphases on learning the enemies habits and minds but right at the end, when the Queen communicated with Ender, we only got scraps. Maybe the full buffet is saved for another text which I will have to hunt down.
Absolutely enjoyable.
The interludes were fruitless but not awful.
The story expanded on the movie Enders Game perfectly. It kept to the story but added so much more. It was so enjoyable that you didn't notice you were sailing through the disks. It was well articulated and wasn't an easy book to write considering the point of view of a child.
As a parent, it pulled on my maternal strings and sense of entitlement to choice that clearly the people of the future lacked. Seeing children act and think like adults and the indignation and sheer outrage at them being just pawns for 'the greater good' of a species was insanity at its finest.
Enders Game draws on experiences from all walks of life. It kills me that they did not reveal why Bean wasn't human and what his purpose was. Obviously they can create life by force so it makes me curious if perhaps they merged Beans DNA with their famous Ras'.
I was disappointed that throughout the story there was so much emphases on learning the enemies habits and minds but right at the end, when the Queen communicated with Ender, we only got scraps. Maybe the full buffet is saved for another text which I will have to hunt down.
Absolutely enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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