Pretty Boy: The Story of Bonzo Madrid

Ender's Saga short stories

by Orson Scott Card

How do you systematically destroy a child with love? It's not something that any parent aspires to do, yet a surprising number come perilously close to achieving it.So begins Orson Scott Card's new story from the Ender Universe, a profound meditation on parents and offspring focusing on the childhood of one of Ender's Battle School challengers, Bonzo Madrid, and the circumstances that lead him to his unique place in the Game. Read by a frequent visitor to Ender's world, Scott Brick.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Audiobook, Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Drama, Science Fiction Fantasy

19 pages, ebook

First published March 1, 2006

About the author

Orson 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.

Reviews

[♥ Rebecca ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish this gave us more insight into Bonzo. I am still not really sure how he ended up a bully. He seemed like a nice kid.

[Cristian Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story about Ender's bully, one of the many people who helped make Ender become Ender. I did wish it was a little more in-depth but the quality of the story was good. I would suggest reading it because it was only 47 minutes on Audible (and free with Audible Premium).

I'm rating it a three mainly because it was somewhat anti-climactic but I did like the ending. It was quite interesting.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great background on one of the villains of Ender’s Game.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The background sorry for Bonzo Madrid offers little insight into the character he turned out to be in Ender's saga, but did definitely make him very likable instead.

[Norma · Rating 3 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
"Without honour."
A spoiled only child who believes that the world revolves around him. A small insight into the formative years of Bonzo Madrid, before Battleschool. Nicely written but would have preferred more. Scott Brick provides the excellent narration.
This short 47 minute) story as a complimentary download via the Audible Plus programme.

[John Sorensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is short story set in Card's Ender-verse. I have been a huge fan of the Card and his Ender Series. If you are also a fan, then this is a well written story. If you are not, then you can safely skip this story. You should instead read Card's "Ender's Game".

[Meagan MacQueen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, yes, it explains why he was so pushy about honor, but it doesn't explain his overbearing, controlling personality where the authority hierarchy should always be followed to the letter without exception. I don't know how much this truly adds to the canon of the story.

[Lucian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story of Bonzo Madrid from Ender's Game. Probably the least interesting story so far, not sure if it was intended - as to portray the villain he is in the original book? Still, very forgettable.

[Tran Lam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't explain how Bonzo got into Battle School or how he became a bully. Seemed to be a pretty mellow kid.

[Tim and Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable if a little heavy-handed. A predictable parable but not wrong. Fills in a little bit of the background and makes Bonzo a little more human.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine. Very short and gives some extra insight to the main character.

[Jānis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tāds īss stāstiņš par Bonito - nekas super foršs, bet nekas ārā metams.

[David Sastre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a fabulous short story! It adds so much depth to Bonzo from Ender's Game.

[Bryan Hobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helps that Scott Brick narrated it, but a great short story all the same.

[Jesse Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting backstory for Bonzo Madrid and how he discovers how a man should “be.”

[Jeff Stockett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like origin stories, particularly of villains.

Bonzo Madrid is the nemesis of Ender in Ender's Game. But we don't get a lot of his back story in that book. Here we get that back story.

This short story makes Bonzo a much more tragic character. His evil and bullying ways have origins in the failures of his parents.

I would have liked a little bit more depth, but you can only ask for so much in a short story. Considering its length, this story really is pretty good.

[Jams · Rating 5 out of 5]

That OSC is certainly a clever man. Just look at what he has done to change my view of the world.

I have despised Bonzo Madrid since I was 12. He was mean to Ender...Ender, who I love! What’s not to hate about the guy? It is interesting to have my mind changed all these years later.

In “Children of the Mind” and now again in “Pretty Boy” OSC has a way of turning villains into real, almost likeable people.

[Von Sowards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bonzo Madrid: antagonist to Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, for a few chapters at least.

In the movie "Ender's Game", Ender says something to Bonzo that seemed very random at the time. As Bonzo is about to try to kill Ender, Ender says something about Bonzo's father being proud of him. This always seemed so random till I read this short story.

This story take to bully commander kid of battle school and paints him out as a tragic story. This is Bonzo's Speaking for the Dead.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always hated Bonzo Madrid for being such a jerk to young Ender way back in the first book. This is a short captivating story that doesn't quite make me feel sorry for him but instead understand him a little bit more. Good to see his character get fleshed out so that he isn't just a paper-thin villain character.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really short back-story on Bonzo Madrid, one of the boy leaders at battle school in "Ender's Game." The story is about "Bonito" and his family, including his motivation to attend battle school. Who would name their kid "Pretty Boy?" :-) It expands the reader's knowledge on one of the characters. Enjoyed the story.

[Jeff Yoak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bonzo Madrid is probably the character I liked least in the Enderverse stories and it is also, in my opinion, the weakest of the origin stories. His shallow unpleasantness isn't driven by some startly harsh background, but a rather banal, if unpleasant, background.

[Joseph Santiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

To learn how Bonzo became the boy in Ender's Game gave me a lot to think and enjoy talking about. The back story to Mazer was an excellent read! Filling in the pieces to the later story has given me a greater appreciation for the the whole series. I recommend this as a great read!

Mr. Joe

[Keri-Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story and it made sense given Bonzo's later actions, though for some reason I wanted a little more explanation. Still, a very interesting take on how parents can mess up big time.

[Katherine Trinity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to hear about Bonzo's early life.

[Alice Bromley McEwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It didn't make me like Bonzo any more than I had previously - which was not at all.

[Austin Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook; it was a quick 45 minute listen. It didn't really flesh out Bonzo as much as I thought it would, but I'm still happy that it exists and that I checked it out.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little story about a small very smart boy who tries to make everyone happy.

[Lukas Lovas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A background story for antagonists is always interesting, and this one is no less so. Good stuff :)

[PAR · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars. Just about Bonzo’s parents. Didn’t bring much to the Enderverse. Feel free to skip.
Read: 10/18/20

[Michael Huang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute little story, especially when Bonito doesn't want to move to Grandma's place because she's a bad cook.