Audiobook Review: “Ender’s World: Fresh Perspectives on the SF Classic ‘Ender’s Game’” Edited by Orson Scott Card

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“Ender’s World: Fresh Perspectives on the SF Classic ‘Ender’s Game’”

Edited by Orson Scott Card

Various Readers

Published by Blackstone Audio, Inc

Length: 7 hours and 46 minutes

Originally published as a novel in 1985 (before that, in 1977, it was a short story), Orson Scott Card’s sci-fi military novel has found a place in many sci-fi fans hearts.  This novel has also found a place in military training.  The U.S. Marine Corps Professional Reading List makes the novel recommended reading at several lower ranks, and again at Officer Candidate/Midshipman.   The book provides useful allegories to explain why militaries do what they do in a particularly effective shorthand way.

This book, “Ender’s World..,” is a study into the world created by Card and how it has affected the many who have read it.  This book contains essays from “Burn Notice” creator Matt Nix, “Ender’s Game”  prequel series co-author Aaron Johnston, bestselling author Neal Shusterman and more. The entire book was edited by Orson Scott Card himself and contains sections between every essay that Card spends answering fan questions about the series in length and detail.

With many centers of education, from public schools to the Marine Corps, listing “Ender’s Game” as suggested reading one has to wonder why.  I know I enjoyed the book immensely and especially with the somewhat surprise ending, but what makes this book a phenomenon?  “Ender’s World…” takes the story and the author and places them both under a microscope to find out what went into the creation of Ender Wiggins and what the readers have taken out of the book.

This analysis presents a new view of the book from several different angles.  It has even made it so that I will be reading the book or rather getting the audiobook this time and revisiting the Battle School and Ender Wiggins.  The release of this analysis is timely in that the “Ender’s Game” movie will be coming out this year.  It’ll be nice to revisit the book before the movie, but it was even nicer to hear the different points of view that were put into the book and taken from the book.

If you are a fan of “Ender’s Game,” then treat yourself to an education that is “Ender’s World.”