Ender's Game
In a future where Earth has barely survived two invasions by alien Buggers, gifted children are sent to Battle School in orbit to train as military commanders. Andrew 'Ender' Wiggin is the most brilliant of them all.
Where Ender's Game keeps showing up
Seven of our editors' lists feature this novel.
Books in conversation with Ender's Game
A few of the closest reads from our full list.
What you might want to know about Ender's Game
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
In a near-future Earth recovering from two alien invasions, six-year-old Ender Wiggin is recruited into Battle School in orbit. He climbs through war games, isolated from his peers, while a third war is being prepared.
Ender's Game is often shelved as YA or middle-grade despite being published as adult sci-fi. It is appropriate for readers 12 and up, though some scenes of violence and emotional intensity benefit from older readers. It is widely taught in middle and high schools.
Orson Scott Card has written numerous Ender's Game novels, including the original Ender Quartet (Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind), the Shadow series following Bean, and additional standalones and prequels. The world is one of the largest in modern science fiction.
Ender's Game was written by Orson Scott Card, published in 1985 by Tor Science Fiction.
Ender's Game is 330 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Ender's Game takes most readers 5 to 7 hours to finish.
Ender's Game is a standalone novel by Orson Scott Card, not part of a series.
Ender's Game is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
