Ender in Exile

Ender has many accomplishments, in particular, having saved the world as a boy at battle school. Here he emerges from exile and travels with his sister to a colony of which he has been designated the new governor. Stefan Rudnicki is the anchor of this production, which draws on a cast familiar to listeners of the Ender series. Cast members re-create characters and interact with each other smoothly, picking up threads from a number of books in the series. The dialogue moves quickly among them, and the production maintains a strong pace. Card himself presents the afterword, which provides context for the development of this episode and justifies various departures from the suggestions he received for the story. J.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

September 29, 2008
Set between Card's Hugo and Nebula–winning Ender's Game
(1985) and Speaker for the Dead
(1986), this philosophical novel covers familiar events, but puts new emphasis on their ethical ramifications. In the wake of his victory over the alien Formics, 12-year-old military genius Ender Wiggins is hailed as a hero, but governments opposed to the International Fleet, which trained him, intend to portray him as a monster. Ender winds up as titular governor of one of the new human colonies, where he struggles to adapt to civilian life and ponders his role in the deaths of thousands of humans and an entire alien species. His agonized musings aren't always sophisticated but possess a certain gravitas. Fans will find this offering illuminating, and it's also accessible to thoughtful readers new to the series.