A series of stories that fill in the untold parts of Ender's and his family's past!
595067
I listened to this book on the audio version of the CD.  I enjoyed it quite a bit as it tells several stories about the history of Andrew "Ender" Wiggins.  The book covers four different stories and they are:

* The Polish Boy
* Teachers Pest
* Ender's Game
* Investment Counselor

I liked the stories as they actually cover different aspects of the war with the Buggers and how Ender Wiggan came to be.  The first story is about Ender's father and how he came to live in America. The second story is about how his parents met and fell in love knowing that secret plans were being made.  The third story is about the training of Ender at battle school and how he became a great leader and a strategist. This third part of the book is the original Ender's Game story that was expanded into a novel.  The fourth and final story is about Andrew "Ender" Wiggan long after the end of the third Bugger war and his experiences in the universe with a tax collector and an artificial intelligence.

I enjoyed the stories because they varied so much and they were all well written and interesting.  The audio presentation for me was professionally done and entertaining.  If you like the writing and storytelling of Orson Scott Card then this is a good book for you to get and read.  I recommend the audio version also as I enjoyed the performances by the presenters and I like to listen to audio books when I travel.

I rated this book 5 stars and I recommend it to you.
142406
This is a great quick read that compliments the books in the Ender's Game series. The short stories inside of this book are not as detailed as the other Ender books. If you have never read any Ender books, this would be okay to start out with. The book includes an early version of Ender's Game that differs from the full Ender's Game book. The first two stories in First Meetings tell background that send ripples through the whole Enderverse. What happens in these two stories sets the ground work for Ender's Game. The last story takes place after Ender's Game. All four stories are great. The short version of Ender's Game is good, and it helped remind me of what happens in the full version. Buy it and enjoy.
1321302
I loved it! Enders Shadow paralleled this one and it is soooo interesting to see the two points of view! This one is going to be A CLASSIC! Just watch! I loaned it to my husband who reads nothing but Sci Fi and he began  loaning it to everyone at his work place! Excellent!
2008107
If you love the Ender world, you'll enjoy this book.  I wish it was longer and went into more detail.
2142336
A good follow up to Ender's Game. There are many thoughts about what order to read the book in - including differing statements by the author himself. I would suggest Ender's Game, Ender in Exile and Speaker for the Dead.
2761785
An amazing accomplishment, definitely worth reading for any fan of the Ender series. This follows the same storyline, but through the eyes of a different character, one that readers will definitely come to care about.
3349500
master storyteller, thats what Orson Scott Card is. maybe somethings i don't agree with his point but he sure makes you think about stuff a lot more deeply, and its not like inaccessible meaning from old classics that you need a english major to decipher for you, its meaning that really connects with almost any reader. love this, love ender's series, probably gonna buy more OSC!
4228595
If you loved Ender's Game then you will love this. It gives an extra dimension to the saga and opens up Ender's world that much more.
287637
I loved recapping my all-time favorite story!  There was a lot I already knew, but there was some new stuff too. And there were lots of great quotes and photos, some dating back to the 1970's.  Also, there were some fun articles about the various contributors to the epic saga that most people don't readily think about: such as the composer, the artist, the set/model/prop/sound/costume designers. We hold a special place for Star Wars in my family, our own history was tied to the making of episode VI (the land used to film scenes on Endor belonged to our grandparents, their last name being Endert, and a few other tie-ins).  And when my twins were born, they have an uncanny resemblance to a little Luke and Leia. An alternate universe I guess... But we are ever-faithful Star Wars fans who appreciate a wonderful read such as this.
2438546
wow

hope he releases a short story that gives us more about the other planets that had time travel!
1060151
I found this book amazing.  It is not as fast-paced as Ender's Game, but it is certainly at least as engrossing.  In the two days it took me to read this book I neglected almost everything else in favor of spending hours reading.  The length is wonderful, as my only complaint with Ender's Game was it's short length.  I feel that there is develpoment in this book that surpasses many things I've read.  Card manages to portray a very complex Ender, with his own emotions of guilt and his work as a Speaker for the Dead.  However, even superior to Ender's own character is the marvelous portrayl of how other's see him;  On one hand he is reviled as the worst person in history as Ender, on the other, as Speaker for the Dead he is almost worshipped by some.  At its heart the book deals with good and evil;  how it blurs, how people act upon their perceptions of them, and, ultimatly, how different cultures and people percieve them differently.  Not only is this book meaningful, but it is also an engrossing read.  When I finished I almost started it all over again, and I probably would have if I had not had Xenocide at hand.  Card is an amazing writer, taking his readers to a different place and letting them see how humans and those called "ramen", or a different species that humans can relate to, interact, with misunderstandings but also, ultimatly, acceptance and even rapport.
111509
Brought to light several missing pieces from the series of books.
4139751
This is the second book in the Ender series both chronologically and in quality.  It is pretty well written and presents a lot of interesting dilemmas and issues from unique perspectives.  When Card is on (and my guess with a good editor), as in this book, he does a great job of making the reader think while holding a very interesting story.  Being able to look at a seemingly one-sided issue as family abuse and present the whole story is a unique talent that speaks to Card's ability as a writer.  While he has the ability to get off track easily, he holds strong in this one and is definitely a good read.  Unfortunately it's probably the last good book in the series, but I think is a must-read for this sci-fi set.
4644778
Vol. 1 of "The Endlands" is a delight for lovers of the weird side of story-telling.  The creator of this anthology is said to have been a fan of Rod Serling and The Twilight Zone, and that is definitely obvious in the story choices.  Featuring short stories about everything from strange creatures masquerading as politicians to body-snatching demons, from cannibals to flying whales (yes, you heard me right!), the stories included in this anthology are sure to include something to please any lover of horror fiction or the macabre.  The story settings range from fantasy, science fiction, near-future dystopianism, magical reality and to the just plain weird.

The writing is nicely done - it is obvious that each of the authors has experience and talent in spades.  I tried - oh how I tried! - to read it slowly, to savor the stories, but I kept finding myself shredding through the virtual pages as fast as I could, eager to find the twist that would make this story stand out, excited to find what disturbing item I would find on the next page, in the next story.  I highly recommend this book, full of wonderfully disturbing little gems of stories.  Don't miss it!
882315
A great well told battle of the human spirit.  While providing a perspective of the protagonist.

Technology wise, this reminds me a lot of Ender's story.  Not to much detail on the technology.  Allowing one to use their imagination.

Hope this series continues!!!
81932
Brilliant, very educational.  You have to read all of them.  The ending of the series ties everything up perfect.  Battles in space are on true levels of physical limitations and the strategies to overcome them surpass Ender's Game.  A fun read, filled with many emotions.  Siiickk
760985
We've followed Ender through all of his adventures, a story initially inspired by Orson Scott Card's desire to write the book that became "Speaker for the Dead". The prequel to SFTD, "Ender's Game", set up the entire premise for both the Ender series and the Shadow (Bean) series. But until "Ender in Exile," we never knew...in a story...what happened to Ender between EG and SFTD, except through references in later books and from the point of view of the Shadow series.

Now we get the *REAL* story of Ender's exile, satisfyingly complete and with NEW characters! This book does not just take the loose ends dangling from the end of Ender's Game and the beginning of Speaker for the Dead and knot them together. This is a true entry in the series, and should be read...or listened to...right after Ender's Game.

Some of us are familiar with all the characters, having practically memorized the ENTIRE two serieses. But I believe there is enough dimension to characters for new readers, going through in the new sequence that includes Ender in Exile, to be comfortable with both the characters and their story.

The absolute BEST way to enjoy both the Ender and the Shadow serieses is to listen to them as presented by Stefan Rudnicki and his excellent team of actors on the audiobook version...complete and not abridged. They make roadtrips a lot of fun.