Ender's Game

"Ender's Game" is a science fiction novelette by American writer Orson Scott Card. It first appeared in the August 1977 issue of Analog magazine and was later expanded into the 1985 novel Ender's Game. Although it serves as the foundation of the Ender's Game series, the novelette is not considered to be properly a part of the Ender's Game universe, as there are many discrepancies in continuity between it and the novel. Plot summary This story begins as Ender is made the commander of Dragon Army at Battle School, an institution designed to make young children into military commanders against an unspecified enemy. Armies are groups of students that fight mock battles in the Battle Room, a null gravity environment, and are subdivided into "toons". Due to Ender's genius in leadership, Dragon Army dominates the competition. After his nineteenth consecutive victory, Ender is told that his Army is being broken up and his toon leaders made commanders in their turn, while he is transferred to Command School for the next stage of his education. Here, veteran Maezr Rackham tutors him in the use of a space battle simulator. Eventually, many of his former toon leaders serve under him once more. Once familiar with the simulator, they fight a series of what Maezr tells them are mock battles against a computer-controlled enemy. Ender's team wins again and again, finally destroying a planet that the enemy fleet seems to be protecting. Once the battle is over, Maezr tells Ender that all battles were real, the children's commands having been relayed to the extant fleet, and that he has destroyed the enemy's home world and ended the war. Characters Children Ender Wiggins – commander of Dragon Army Bean – toon leader in Dragon Army and at Command School Ren – toon leader in Dragon Army Peder – toon leader in Dragon Army and at Command School Brian – toon leader in Dragon Army Wins – toon leader in Dragon Army and at Command School Younger – toon leader in Dragon Army and at Command School Lee – toon leader at Command School Vlad – toon leader at Command School Carn Carby – commander of Rabbit Army Pol Slattery – commander of Leopard Army William Bee – commander of Griffin Army