The ''Ender's Game'' series (often referred to as the ''Ender'' saga and also the Enderverse) is a series of
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
books written by American author
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for both ...
. The series started with the
novelette ''Ender's Game'', which was later expanded into the
novel of the same title. It currently consists of sixteen novels, thirteen short stories, 47 comic issues, an audioplay, and a film. The first two novels in the series, ''Ender's Game'' and ''
Speaker for the Dead
''Speaker for the Dead'' is a 1986 science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, an indirect sequel to the 1985 novel '' Ender's Game''. The book takes place around the year 5270, some 3,000 years after the events in ''Ender's Game ...
'', each won both the
Hugo
Hugo or HUGO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese
* Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback
* Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on ...
and
Nebula
A nebula ('cloud' or 'fog' in Latin; pl. nebulae, nebulæ or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regio ...
Awards.
The series is set in a future where mankind is facing annihilation by an aggressive alien society, an insect-like race known formally as "
Formics", but more colloquially as "Buggers". The series
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
,
Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, is one of the child soldiers trained at Battle School (and eventually Command School) to be the future leaders for the protection of Earth.
Enderverse
Ender series
Starting with ''
Ender's Game
''Ender's Game'' is a 1985 military science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. Set at an unspecified date in Earth's future, the novel presents an imperiled humankind after two conflicts with an insectoid alien species they dub ...
'', five novels and one novella have been released that tell the story of Ender. The first four have been described (and released as a box set) as ''The Ender Quartet'' and, together with ''Ender in Exile'', as ''The Ender Quintet''. Card first wrote ''Ender's Game'' as a novelette, but later expanded it into a novel.
While the first novel concerned itself with armies and space warfare, ''
Speaker for the Dead
''Speaker for the Dead'' is a 1986 science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, an indirect sequel to the 1985 novel '' Ender's Game''. The book takes place around the year 5270, some 3,000 years after the events in ''Ender's Game ...
'', ''
Xenocide
''Xenocide'' (1991) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, the third book in the Ender's Game series. It was nominated for both the Hugo and Locus Awards for Best Novel in 1992. The title is a combination of ' xeno-', m ...
'', and ''
Children of the Mind
''Children of the Mind'' (1996) is a novel by American author Orson Scott Card, the fourth in his successful ''Ender's Game'' series of science fiction novels that focus on the character Ender Wiggin. This book was originally the second half of ...
'' are more philosophical in nature, dealing with the difficult relationship between the humans and the "Piggies" (or "
Pequeninos
''This literature-related list is incomplete; you can help by to include characters from the First Formic War trilogy.''
This is a partial list of characters in the ''Ender's Game'' series.
Wiggin family
* Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is the prota ...
"), and Andrew's (Ender's) attempts to stop another xenocide from happening.
''
A War of Gifts: An Ender Story'', a novella, was released in October 2007. It is a
parallel story set during Ender's first year in Battle School.
[Orson Scott Card at Fantastic Fiction](_blank)
/ref>
''Ender in Exile
''Ender in Exile'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, part of the ''Ender's Game'' series, published on November 11, 2008. It takes place between the two award-winning novels ''Ender's Game'' and ''Speaker for the ...
,'' which is both sequel of Ender's Game
''Ender's Game'' is a 1985 military science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. Set at an unspecified date in Earth's future, the novel presents an imperiled humankind after two conflicts with an insectoid alien species they dub ...
and a prequel to ''Speaker for the Dead
''Speaker for the Dead'' is a 1986 science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, an indirect sequel to the 1985 novel '' Ender's Game''. The book takes place around the year 5270, some 3,000 years after the events in ''Ender's Game ...
'' was released in November 2008. It involves Ender's journey to the first human colony on a former Formic world. Because of changes Card made to a few details of the story of that first colony ship and Ender's role as governor, it serves as a replacement for the last chapter of ''Ender's Game''. It also deals with his meeting a character from the parallel Shadow saga (effectively wrapping up a remaining plotline in the parallel series).
Shadow saga
Starting with '' Ender's Shadow'', five novels and one novella have been released that tell the story of the people Ender left behind – this has been dubbed the ''Shadow saga'' (also known as the "Shadow Quintet").
''Ender's Shadow'' is a parallel novel to ''Ender's Game'', telling many of the same events from the perspective of Bean
A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes th ...
, a mostly peripheral character in ''Ender's Game'', while the first three sequels, ''Shadow of the Hegemon
''Shadow of the Hegemon'' (2000) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, the second novel in the ''Ender's Shadow'' series (often called the Bean Quartet). It is also the sixth novel in the ''Ender's Game'' series. It is ...
'', '' Shadow Puppets'' and ''Shadow of the Giant
''Shadow of the Giant'' (2005) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, the fourth novel in his '' Ender's Shadow'' series, also called the Bean Quartet.
Plot summary
A belief is spreading in conquered China that the gove ...
'' tell the story of the struggle for world dominance after the Bugger War. This involves the Battle School children, as well as Ender's brother, Peter Wiggin
''This literature-related list is incomplete; you can help by to include characters from the First Formic War trilogy.''
This is a partial list of characters in the ''Ender's Game'' series.
Wiggin family
* Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is the prota ...
, and Petra Arkanian
''This literature-related list is incomplete; you can help by to include characters from the First Formic War trilogy.''
This is a partial list of characters in the ''Ender's Game'' series.
Wiggin family
* Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is the prota ...
going up against Achilles de Flandres
''This literature-related list is incomplete; you can help by to include characters from the First Formic War trilogy.''
This is a partial list of characters in the ''Ender's Game'' series.
Wiggin family
* Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is the prota ...
(from Poke's crew).
A sequel novella to ''Shadow of the Giant'' named ''Shadows in Flight
''Shadows in Flight'' is a science fiction novella by American writer Orson Scott Card. When released in 2012, it became the twelfth book published in the ''Ender's Game'' series. The story follows on from where the original four "Shadow serie ...
'' further introduces three of Bean's children who also have Anton's key turned.
The Last Shadow
''The Last Shadow'' is a 2021 science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, part of his Ender's Game (series), ''Ender's Game'' series. It links the Shadow Saga (the parallel companion series) back to the original Ender series. This ...
(previously called Shadows Alive), was released in November 2021, takes place after both ''Children of the Mind
''Children of the Mind'' (1996) is a novel by American author Orson Scott Card, the fourth in his successful ''Ender's Game'' series of science fiction novels that focus on the character Ender Wiggin. This book was originally the second half of ...
'' and ''Shadows in Flight'', tying up the two series, and explaining some unanswered questions.
Formic Wars
The First Formic War
Card and Aaron Johnston
Aaron Johnston is an American author, comics writer, and film producer.
Johnston was an associate producer on the movie '' Ender's Game'', including a cameo appearance as an International Fleet officer. He co-authored with Orson Scott Card the ...
wrote a trilogy to cover the events of the First Formic War. Chronologically, this series comes before all other books in the ''Ender's Game'' series. ''Earth Unaware
''Earth Unaware'' is a science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston in the Ender's Game series. Published in 2012, it is the first book of a prequel trilogy to '' Ender's Game''.-Official Fan site The novel is set before Ender ...
'' was released on July 17, 2012. ''Earth Afire
''Earth Afire'' is a science fiction novel by American writers Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both ...
'', was released on June 4, 2013, and ''Earth Awakens
''Earth Awakens'' is a science fiction novel by American writers Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win bo ...
'' on June 10, 2014.
The Second Formic War
On November 4, 2013, Johnston confirmed work on a second trilogy of novels covering the Second Formic War, with the manuscript for the first book due in 2014. The planned titles of the novels are (in order) ''The Swarm'', ''The Hive'', and ''The Queens.'' '' The Swarm'', continuing the stories of Victor Delgado, Mazer Rackham, and Bingwen, was released on August 2, 2016. '' The Hive'' was released on June 11, 2019.
Fleet School
According to an interview with Orson Scott Card at Southern Virginia University, Fleet School is "a new set of sequels to Ender's Game. It's for a young adult
A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...
audience. It's what happens to Battle School after the International Fleet loses its purpose of war. It becomes what is called Fleet School, and it prepares kids to become commanders / explorers in the colonies that are going to be forming. We get to see that as the school administrators repurpose the school, the Battle Room is still there, but it's a whole different kind of education." On November 12, 2015, Orson Scott Card announced the title of the series and its first novel, ''Children of the Fleet
''Children of the Fleet'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card. The title of the novel (and the series ''Fleet School'') was announced by the author on 12 November 2015, and it was released on October 10, 2017.
Synops ...
'' was released on October 10, 2017.
Publications
Novels in the series
To date, there are 19 publications in the Ender's Game series, five novels and one novella in the Ender series, five novels and one novella in the Shadow Saga, five novels in the Formic Wars series, one novel in the Fleet School series and one collection of short stories. According to Card, there is no strictly preferred order of reading them, except that ''Xenocide
''Xenocide'' (1991) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, the third book in the Ender's Game series. It was nominated for both the Hugo and Locus Awards for Best Novel in 1992. The title is a combination of ' xeno-', m ...
'' should be read right before ''Children of the Mind
''Children of the Mind'' (1996) is a novel by American author Orson Scott Card, the fourth in his successful ''Ender's Game'' series of science fiction novels that focus on the character Ender Wiggin. This book was originally the second half of ...
''.
The books can be read in the order in which they were originally written or in chronological order.
Publication date
Chronological order
#''Earth Unaware
''Earth Unaware'' is a science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston in the Ender's Game series. Published in 2012, it is the first book of a prequel trilogy to '' Ender's Game''.-Official Fan site The novel is set before Ender ...
''
#''Earth Afire
''Earth Afire'' is a science fiction novel by American writers Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both ...
''
#''Earth Awakens
''Earth Awakens'' is a science fiction novel by American writers Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win bo ...
''
#'' The Swarm''
#'' The Hive''
#'' The Queens'' (TBA)
#''Ender's Game
''Ender's Game'' is a 1985 military science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. Set at an unspecified date in Earth's future, the novel presents an imperiled humankind after two conflicts with an insectoid alien species they dub ...
''
#'' Ender's Shadow'' (Note: The events of Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow take place in roughly the same time period.)
#''A War of Gifts
''A War of Gifts: An Ender Story'' is a 2007 science fiction novella by American writer Orson Scott Card. This book is set in Card's ''Ender's Game'' series and takes place during Ender Wiggin's time at Battle School as described in Card's nove ...
'' (Note: This takes place during Ender's Game/Ender's Shadow.)
#''Shadow of the Hegemon
''Shadow of the Hegemon'' (2000) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, the second novel in the ''Ender's Shadow'' series (often called the Bean Quartet). It is also the sixth novel in the ''Ender's Game'' series. It is ...
''
#''Children of the Fleet
''Children of the Fleet'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card. The title of the novel (and the series ''Fleet School'') was announced by the author on 12 November 2015, and it was released on October 10, 2017.
Synops ...
'' (Note: opening chapters take place during Shadow of the Hegemon.)
#'' Shadow Puppets''
#''Shadow of the Giant
''Shadow of the Giant'' (2005) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, the fourth novel in his '' Ender's Shadow'' series, also called the Bean Quartet.
Plot summary
A belief is spreading in conquered China that the gove ...
''
#''Ender in Exile
''Ender in Exile'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, part of the ''Ender's Game'' series, published on November 11, 2008. It takes place between the two award-winning novels ''Ender's Game'' and ''Speaker for the ...
'' (Note: Beginning takes place during Shadow of the Hegemon and through Shadow of the Giant)
#''Shadows in Flight
''Shadows in Flight'' is a science fiction novella by American writer Orson Scott Card. When released in 2012, it became the twelfth book published in the ''Ender's Game'' series. The story follows on from where the original four "Shadow serie ...
''
#''First Meetings
''First Meetings'' (2002) is a collection of science fiction short stories by American writer Orson Scott Card, belonging to his ''Ender's Game'' series. Tor Books republished the book in 2003 under the titles ''First Meetings in the Enderve ...
'' (Note: This is actually a collection of four short stories. The first two take place when Ender's parents are children and in their teens. The next is the original novella "Ender's Game". The last brings Ender and Jane together for the first time. "First Meetings" is listed right before "Speaker for the Dead" because the last story takes place when Ender had just turned 20.)
#''Speaker for the Dead
''Speaker for the Dead'' is a 1986 science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, an indirect sequel to the 1985 novel '' Ender's Game''. The book takes place around the year 5270, some 3,000 years after the events in ''Ender's Game ...
''
#''Xenocide
''Xenocide'' (1991) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, the third book in the Ender's Game series. It was nominated for both the Hugo and Locus Awards for Best Novel in 1992. The title is a combination of ' xeno-', m ...
''
#''Children of the Mind
''Children of the Mind'' (1996) is a novel by American author Orson Scott Card, the fourth in his successful ''Ender's Game'' series of science fiction novels that focus on the character Ender Wiggin. This book was originally the second half of ...
''
#''The Last Shadow
''The Last Shadow'' is a 2021 science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, part of his Ender's Game (series), ''Ender's Game'' series. It links the Shadow Saga (the parallel companion series) back to the original Ender series. This ...
''
Short stories in the series
First Meetings
''First Meetings
''First Meetings'' (2002) is a collection of science fiction short stories by American writer Orson Scott Card, belonging to his ''Ender's Game'' series. Tor Books republished the book in 2003 under the titles ''First Meetings in the Enderve ...
'' is a collection of short stories whose settings range from before Ender's Game until after Shadows in Flight and was first released in 2002.
Comic books in the series
Comic books in the Ender Universe are currently being published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
.
Game
In 2008 it was announced an Ender's Game video game was in the works. It was to be known as ''Ender's Game: Battle Room'' and was a planned digitally distributed video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
for all viable downloadable platforms. It was under development by Chair Entertainment
Chair Entertainment Group, LLC (stylized as ChAIR) is an American video game developer based in Salt Lake City. The company was acquired by Epic Games in 2008.
History
Chair Entertainment was formed in 2005 by Donald Mustard and Geremy Mustard ...
, which also developed the Xbox Live Arcade games '' Undertow'' and ''Shadow Complex
''Shadow Complex'' is a platform-adventure Metroidvania video game developed by Chair Entertainment in association with Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 in 2009.
The game follows Jason and his girlfriend Clai ...
''. Chair had sold the licensing of ''Empire'' to Card, which became a best-selling novel. Little was revealed about the game, save its setting in the Ender universe and that it would have focused on the Battle Room.[
In December, 2010, it was announced that the video game development had stopped and the project put on indefinite hold.
]Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for both ...
and Amaze Entertainment
Foundation 9 Entertainment, Inc. was an American video game company based in Irvine, California. The company was formed in March 2005 through the merger of video game developers Backbone Entertainment and The Collective.
History
Foundatio ...
also came to an agreement about a game adaption of the Ender's Game novel but the plans never became a reality.
Manga
In 2014, Satō Shūhō's manga, ''Ender's Game'' (Jp ''Ender no Game'') appeared.
Audioplay
Film
The film ''Ender's Game
''Ender's Game'' is a 1985 military science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. Set at an unspecified date in Earth's future, the novel presents an imperiled humankind after two conflicts with an insectoid alien species they dub ...
'' was released in the UK on October 25, 2013, and in the USA on November 1, 2013. The first script was based on two installments of the ''Ender'' series, ''Ender's Game'' and ''Ender's Shadow'', when optioned by Warner Brothers, but was adapted to focus exclusively on ''Ender's Game'' when purchased by Lionsgate.2013 Interview
/ref> The cast includes Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...
, Abigail Breslin
Abigail Kathleen Breslin (born April 14, 1996) is an American actress. She rose to prominence with the comedy-drama film ''Little Miss Sunshine'' (2006), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at ...
, Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and two ...
, and Asa Butterfield
Asa Bopp Farr Butterfield (; born Asa Maxwell Thornton Farr Butterfield on 1 April 1997) is an English actor. He has received nominations for three British Independent Film Awards, two Critics' Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and three Young ...
as Ender Wiggin. The film was directed by Gavin Hood
Gavin Hood (born 12 May 1963) is a South African filmmaker, and actor, best known for writing and directing ''Tsotsi'' (2005), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He also directed the films ''X-Men Origins: Wolverine'', ' ...
.''[Ender's Shadow Audiobook, author's epilogue]
Related
''The Authorized Ender Companion''
Written by Jake Black, ''The Authorized Ender Companion'' is "the indispensable guide to the universe of ''Ender's Game''."
Sections in this book include: The Ender Encyclopedia, Ender's Timeline, Ender's Family Tree by Andrew Lindsay, Getting Ender Right: A Look at the ''Ender's Game'' Screenplay Development by Aaron Johnston, and The Technology of ''Ender's Game'' by Stephen Sywak. The majority of the book consists of encyclopedia references to the events, characters, locations, and technology found in the ''Ender's Game'' series up to the publication of ''Ender in Exile
''Ender in Exile'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, part of the ''Ender's Game'' series, published on November 11, 2008. It takes place between the two award-winning novels ''Ender's Game'' and ''Speaker for the ...
''.
The book is notable for having new and behind the scenes information on certain topics such as Battle School Slang, The Look of the Formics, The History of Hyrum Graff, Ender and Valentine's Travels, and Mazer Rackham's Spaceship.
''Ender's World: Fresh Perspectives on the SF Classic Ender's Game''
''Ender's World'' contains 14 essays from Science Fiction and Young Adult writers, as well as military strategists and others about various aspects of Ender's Game. The book includes an introduction[Introduction: Ender's World](_blank)
by Orson Scott Card, who edited ''Ender's World'' and answers from many fan-submitted Enderverse questions from the Smart Pop Books Website. These essays are included in the compilation:
* "How It Should Have Ended" by Eric James Stone["How It Should Have Ended" by Eric James Stone](_blank)
* "The Monster's Heart" by John Brown John Brown most often refers to:
*John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859
John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to:
Academia
* John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...
["The Monster's Heart" by John Brown](_blank)
* "The Cost of Breaking the Rules" by Mary Robinette Kowal
Mary Robinette Kowal (; born February 8, 1969) is an American author and puppeteer. Originally a puppeteer by primary trade after receiving a bachelor's degree in art education, she became art director for science fiction magazines and by 2010 was ...
["The Cost of Breaking the Rules" by Mary Robinette](_blank)
* "Winning and Losing in ''Ender’s Game''" by Hilari Bell
Hilari Bell (born 1958) is an American fantasy author. She is the author of several science-fiction and fantasy novels including the critically acclaimed ''Farsala Trilogy''. Bell worked as a reference librarian, but quit in 2005 to write full- ...
["Winning and Losing in ''Ender’s Game''" by Hilari Bell](_blank)
* "Parallax Regained" by David Lubar
David Lubar (born March 16, 1954) is an author of numerous books for teens. He is also a video game programmer, who programmed ''Breakout (arcade game), Super Breakout'' for the Game Boy and ''Frogger'' for both the Super Nintendo Entertainment ...
, Alison S. Myers["Parallax Regained" by David Lubar, Alison S. Myers](_blank)
* "Mirror, Mirror" by Alethea Kontis
Alethea Kontis is an American writer of Teen & Young Adult Books, picture books and speculative fiction, primarily for children. She lived in Ashburn, Virginia and then in Titusville, FL.
Selected works
Novels
* ''Enchanted'' The Woodcutter Sis ...
["Mirror, Mirror" by Alethea Kontis](_blank)
* "Size Matters" by Janis Ian
Janis Ian (born Janis Eddy Fink; April 7, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter who was most commercially successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her signature songs are the 1966/67 hit " Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)" and the 1975 Top T ...
["Size Matters" by Janis Ian](_blank)
* "Rethinking the Child Hero" by Aaron Johnston["Rethinking the Child Hero" by Aaron Johnston](_blank)
* "A Teenless World" by Mette Ivie Harrison["A Teenless World" by Mette Ivie Harrison](_blank)
* "Ender on Leadership" by Colonel Tom Ruby["Ender on Leadership" by Colonel Tom Ruby](_blank)
* "Ender Wiggin, USMC" by John F. Schmitt["Ender Wiggin, USMC" by John F. Schmitt](_blank)
* "The Price of Our Inheritance" by Neal Shusterman
Neal Shusterman (born November 12, 1962) is an American writer of young-adult fiction. He won the 2015 National Book Award for Young People's Literature for his book ''Challenger Deep'' and his novel, ''Scythe'', was a 2017 '' Michael L. Prin ...
["The Price of Our Inheritance" by Neal Shusterman](_blank)
* "If the Formics Love Their Children Too" by Ken Scholes
Ken Scholes (born January 13, 1968) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer living in Cornelius, Oregon, United States.
He is the author of five novels and over fifty short stories and his work has appeared in print since 2000. His s ...
["If the Formics Love Their Children Too" by Ken Scholes](_blank)
* "''Ender's Game'': A Guide to Life" by Matt Nix
Matthew E. Nix (born September 4, 1971) is an American writer, producer, and director. He is best known for creating the USA Network television series ''Burn Notice'', the Fox series '' The Good Guys'', and more recently the Fox series '' The G ...
["''Ender's Game'': A Guide to Life" by Matt Nix](_blank)
Characters
The Formics, also known as Buggers, are a fictional ant-like alien species
An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived there ...
from the Ender's Game series
The ''Ender's Game'' series (often referred to as the ''Ender'' saga and also the Enderverse) is a series of science fiction books written by American author Orson Scott Card. The series started with the novelette ''Ender's Game'', which was la ...
of science fiction novels by Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for both ...
.
According to the novel canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
, the Formics attacked Earth 50 years before the novel begins. They attempted to colonise the planet and were barely fought off by a New Zealand soldier known as Mazer Rackham
''This literature-related list is incomplete; you can help by to include characters from the First Formic War trilogy.''
This is a partial list of characters in the ''Ender's Game'' series.
Wiggin family
* Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is the prota ...
. The first book in the series, Ender's Game
''Ender's Game'' is a 1985 military science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. Set at an unspecified date in Earth's future, the novel presents an imperiled humankind after two conflicts with an insectoid alien species they dub ...
, largely stems from the human quest to defend themselves from this species, although the Formics ultimately turn out as victims, with the first attack being an accident due to differing biology.
The term "Formic" is derived from ''formica
''Formica'' is a genus of ants of the family Formicidae, commonly known as wood ants, mound ants, thatching ants, and field ants. ''Formica'' is the type genus of the Formicidae, and of the subfamily Formicinae. The type species of genus ''For ...
'', the Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
word for ''ant
Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22 ...
''; whereas "bugger" is a pejorative
A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...
used by humans; yet it was not until 1999's '' Ender's Shadow'' that the term 'Formic' was first used, interchangeably with 'Bugger'. Later books used 'Formic' almost exclusively, as the more 'scientific' term. This leads to odd scenarios in the continuity of the books, such as Valentine referring to them as "Buggers" in ''Ender's Game'', chronologically next as "Formics" in ''Ender in Exile
''Ender in Exile'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, part of the ''Ender's Game'' series, published on November 11, 2008. It takes place between the two award-winning novels ''Ender's Game'' and ''Speaker for the ...
'', and again as "Buggers" in ''Speaker for the Dead'' and ''Xenocide''. The feature film adaptation of ''Ender's Game'' uses "Formics" exclusively.
The Formic species consists of hive-minded colonies directed by queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
. In Ender's Game
''Ender's Game'' is a 1985 military science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. Set at an unspecified date in Earth's future, the novel presents an imperiled humankind after two conflicts with an insectoid alien species they dub ...
, Graff
Graff may refer to:
* Graff (lunar crater)
* Graff (Martian crater)
* Graff (jewellers), jewelry boutique specializing in rare diamonds
** 2009 Graff Diamonds robbery, which took place at the above store
* Graff, Minnesota an unincorporated co ...
described them as being an insect that "could have evolved on earth, if things had gone a different way a billion years ago," and that their evolutionary ancestors could have looked similar to Earth's ants. While often described as "insectoid", the Formics are warm-blooded
Warm-blooded is an informal term referring to animal species which can maintain a body temperature higher than their environment. In particular, homeothermic species maintain a stable body temperature by regulating metabolic processes. The onl ...
, developed an internal skeleton and shed most of their exoskeleton
An exoskeleton (from Greek ''éxō'' "outer" and ''skeletós'' "skeleton") is an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to an internal skeleton (endoskeleton) in for example, a human. In usage, some of the ...
, evolved a complex system of internal organs, and they respire and perspire. If a queen dies, all the workers under her control lose their ability to function immediately; but in ''Xenocide
''Xenocide'' (1991) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, the third book in the Ender's Game series. It was nominated for both the Hugo and Locus Awards for Best Novel in 1992. The title is a combination of ' xeno-', m ...
'', implications exist that 'workers' can escape the influence of a queen. The Formic race is revealed to be trimorphic in ''Shadows in Flight
''Shadows in Flight'' is a science fiction novella by American writer Orson Scott Card. When released in 2012, it became the twelfth book published in the ''Ender's Game'' series. The story follows on from where the original four "Shadow serie ...
''. Drones are much smaller and depend on a Hive Queen
''This literature-related list is incomplete; you can help by to include characters from the First Formic War trilogy.''
This is a partial list of characters in the ''Ender's Game'' series.
Wiggin family
* Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is the prota ...
for survival, and their bodies are shaped to spend their lives clinging to her, until upon her death, they take flight to seek out a new queen. Drones are capable of individual thought and action as well as mind-to-mind communication, more limited than that of a queen; whereas queens communicate instantaneously and can even do so with other species. Formics live in vast underground colonies, usually without light, informing the assumption that Formics make use of sensory apparatus outside the range of the electromagnetic spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of frequencies (the spectrum) of electromagnetic radiation and their respective wavelengths and photon energies.
The electromagnetic spectrum covers electromagnetic waves with frequencies ranging from ...
visible to humans. In the first novel they have artificial lighting; whereas in ''Xenocide
''Xenocide'' (1991) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, the third book in the Ender's Game series. It was nominated for both the Hugo and Locus Awards for Best Novel in 1992. The title is a combination of ' xeno-', m ...
'', Ender
Ender may refer to:
Given name
* Ender Alkan, Turkish footballer
* Ender Arslan, Turkish basketball player
* Ender Inciarte, Venezuelan baseball player
* Ender Konca, Turkish footballer
Surname
* Erika Ender (born 1974), Panamanian singer, s ...
claims they rely on heat signature.
See also
* ''Ender's Game'' (film)
* List of characters in the ''Ender's Game'' series
*List of works by Orson Scott Card
The Orson Scott Card bibliography contains a list of works published by Orson Scott Card.
Ender's Game
The Tales of Alvin Maker
The Homecoming Saga
Women of Genesis
Pastwatch series
Mithermages series
Mayflower
''Mayflower ...
*Zerg
Blizzard Entertainment's real-time strategy game series '' StarCraft'' revolves around interstellar affairs in a distant sector of the galaxy, with three species and multiple factions all vying for supremacy in the sector. The playable species of ...
- an alien race from the ''Starcraft'' universe, similar to the Formics
Notes
:1.
:2.
:3.
References
Sources
* ''Ender's Game
''Ender's Game'' is a 1985 military science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. Set at an unspecified date in Earth's future, the novel presents an imperiled humankind after two conflicts with an insectoid alien species they dub ...
'' by Orson Scott Card
* '' Ender's Shadow'' by Orson Scott Card
* ''Speaker for the Dead
''Speaker for the Dead'' is a 1986 science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, an indirect sequel to the 1985 novel '' Ender's Game''. The book takes place around the year 5270, some 3,000 years after the events in ''Ender's Game ...
'' by Orson Scott Card
* ''Xenocide
''Xenocide'' (1991) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, the third book in the Ender's Game series. It was nominated for both the Hugo and Locus Awards for Best Novel in 1992. The title is a combination of ' xeno-', m ...
'' by Orson Scott Card
* ''Children of the Mind
''Children of the Mind'' (1996) is a novel by American author Orson Scott Card, the fourth in his successful ''Ender's Game'' series of science fiction novels that focus on the character Ender Wiggin. This book was originally the second half of ...
'' by Orson Scott Card
* ''First Meetings
''First Meetings'' (2002) is a collection of science fiction short stories by American writer Orson Scott Card, belonging to his ''Ender's Game'' series. Tor Books republished the book in 2003 under the titles ''First Meetings in the Enderve ...
'' by Orson Scott Card
* ''Ender in Exile
''Ender in Exile'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, part of the ''Ender's Game'' series, published on November 11, 2008. It takes place between the two award-winning novels ''Ender's Game'' and ''Speaker for the ...
'' by Orson Scott Card
External links
The official Orson Scott Card website
* Th
Ender Quartet
Ender's Shadow
an
Ender
series pages at Tor Books
Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles, and is the largest publisher of Chinese scien ...
The Ender Saga
*
{{Orson Scott Card
Book series introduced in 1985
Novels by Orson Scott Card
Science fiction novel series
Space opera novels