Speaker for the Dead

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: David Birney, Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 14 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

In the aftermath of his terrible war, Ender Wiggin disappeared, and a powerful voice arose: the Speaker for the Dead, who told the true story of the Bugger War. Now, long years later, a second alien race has been discovered by Portuguese colonists on the planet Lusitania. But again the aliens' ways are strange and frightening...again, humans die. And it is only the Speaker for the Dead, who is also Ender Wiggin the Xenocide, who has the courage to confront the mystery...and the truth. Orson Scott Card infuses this tale with intellect by casting his characters in social, religious, and cultural contexts.

This, the author's definitive edition of the sequel to Ender's Game, also includes an original postscript written and recorded by the author himself, Orson Scott Card!.

Browse more titles in the Ender Wiggin series.

©1986, 1990 Orson Scott Card (P)2002 Fantastic Audio, an Imprint of Audio Literature

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award Winner, Best Novel, 1987
• Nebula Award Winner, Best Novel, 1986

"The most powerful work Card has produced. Speaker not only completes Ender's Game, it transcends it." (Fantasy Review)

Ender's world gets

This book was very enjoyable. But, if you're looking for the same kind of excitement that you found in Enders Game, you might be dissapointed. It's ironic that the author only wrote Enders Game to set the stage for Speaker for the Dead. As my 14-year old daughter said, "becasue he [the author] tried too hard to be serious and send a moral message, the story suffered." I enjoyed this more than my daughters did. (But even so, they listened non-stop.)

Worthy successor

I actually liked this a bit more than Ender's Game (which I thought was also great). The story has matured along with Ender's Character. However, this book will be disappointing if you are not prepared to consider it the first of a trilogy. The two following books are excellent as well.

Great sequel

I enjoyed this book just as much if not more than Enders Game, no doubt I'll get the whole series XM163 got me started with this book but they only give you 1/2 hr at a time and some days I missed some so had to buy the book but decided to start with Enders Game then got this one have listen to it 3 time so far am sure in my travels will listen more!

Guilt and redemption, Ender style

One of the best things about Orson Scott Card's work, for me, is the depth of his insights into human psychology and Speaker for the Dead is a tour de force in this sense. In this novel, Card gives us a taste of what it feels like to save the world and live with the consequences when genocide is the way it was accomplished. It also deals with both obvious and subtle emotional reactions to one's identity being formed by acts performed without any knowledge of their consequences. It is a perfect metaphor for the psychological realities we all deal with in life on what is, for most people, a very grand scale. As such, it gives us each an opportunity to revisit our own decisions and unwitting actions, as well as our own perceived guilts and forms of redemption.

That there is also a brilliantly conceived and written first contact story here, to boot, is one of the things which makes this novel special and very precious to me.

I highly recommend this novel to people who want to push the envelope of their own perceptions of what right and wrong are, who the good and the bad guys are, and what responsibilities come with victory and/or power. It's great science fiction but it's also just great writing about what it means to be human.

A service to the genre

While I really appreciate the psychological voice of Ender's Game and the story & characters make for a very strong work of sci-fi, Speaker for the Dead is something else altogether. Despite the science fiction trappings -- they play only a background mechanical role -- this story is driven by emotional tension and transformation unlike most other's in this dewey decimal neighborhood. This is a story about the honesty and empathy we need to live together, not just with other people, but with life -- that domination over it isn't the end game (forgive me). For me, it casts some light into the void Daniel Quinn masterfully poses in Ishmael -- what can a new story of mankind be?

I was taken by the richness of language and honesty of dialogue here. Card's time as a Brazilian missionary clearly tuned his ear to the beauty of the Portuguese tongue. His time with Ender lets him tell the truth, no matter who is speaking. The narration is mostly superb, using an array of pros to emphasize perspective. It was so great to hear Valentine again. After comparing notes with a friend who read the printed version, I think the Portuguese was a bridge to the story for the listener but it may have been a barrier for the reader. Finished it in just a few days and now can't wait to continue with Xenocide. Ho Orson!

A overall great story.

Best book in the ender series. I feel like u can really connect with the readers. Would recommend it to anyone who has read enders game.

A great story.

A great and thought provoking story even for a work of fiction. I enjoyed every moment.

Best story I have heard this year

Wonderful story! I highly recommend this book. I like it more than "lord of the rings" and "a song of ice and fire"

Philosophy, theology, psicology, biology all in 1

This book narrates a compelling story that that tailors what might be thought of as treaties of Philosophy, psicology, theology, and biology. I can not think of better triggers to study and dive into each of those fields. This book should be used in vocational guidance.

WOW

I thought Ender's Game was good but this was even better. A lot less action but much deeper. prepare to think as the author dives into concepts of the differences an alien race could have from us. While Ender's Game is usually considered young adult this book is definitely an adult book. Not due to content but because of the concepts. But I loved it!