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Zchantie
I know this is an old question, but I wanted to add to it since I read the books in an order that I regretted.
So you have the first Series: 'The Ender Quintet'
1. Ender's Game
2. Speaker for the Dead
3. Xenocide
4. Children of the Mind
The parallel series that follows the character Bean who appears in the first Ender's Game book and then gets his own series known as the "Shadow Saga"
1. Ender's Shadow
2. Shadow of the Hedgemon
3. Shadow Puppets
4. Shadow of the Giant
5. Shadows in Flight
Then there is the 5th book of the Ender's Quintet called "Ender in Exile" which actually takes place between "Ender's Game" and "Speaker for the Dead". I read this book directly after Ender's Game (as suggested) and regretted it immensely.
Within this book is also an important part of Bean's story. If you have any interest at all of reading The Shadow Saga, DO NOT READ Ender in Exile. As then you will know the end fate of all of the characters in Shadow Saga.
My recommendation. Read Ender in Exile after you've finished both series if you're interested in knowing what Ender was doing between the end of Game and beginning of Speaker.
So you have the first Series: 'The Ender Quintet'
1. Ender's Game
2. Speaker for the Dead
3. Xenocide
4. Children of the Mind
The parallel series that follows the character Bean who appears in the first Ender's Game book and then gets his own series known as the "Shadow Saga"
1. Ender's Shadow
2. Shadow of the Hedgemon
3. Shadow Puppets
4. Shadow of the Giant
5. Shadows in Flight
Then there is the 5th book of the Ender's Quintet called "Ender in Exile" which actually takes place between "Ender's Game" and "Speaker for the Dead". I read this book directly after Ender's Game (as suggested) and regretted it immensely.
Within this book is also an important part of Bean's story. If you have any interest at all of reading The Shadow Saga, DO NOT READ Ender in Exile. As then you will know the end fate of all of the characters in Shadow Saga.
My recommendation. Read Ender in Exile after you've finished both series if you're interested in knowing what Ender was doing between the end of Game and beginning of Speaker.
Michael Creek
I would recommend this order:
1. Ender's Game
2. Ender's Shadow
These two books are directly connected in that they depict the same events from two different perspectives. The first book from Ender's point of view, and the second from Bean's. You should definitely read Game before Shadow.
The other books tell Ender's story after Ender's Game. Ender's Game is a related, but independent story to these books, which are really a trilogy in that they tell one continuous story and therefore should be read in order.
3. Speaker for the Dead
4. Xenocide
5. Children of the Mind
Then you have the Shadow Series, which tells Bean's story after Game and Shadow. They should also be read in order, and probably after the Ender Trilogy.
1. Ender's Game
2. Ender's Shadow
These two books are directly connected in that they depict the same events from two different perspectives. The first book from Ender's point of view, and the second from Bean's. You should definitely read Game before Shadow.
The other books tell Ender's story after Ender's Game. Ender's Game is a related, but independent story to these books, which are really a trilogy in that they tell one continuous story and therefore should be read in order.
3. Speaker for the Dead
4. Xenocide
5. Children of the Mind
Then you have the Shadow Series, which tells Bean's story after Game and Shadow. They should also be read in order, and probably after the Ender Trilogy.
Thomas Pownall
I too, was confused, however it is, Enders Game, Speaker of the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the mind
Reg Domaratzki
I will offer two answers to this question.
Answer #1
The correct answer to this question for any series is always : The order in which the books were released. This is documented nicely at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orson_S....
Answer #2
I will propose an alternate, highly opinionated, and simpler answer for this particular series. The order to read the books in the Ender's Game universe are :
1) Ender's Game.
2) Speaker for the Dead.
3) Don't bother with the rest of them.
The first two books are spectacular (Hugo and Nebula agree), and the rest of the novels in the series that I have read ranged from average to readable IMHO. Your time is better spent searching for and reading spectacular novels as opposed to reading average novels because you find yourself invested in the characters.
Reg
Answer #1
The correct answer to this question for any series is always : The order in which the books were released. This is documented nicely at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orson_S....
Answer #2
I will propose an alternate, highly opinionated, and simpler answer for this particular series. The order to read the books in the Ender's Game universe are :
1) Ender's Game.
2) Speaker for the Dead.
3) Don't bother with the rest of them.
The first two books are spectacular (Hugo and Nebula agree), and the rest of the novels in the series that I have read ranged from average to readable IMHO. Your time is better spent searching for and reading spectacular novels as opposed to reading average novels because you find yourself invested in the characters.
Reg
Raven
Um, the order is listed inside the books.... also Wikipedia exists.
L.H. Tide
I think Thomas and Zchantie are right, when presenting especially the Quintet beginning with Ender's Game the good order.
Hoping I was helpful...
That author is a real pleasure to read, but I must admit that I need to read the last additions. Orson Scott Card is a real model for any wannabe writer, with his efficient writing.
Hoping I was helpful...
That author is a real pleasure to read, but I must admit that I need to read the last additions. Orson Scott Card is a real model for any wannabe writer, with his efficient writing.
Jason
First Formic War:
1. Earth Unaware
2. Earth Afire
3. Earth Awakens
Second Formic War:
1. The Swarm
2. The Hive
3. The Queens
Ender Saga:
1. Ender's Game
2. Ender in Exile
3. Speaker for the Dead
4. Xenocide
5. Children of the Mind
Shadow Saga:
1. Ender's Shadow
2. Shadow of the Hegemon
3. Shadow Puppets
4. Shadow of the Giant
5. Shadows in Flight
6. The Last Shadow (formerly Shadows Alive)
Fleet School:
1. Children of the Fleet
Stand-alone novels:
1. A War of Gifts: An Ender Story
2. First Meetings in Ender's Universe (Short story anthology)
3. Ender's Way (Short story anthology)
1. Earth Unaware
2. Earth Afire
3. Earth Awakens
Second Formic War:
1. The Swarm
2. The Hive
3. The Queens
Ender Saga:
1. Ender's Game
2. Ender in Exile
3. Speaker for the Dead
4. Xenocide
5. Children of the Mind
Shadow Saga:
1. Ender's Shadow
2. Shadow of the Hegemon
3. Shadow Puppets
4. Shadow of the Giant
5. Shadows in Flight
6. The Last Shadow (formerly Shadows Alive)
Fleet School:
1. Children of the Fleet
Stand-alone novels:
1. A War of Gifts: An Ender Story
2. First Meetings in Ender's Universe (Short story anthology)
3. Ender's Way (Short story anthology)
Thomas
Thomas is right in the order of the series because that is the Ender quintet. The other books you see are additions that were made but the original series is in the order that Thomas put. So basically read the quintet and then read the additions.
Sabin
The chronological order they were written in. Nothing else makes sense.
Sofia
I'm also trying to figure this out I'm going to try reading it like this, but there are a lot of different ways to read it!
ENDER’S GAME:
Ender’s game
Ender in exile
Speaker for the dead
Xenocide
Children of the mind
ENDER’S SHADOW:
Ender’s shadow
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow Puppets
Shadow of the Giant
Shadows in Flight
The Last shadow
THE FIRST FORMIC WAR:
Earth unaware
Earth Afire
Earth Awakens
THE SECOND FORMIC WAR:
The Swarm
The hive
The queens
BACK-STORIES:
The polish boy
Teacher’s pet
Mazer in prison
Pretty boy
Cheater
Goldbug
Investment Counselor
The story War of Gifts
Ender's Stocking
ENDER’S GAME:
Ender’s game
Ender in exile
Speaker for the dead
Xenocide
Children of the mind
ENDER’S SHADOW:
Ender’s shadow
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow Puppets
Shadow of the Giant
Shadows in Flight
The Last shadow
THE FIRST FORMIC WAR:
Earth unaware
Earth Afire
Earth Awakens
THE SECOND FORMIC WAR:
The Swarm
The hive
The queens
BACK-STORIES:
The polish boy
Teacher’s pet
Mazer in prison
Pretty boy
Cheater
Goldbug
Investment Counselor
The story War of Gifts
Ender's Stocking
Donna
I would read the series by publication date. Reading it in the order things happened would be disappointing I think because Card changed as an author and his later books don't have the same feel that the early ones do. Anyway, I read the series as they were published because I'm that old and it worked for me.
Gavin Dooley
All you gotta do is just find the 1st book in the series and then go on from there with the second and 3rd, the way they were made. I hope this helps! :)
Danae E.
1. Ender’s game
2. Speaker for the dead
3. Xenocide
4. Childrn of the mind
You can read any one of the books by themselves, but it will spoil the previous books. Also, this is just the Ender’s quartet, Orson Scott Card was 14 books and is still writing.
2. Speaker for the dead
3. Xenocide
4. Childrn of the mind
You can read any one of the books by themselves, but it will spoil the previous books. Also, this is just the Ender’s quartet, Orson Scott Card was 14 books and is still writing.
Elias Kradel
So here's the way the story-line goes in Ender's Saga/Series/Quintet/Quartet: Ender's Game, Ender in Exile, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind. In the order of publication is: Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind, Ender in Exile. I say you go with the first. For the Shadow Saga/Quintet the order is: Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant, Shadows In Flight, but Shadow of the Giant is unnecessary to read.
Cryhwks
Personally I'm not a big fan of the series but I am a huge fan of Ender's Game the first book. And I am someone who has read the whole series but the first book is the best imo.
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