Hunger's Game or Ender's Game

[Kenna]

Both are children playing a "game". But which is better? In my opinion, Ender's Game. But what do you think?

[Jenelle]

Ender's Game... definitely.

But then, I really didn't like The Hunger Games at all - partially because I felt like they were sort of a rip-off of Ender's Game meets Gladiator...

[Mary]

Ender's Game is so much better - a totally different league then Hunger Games.

[Victoria]

Don't get me wrong i'm a fan of both but...
Enders Game hands down

[[deleted user]]

I love both, really... but I have to pick Ender's Game. There's a lot more depth to Ender's character, and the story itself is a lot more raw and emotional than the Hunger Games.

[Allan]

Enders Game.

To me Hunger Games was pretty weak and even more superficial.

I found Triorion:Awakening (Triorion #1) to be a much better comparison to Enders Game.

[Inês]

Love them both but i felt that Ener's game has more impact than Hunger games

[Tim]

ENDERS GAME ALL THE WAY
Much better language, uniquer plot story
Hunger Games was okay but the sequels were bleh where as Enders Game had more than ten Enderverse books which were all better than HG

[Oliver]

both I loved them all

[Wolfkin]

Ender's game. Far more believable that parents would let their children off to military school in the midst of a war than parents letting their children off to just die for entertainment. No question.

[Courtney]

Mary wrote: "Ender's Game is so much better - a totally different league then Hunger Games."

I agree!!

[Nabiya]

I think as much as the concepts have certain similarities (children, life or death games, post-apocalyptic, etc)... the two books are TOO different to compare.

I liked Hunger Games, and I loooove Ender's Game, but I personally think they're two different genres. Hunger Games is first and foremost a YA novel, which means love triangle, young protagonist coming from hardship and standing up to an unjust system... whereas Ender's Game is purely SFF. How can you even compare?

The difference between the two I think is that Ender's Game (while having a child as the main character) is written for adults, but Hunger Games was written for YA and thus follows the YA format, the writing is a bit simpler and the story and characters lack the complexity that we get in adult literature.

[Bcoghill]

The characterization is much strong in the Hunger Games.
The Enders Game is dealing with life and death in fairly abstract terms while the Hunger Games is mostly dealing with individuals and saving the world is incidental. And, I am not so sure they did save the day in the Hunger Games.
The Ender's Game posed some complex questions. They practiced genocide on a non-human race. I was grew up during the cold war and saw this as an allegory of those times.
Hunger Games is more about these times where most perceive the country and the world in an economic depression.
They are as Nabiya says, different genres but they are the products of different societies.

[Tim]

Nabiya wrote: "I think as much as the concepts have certain similarities (children, life or death games, post-apocalyptic, etc)... the two books are TOO different to compare.

I liked Hunger Games, and I loooove..."
I agree with you. The HG writing was a bit simpler... But I read Enders Game at a young age, and, although it took a few pauses to understand some things, I could understand most of it. It is an adult book, but can also be read by children for enjoyment too, without grasping the whole book, which is why I need to read it again! :)

[Jason]

I liked both books (or really, I should say I'm comparing Ender's Game alone to the Hunger Games trilogy).

Just finished re-reading Ender's Game after 20+ years and am blown away by it. It has aged extremely well and reading it in my 40's (compared to my teens) I find that it's even BETTER.

Ender's Game has so much more depth of story than Hunger Games. And the characterization is, IMHO better in EG than HG. The way Ender changes through the book is much more profound than what happens in HG to the main characters.

I'd give Hunger Games an 8/10...
But Ender's Game gets 10/10

Anyone have any recommendations of SF or F books that are equally compelling to Ender's Game?

[Rhonda]

Wolfkin wrote: "Ender's game. Far more believable that parents would let their children off to military school in the midst of a war than parents letting their children off to just die for entertainment. No question."

Agreed

[Enzo]

Ender's Game

It is after all considered the best Sci-Fi novel out there. Hunger Games uses shock to impress. Ender's even without the actual war is enjoyable. You'd want for something like battle school to be real.

[Bcoghill]

I thought the message in the Ender's Game was that the battle school was an awful necessity. the One (Ender) sacrificed for humanity.
But then I haven't read the sequels.

[Heather]

Nabiya wrote: "I think as much as the concepts have certain similarities (children, life or death games, post-apocalyptic, etc)... the two books are TOO different to compare.

I liked Hunger Games, and I loooove..."

completely agree

[Tim]

Caroline wrote: "hunger games, easily"

Why- just interested- do you think HG is better than EG?

[Wolfkin]

Bcoghill wrote: "But then I haven't read the sequels."

they're hit and miss.

[Mark]

Ender's Game without a doubt

[Brandon]

Ender's Game hands down. Hunger Games is just a knock of Battle Royale anyway...

[Karl]

Kenna wrote: "Both are children playing a "game". But which is better? In my opinion, Ender's Game. But what do you think?"

Ender's Game blows away The Hunger Games but THG was better than I expected. Better than the movie which I saw first. But the first book is as good as it got. This series is being hauled on the backs of teenagers.

[[deleted user]]

Definitely Ender's Game. I personally found the main character in the Hunger Games to be unlikable, and I seriously don't need anymore love triangles... The fan girls fighting over which guy is better is seriously tiring.

[Tanya]

The Hunger Game world was not convincing, almost preposterous. A society that passively allows their children to be used as pawns in a death match? And for more than seventy five years? And everyone was forced to watch? I think people would have revolted after the first few hunger games.

The Ender's Game universe was more probable, well if you believe aliens can exist in the form of bugs. But the whole need to manipulate intelligent children in order to create fearless combat fighters to defend the earth from alien invasion...seems like it could happen.

[Iris]

Not to step on any toes but The Hunger Games I think was written more for Females whereas Ender's Game was more for Males. Now, I prefer the plot-line to The Hunger Games but I like the characters in Ender's Game infinitely more. My favorite character was Valentine. I thought she could have solved the alien problem peacefully but the I.F. were shortsighted and pumped full of testosterone bigotry. The plot line for the Hunger Games had more to do with interaction with others and I think that that was a good starting base for a story.

[Iris]

Also I believe Ender's Game was better written. Sci-fi is not really my forte but the language was so rich and decorous that I ate the book up. The Hunger Games was written well but it declined over time and began to feel forced.

[Terry]

Tanya wrote: "The Hunger Game world was not convincing, almost preposterous. A society that passively allows their children to be used as pawns in a death match? And for more than seventy five years? And everyon..."

I agree with this comparison. I liked the characters and their interaction in Hunger Games, but didn't feel the society in that story was believable enough. For me, that setting detracted from the story. I felt Ender's Game was much more plausible.

[Mekerei]

Jason wrote: "Just finished re-reading Ender's Game after 20+ years and am blown away by it. It has aged extremely well and reading it in my 40's (compared to my teens) I find that it's even BETTER. "

I read it back when it was first released (and many more times over the years), and it is my favourite book of all time.

I've also read The Hunger Games trilogy (only took me three and a half days) and enjoyed them, but I feel that Orson Scott Card writing is richer. I enjoy his simplicity when dealing with complex ideas.

Also like Tanya I find it hard to believe that a society would allow their children to be used as they are in The Hunger Games, whereas I believe that a military school like the one in Ender's Game is plausible.

[Ed]

"Also like Tanya I find it hard to believe that a society would allow their children to be used as they are in The Hunger Games, whereas I believe that a military school like the one in Ender's Game is plausible." --Mekerei

I disagree. While it's a bit more extreme than some of the current ways in which children are exploited, I don't think it's that much of an extrapolation. Witness the current commercial (legal and not) sexual exploitation of children. Considering that there are many people, within the mainstream of US politics, who currently promulgate policies, such as opposition to post-natal care, that they know will kill children. It's not much of an extrapolation to assume that the same logic would apply to commercial exploitation that would result in children's deaths.

[Rob]

Ender's game. The question is unfair really, as Ender's game is so much better than The Hunger Games.

[Wolfkin]

Iris wrote: "Not to step on any toes but The Hunger Games I think was written more for Females whereas Ender's Game was more for Males. Now, I prefer the plot-line to The Hunger Games but I like the characters in Ender's Game infinitely more. My favorite character was Valentine. I thought she could have solved the alien problem peacefully but the I.F. were shortsighted and pumped full of testosterone bigotry. The plot line for the Hunger Games had more to do with interaction with others and I think that that was a good starting base for a story"

I dunno. While I think i see where you're coming from that's like saying Dracula appeals to boys and Sweetvalley High appeals to girls. The latter is definitely targeted towards girls but the former is a different caliber of writing altogether that does have crossover appeal.

While it's a bit more extreme than some of the current ways in which children are exploited, I don't think it's that much of an extrapolation. Witness the current commercial (legal and not) sexual exploitation of children. Considering that there are many people, within the mainstream of US politics, who currently promulgate policies, such as opposition to post-natal care, that they know will kill children. It's not much of an extrapolation to assume that the same logic would apply to commercial exploitation that would result in children's deaths.

First off policies surrounding post-natal care fall under the rationing life category not the exploiting violence and death category. It's not unlike the way insurance won't cover certain kinds of liver problems or hospitals won't give you a transplant if you fail to meet some conditions. Everyone rations health care because if we didn't it wouldn't work.

Second the issue at hand isn't the corporation. Truth is yes I could easily see a corporation wanting to do this. Corporations are all of humanities greediest traits with none of it's tempering empathetic ones. A corporation(or in a dystopic future corporation-government) would love to do this. The issue at hand however are the parents. It's nonsensical that parents would let their kids be shipped off year and year for 25 years without constantly fighting back. You might get away with this for one year maybe two but parents would push back. They would die for their children and we have historical records which back this up.

[Matt]

Hey Everyone. I wrote The Champion of Clarendon Ditch. It's soft sci-fi, character driven, and both Ender's Game and The Hunger Games were influences for me. The themes are loneliness, sacrifice, friendship, and heroism. My main Character, Adam Darvin, is sort of Ender Wiggin meets Conor Oberst.

[Ed]

An English teacher I spoke with today believes that both Ender's Game and The Hunger Games were "inspired" by a short story, "The Lottery." I can't comment on that hypothesis.

On the other hand, I think that it's very difficult to support the contention that The Hunger Games a rip-off of Ender's Game.

[Wolfkin]

The Lottery? by what's her face? I know it and I can see the argument for The Hunger Games. It and Battle Royale are both clearly inspired by it. But Ender.. not so much. Even in that first book before we get into the history of how Ender came to be there's not really much of a lottery aspect. Ender was planned for no matter how much he may not have realized it.

[Locke]

Iris wrote: "Not to step on any toes but The Hunger Games I think was written more for Females whereas Ender's Game was more for Males. Now, I prefer the plot-line to The Hunger Games but I like the characters ..."

If you asked me, The world actually detested Ender on his xenocidal actions. which will be explained in the subsequent titles. but If you just want to read what happens to ender read the sequels but don't expect much as they don't have that much impact compared to Ender's Game.

[Iris]

Locke wrote: "Iris wrote: "Not to step on any toes but The Hunger Games I think was written more for Females whereas Ender's Game was more for Males. Now, I prefer the plot-line to The Hunger Games but I like th..."

I heard that the sequels weren't anywhere near the brilliance level of Ender's Game and so I haven't picked any up as of yet. But they can't possibly be as bad as The Hunger Games sequels, especially Mockingjay. By the third book the character's weren't even themselves. I felt they were more projections of who the characters were expected to be. It came across as bad fan fiction to me.

[Mekerei]

I would agree that the sequels are not in the same league as Ender's Game, but I think it would be difficult to write a series where all the books are as brilliant as a ground breaking novel. I enjoyed the sequels and have read them all, some I like more than others, but I wanted to know more about Ender, Valentine and Peter. My other favourite is a short story about Jane (who you meet in Speaker for the Dead).

I've read most of Orson Scott Card's work; some of great and some are just ok. Some of my favourites are Wyrms, The Worthing Saga and Ender's Shadow.

[Ian]

Ender's Game because "The Enemy's Gate is Down!" And a zillion other really authentic feeling details.

I don't think the movie will begin to convey the masculine politics and childlike innovation that the characters in the book explored. In fact I think it will flop. It's a shame.

[Karl]

Ian wrote: "In fact I think it will flop. It's a shame. "

I don't assume it will flop but a cannot imagine a movie exploring inside the characters head like a book. It will probably be somewhat disappointing but it could still be good FOR A MOVIE. I think some stories are better suited to movies but Ender's Game is not one of them.

[Alvin]

Lol, looks like I'll be in the minority here...I have read and enjoyed both, but I like Hunger Games more.*ducks*

It's just more visceral and hopeful of a story. But happy that many good stories exist.

[The]

Ender`s game is scary, but Hunger games is plain crap.

[Kenya]

Ender's game any day

[Melinda]

Liked them both, but I think Ender's Game wins.

[Karl]

I have tested both works with my science word density program. Ender's Game gets 0.323 even though it is a little longer. The Hunger Games gets 0.062. So the Hunger Games is really shallow on science concepts for a supposed sci-fi book. Not that Ender's Game is hard science fiction.

Try Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars for that.

[Budd]

Ender's game, no contest. It was a fairly original concept. The bread and circuses concept has been done before. Putting the children as the competitors was a nice touch, but then everyone compared it to the much better battle royale.

[Ed]

Apples and oranges. They are very different books, perhaps different enough so that it may be pointless to ask which is better.

As for it being a rip-off of Ender's Game? The two books are so different in concept and plot that I think the term "non sequitur" is the only appropriate description of the logic.

Not to be too pedantic, but there are a lot of very old stories where children are sacrificed for the good of a family or broader group (did not the parents in The Good Earth kill one of their children for economic reasons?) and a similar number where losers of games die (Turandot, riddles with sphinxes, etc). It's probably more reasonable to say that Collins mashed the two tropes together than ripped off the Ender's Game. Card followed a different trope, that of a discarded child who becomes a hero, in Ender's Game.

[Blas]

Ender's Game is by far the better book. "Ho Bean", "Ho Ender".

[Caitlin]

Jason wrote: "I liked both books (or really, I should say I'm comparing Ender's Game alone to the Hunger Games trilogy).

Just finished re-reading Ender's Game after 20+ years and am blown away by it. It has ag..."

Only Enders Shadow, my favorite book of all time personally