Risingshadow
Speculative Fiction Books
  • About
    • Home
    • Articles
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Staff Members
    • Newsletter
    • Finnish (FI)
  • Books
    • New Releases
    • Coming Soon
    • Books of the Year
    • Bookshelves Activity
    • Recently Added
    • Advanced Search
    • Reviews / Comments
    • Genres and Tags
    • * Submit Book
  • Community
    • Discussions
    • - Recent Messages
    • - Recent Topics
    • - Hot Topics
    • - Popular Topics
    • - Search
    • CHALLENGES
    • - Reading Challenge
    • - Book Trivia Quiz
  • Home
  • Books
  • Orson Scott Card
  • Ender
  • Xenocide

Xenocide

Ender #3 / 4
by Orson Scott Card
Xenocide (Ender #3) by Orson Scott Card
★ 7.52 / 19
1231456678819310

Hugo Award nominee 1992, Locus Award nominee 1992.

The millennia-long saga of Andrew Wiggin called Ender, called The Speaker For the Dead called The Xenocide continues...

On the world Lusitania there are now three sapient races – the Pequeninos, who evolved there; Humans, who came to colonize; and a Hive Queen and her children brought by Ender long years ago. But on Lusitania there is also the descolada, a virus deadly to human beings which would spread like wildfire throughout the Stairways Congress should it ever escape the planet.

The Starways Congress decided that the descolada should be wiped out once and for all, and sent a fleet, armed with a planet-destroying weapon, to do it. A fourth intelligence, loyal to Ender and Lusitania caused that fleet to disappear.

On a distant world called Path live a people whose culture owes much to that of ancient China on Earth. They have evolved a caste known as the godspoken, people of superior intellectual abilities who pay a terrible price for their gifts. The godspoken of Path have given their loyalty and service to the Starways Congress. Among the god spoken is a young girl named, in the language of her people, Gloriously Bright. It is to her that the Starways Congress turn with the mystery of the disappearance of the Lusitania Fleet. There is no doubt that Gloriously Bright will discover the answer to the puzzle. The question is, what will she do with the information.

Amazon: Check Best Offer

Science FictionMilitary Science Fiction
Release date: 1991

Book Order
Amazon
Kindle
Audible
Amazon CA
Amazon UK
Amazon Europe

Your Rating
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Standard Shelves

Readers also enjoyed

Ender's Game (Ender #1)
★ 8.80 / 75
Old Man's War (Old Man's War #1)
★ 8.78 / 18
On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington #1)
★ 8.72 / 11
The Vor Game (Vorkosigan)
★ 8.62 / 16
The Warrior's Apprentice (Vorkosigan)
★ 8.50 / 16
The Forever War (The Forever War series #1)
★ 8.18 / 27
Starship Troopers
★ 7.92 / 14

Join the Discussion
You can post as a guest or sign in for more features.
Have questions about this book or want to share your thoughts? Join the conversation!
Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card

Before Ender’s Game became required reading in classrooms and a touchstone for science fiction fans worldwide, it was just a short story—one that Orson Scott Card wrote while trying to understand how humanity might survive its own genius. That idea, born of curiosity and a deep interest in moral complexity, would eventually grow into a sprawling series exploring war, empathy, leadership, and the loneliness of brilliance.

Born in Richland, Washington in 1951 and raised mostly in Utah and California, Card grew up in a family where storytelling was a living thing—spoken, passed down, constantly evolving. Though he began his career writing plays and studying literature, he found his true voice in speculative fiction. And when he wrote Ender’s Game—and later Speaker for the Dead—he did something science fiction rarely dared at the time: he treated the genre as a tool for exploring the human soul.

Read more ...

Card’s stories often revolve around young protagonists placed in impossible moral situations—characters like Ender Wiggin, whose tactical genius hides a tortured conscience. Rather than romanticizing heroism, Card leans into the consequences of power, especially when it’s given to children. His work blends emotional depth with high-stakes storytelling, and he’s known for his skill in portraying complex interpersonal dynamics, particularly within families and communities.

He is one of the few authors to win both the Hugo and Nebula Awards two years in a row—first for Ender’s Game and then for Speaker for the Dead—an achievement that reflects both critical acclaim and cultural resonance. But even beyond the Enderverse, Card has ventured into historical fiction, fantasy (The Tales of Alvin Maker), and even religious commentary, always writing with a voice that challenges, provokes, and invites reflection.

Card’s influence in science fiction is undeniable, but his writing often resists the genre’s traditional boundaries. His characters are rarely just heroes or villains—they're people shaped by trauma, faith, and moral ambiguity. That willingness to dig beneath the surface has drawn both admiration and controversy, making his career one of the most talked-about in modern speculative fiction.

In one interview, Card remarked, “Every person is the center of their own story.” It's a philosophy that underpins much of his work—whether he's writing about a child commander in deep space or a young visionary reshaping early America. For readers willing to grapple with big questions, Card’s books don’t offer easy answers—just the kind that stay with you.

Ender

The Ender's Game Series (or Ender Series), a series of science fiction books by Orson Scott Card.

Ender consists of four primary books, and includes three additional books that complement the series but are not considered mandatory reads. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Main series Enderverse

Ender's Game (Ender #1)
★ 8.80 / 75
Speaker for the Dead (Ender #2)
★ 8.16 / 33
Xenocide (Ender #3)
★ 7.52 / 19
Children of the Mind (Ender #4)
★ 7.00 / 12
First Meetings (Ender)
★ 6.00 / 3
A War of Gifts (Ender)
★ 5.00 / 2
Ender in Exile (Ender)
★ 6.66 / 3


^ Top
Follow Us: Newsletter | Facebook | X | Mastodon | RSS
Hosted by Planeetta Internet Oy
© 1996 - 2026 Risingshadow. All rights reserved.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
Privacy Policy