The Authorized Ender Companion

January 1, 2010
This dry encyclopedia tie-in to Orson Scott Card's ten-books-and-counting series acts as a kind of Cliffs Notes to the Ender universe. Entries illuminate the backstories and ongoing development of characters in addition to settings and institutions. For completists only--but they will be thrilled.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 15, 2009
Obviously a labor of love, realized with input from Orson Scott Cards online fandom and written under Cards supervision, Blacks compendium contains a wealth of solid information on the people, places, technology, events, and more of the Enderverse, the setting of Cards cycle of stories springing from an 11-year-old boys defeat of aliens who threaten all humanity. The articles and definitions range from single sentences to brief paragraphs to pages-long entries, and include cross-references. A list of battle-school slang; a physical description of the original attacking aliens, the Formics, that was used to design an Ender comic book; and other neat features appear in sidebars. Appendixes include a complete list of Ender short stories and novels, with synopses; a comparative time line of the developments of Ender and his right-hand man, Bean; the Wiggins family tree; a lengthy r'sum' of the Enders Game screenplays development; an illustrated explanation of battle-school technology; and a selection of enthusiastic comments from Ender fans. In short, minutiae-for-days for deep-dyed fans and a swell resource for students and teachers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

November 1, 2009
Adult/High School-Written with the support and supervision of Orson Scott Card, this volume contains an encyclopedia as well as several articles related to the "Enderverse" series. Arranged alphabetically, the encyclopedic portion of the book provides quick references to the events, characters, locations, and technology found within Card's popular series. Entries range from a single sentence to several pages. Ender's own entry spans 24 pages. A time line as well as Ender's family tree are appended, followed by a section by Aaron Johnston discussing the development of the "Ender's Game" screenplay, which provides a unique opportunity to see the process of turning a novel into a movie. An essay by Stephen Sywak speculates on how the technology used in Ender's world might be possible. Finally there is a section called "Friends of Ender," which contains personal reactions to "Ender's Game" from people in all walks of life. A must-have for any fan of the "Enderverse.""Kelliann Bogan, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH"

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