Ender's Game
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Cardby Orson Scott Card
Hacker ApprovedShares rank 49 of 179 science fiction novels by recommenders
People recommend it as a classic science fiction novel that they call timeless and prescient on tech and social topics. Critics say the main character gets little real development.
People recommend it as a classic science fiction novel that they call timeless and prescient on tech and social topics. Critics say the main character gets little real development.
11 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 10
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 91%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 10 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 10 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Personal favorite for many readers
“One of my favorite books. Spoiler, read the book.”
Comment from 24 Jul 2026 in “DARPA, U.S. Air Force fly AI-controlled F-16” “I loved Ender's game and The Shadow series”
Comment from 16 Aug 2026 in “Speaking for the Dead” “Loved Ender's Game when I was younger”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” Recommended alongside other classic sci-fi
“There are a few that do, like Left Hand of Darkness, Ender's Game, Hyperion”
Comment from 16 Jul 2026 in “Book Prizes Don't Work How You Think” “I second Ender's Game, The Martian, and Project Hail Mary.”
Comment from 17 Apr 2026 in “Isaac Asimov: The Last Question” “Ender's Game and Foundation are timeless classics”
Comment from 16 May 2026 in “Accelerando (2005)”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Novel seen as awful
“The novel Ender's Game was awful.”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “"Ender's Game" and other stories: editors don't know why they reject stories” Novella only alright for some
“The novella was an alright time, though.”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “"Ender's Game" and other stories: editors don't know why they reject stories”
Other science fiction novels people recommend
The four most recommended other science fiction novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Hail Maryby Andy Weir | 117 | 24 | 83% | 12 | — | Approved |
| There Is No Antimemetics Divisionby qntm | 98 | 34 | 74% | 9 | 1.5 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| Blindsightby Peter Watts | 96 | 27 | 78% | 12 | — | Approved |
| Duneby Frank Herbert | 82 | 25 | 77% | 12 | — | Approved |
| Ender's Gameby Orson Scott CardThis page | 10 | 1 | 91% | 5 | — | Approved |
What people said
10 of the 11 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Loved Ender's Game when I was younger”
“I loved Ender's game and The Shadow series”
“turned out to be quite prescient on a bunch of topics, both tech and social”
“One of my favorite books. Spoiler, read the book.”
“There are a few that do, like Left Hand of Darkness, Ender's Game, Hyperion”
“Ender's Game and Foundation are timeless classics”
“The novella was an alright time, though.”
“The novel Ender's Game was awful.”
“I second Ender's Game, The Martian, and Project Hail Mary.”
“Ender's Game deserved to be at least two parts, because even the main character got no real character development.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.