Review: Ender's Tribe

Ender's Tribe by Orson Scott Card
My rating: 4 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ender's Tribe is a collection of 8 stories set in the Ender Universe. Those who are familiar with Ender's Game - the novel, NOT the mediocre film adaptation from 2013 - will feel right at home diving into this collection which includes, among others, the original Ender's Game short story.

Each of these stories involves at least one character from the Ender Universe, and reading them is like visiting with an old friend, and hearing tales of their adventures since the last time we got together. 

What this collection is missing is something new. The 8 stories included here have all been published elsewhere, but collecting them as they are in this book provides a nice overview of the events that occur before, during, and after the final battle with the Formics.  All in all, this is a solid, enjoyable collection, but I recommend reading the Ender's Game novel first, to avoid spoilers and gain some familiarity with many of the characters featured here. 

Some of my favorites from this collection are: 

Ender’s Game - 

The original short story that was the basis for the longer Ender's Game novel and the series of stories that followed. I read this when it was first published in Analog magazine many years ago and it is as compelling a tale today as it was back then. 

Ender’s Stocking - 

Focuses on the Wiggins family, mainly older brother Peter and his mother, as Christmas approaches and they each deal with their reactions to Andrew (Ender) being away at Battle School. Ever ambitious, and jealous, Peter tries to find ways to gain influence and recognition, while his mother mourns the absence of her youngest and the impact that the Formic Wars have had on her family.

The Gold Bug - 

A story set on one of the Formic colony worlds which has been occupied by humans since the total destruction of the "Buggers." In this story a pair of colonists head out on an expedition to explore more of the planet and find some unusual, and dangerous, remnants of the Formic colonization. 

Renegat - 

This story stood out for me in large part because it reminded me of the original Speaker For The Dead novel. Andrew Wiggin, and his sister Valentine, arrive on a planet "speak the death" of a brilliant xenobiologist, and to learn whether his death was connected to his study of possible intelligence within local creatures. 

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for providing an eARC to review via NetGalley!

Ender's Tribe releases on Oct 20, 2026