First Meetings in Ender’s Universe is a fun companion book to the great science fiction saga of Ender Wiggin, by Orson Scott Card. It contains four novellas, including the original version of Ender’s Game. I read Ender’s Game a few years ago and enjoyed it very much, so when I saw this book on the shelf at the bookstore, I couldn’t resist getting it to read for Carl V’s Sci Fi Experience.

The first novella in the book was called The Polish Boy. It was a story about Ender’s father as a young boy, and gave new insights into the character of Ender Wiggin. The second novella, Teacher’s Pest, was fun because it was about how Ender’s parents met. Again, it gives you a deeper understanding of Ender. Then came the original version of Ender’s Game, a novella first published in 1977 and later expanded to novel form in 1985. I thought it was really interesting to see how it all started. The final novella was called The Investment Counselor, and introduces the character of Jane — an intelligence, thinking, computer program that plays an important role in the books that follow in the Ender’s Game saga.

So, if you enjoyed any of the Enders books, want a little more background information on the saga, or are an Orson Scott Card fan, then this book would be an enjoyable, fast read.