Limited Time Offer
3 months free
- For a limited time, get Audible Premium Plus free for 3 months.
- Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection—yours to keep (you'll use your first credit now).
- Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
- Auto-renews at $14.95/mo. after 3 months. Cancel online anytime.
Buy
Earth Unaware
Audible Audiobook
– Unabridged
A hundred years before Ender's Game, humans thought they were alone in the galaxy. Humanity was slowly making their way out from Earth to the planets and asteroids of the Solar System, exploring and mining and founding colonies.
The mining ship El Cavador is far out from Earth, in the deeps of the Kuiper Belt, beyond Pluto. Other mining ships, and the families that live on them, are few and far between this far out. So when El Cavador's telescopes pick up a fast-moving object coming in-system, it's hard to know what to make of it. It's massive and moving at a significant fraction of the speed of light.
But the ship has other problems. Their systems are old and failing. The family is getting too big. There are claim-jumping corporates bringing Asteroid Belt tactics to the Kuiper Belt. Worrying about a distant object that might or might not be an alien ship seems…not important.
They're wrong. It's the most important thing that has happened to the human race in a million years. This is humanity's first contact with an alien race. The First Formic War is about to begin.
Earth Unaware is the first novel in The First Formic War series by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston.
- Listening Length13 hours and 59 minutes
- Audible release dateJuly 17, 2012
- LanguageEnglish
- ASINB008M21BWO
- VersionUnabridged
- Program TypeAudiobook
Read & Listen
Get the Audible audiobook for the reduced price of $7.49 after you buy the Kindle book.
People who viewed this also viewed
People who bought this also bought
Only from Audible
Product details
Book 1 of 3 | The First Formic War |
---|---|
Listening Length | 13 hours and 59 minutes |
Author | Orson Scott Card, Aaron Johnston |
Narrator | Stefan Rudnicki, Stephen Hoye, Arthur Morey, Vikas Adam, Emily Janice Card, Gabrielle de Cuir, Roxanne Hernandez |
Whispersync for Voice | Ready |
Audible.com Release Date | July 17, 2012 |
Publisher | Macmillan Audio |
Program Type | Audiobook |
Version | Unabridged |
Language | English |
ASIN | B008M21BWO |
Best Sellers Rank |
|
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this book engaging and well-written, with compelling characters that are easy to follow throughout the story. Moreover, the book serves as a great start to the series and provides wonderful background with incredible detail. Additionally, they appreciate the human perspective, with one customer noting how it brings depth to the buggers. However, the plot receives mixed reactions, with several customers noting that the story is cut off mid-stream and ends with a cliffhanger that drives them insane.
AI Generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging and well worth reading, with a suspenseful plot that keeps them turning pages.
"...Great series, interesting plot twists, a few huge technical flaws that are pretty glaring..." Read more
"...are in constant conflict, which makes the book interesting, thought-provoking and intelligent...." Read more
"...But more importantly, it's a really good story...." Read more
"...Fantastic. Engrossing. And classic Orson Scott Card. The characters feel real. The technology is plausible. The stakes are high...." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as well-crafted with a compelling narrative that is convenient for story purposes.
"...in the Enderverse backstory; this is good sci fi and a story that can stand on its own legs...." Read more
"...He is a master writer who has influenced me deeply. Will there be a prequel sequel? The possibility is there...." Read more
"...Simple and easy reading, but tells a story worth hearing. Highly recommended." Read more
"...It is nicely paces. The writing is good, the characters are great and pull you into the story. But at the end, I felt cheated...." Read more
Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting that it follows multiple protagonists and is easy to stay engaged with.
"...The stories and character development and situations are really interesting. One of my favorite authors. Mark" Read more
"...There's a whole new cast of characters to love (or love to hate!)..." Read more
"...Engrossing. And classic Orson Scott Card. The characters feel real. The technology is plausible. The stakes are high...." Read more
"...the environment, the society, the technology, the villains, and many characters, including some that I expect will play important roles in future..." Read more
Customers praise the book as a great start to the series, with one customer noting it serves as an excellent lead-in to the Ender series.
"...Great series, interesting plot twists, a few huge technical flaws that are pretty glaring..." Read more
"...Great start to hopefully a good series of books on the Formics and how the invasion started and what happens when people who are in the know and..." Read more
"...Overall I've enjoyed the series very much and have recommended it to others...." Read more
"...What makes for a good book series is not just the overall story of the series, but the ability of each book to stand on its own merits...." Read more
Customers find the book entertaining and absolutely riveting, with one customer noting there's never a boring moment.
"...The political, cultural and human commentary I found extremely interesting (which I like about SciFi)...." Read more
"...are in constant conflict, which makes the book interesting, thought-provoking and intelligent...." Read more
"...The writing is not superb, but it was fun and engaging to read. Some comments on specific aspects:..." Read more
"...So my bottom line is - flawed but very entertaining." Read more
Customers appreciate the human perspective in the book, particularly how it brings depth to the buggers and shows real people making decisions.
"...Card is really interesting about the human factor and human interaction. Very interesting story. Good series...." Read more
"...thought processes of how one makes a decision, and revealing perspectives of systems and people. *Spoiler Alert*..." Read more
"...The point is to show real people making real decisions when they encounter the unknown...." Read more
"...Speaker for the Dead series and the Shadow series because it is less philosophical and thought provoking and more action movie...." Read more
Customers appreciate the background of the book, which is vivid and detailed, with one customer noting how it adds realism to Ender's universe.
"...It does show humanity at its best and at its worst. The contrast makes this trilogy a gem. Well done !" Read more
"I loved the unique look into space mining families, their quirky customs - Victor's story is truly compelling. You ache for him...." Read more
"...Good character development and good scene setting for what is to follow. I waited til now to read 1,2, and 3 in succession." Read more
"...some science fiction and fantasy that just seems silly, this seems like the real world, only in the future...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2015Format: KindleVerified PurchaseInteresting question that I hadn't though about, "How is the story narrated". I think it was mostly second person, "Victor did this...", "Lem did that..." didn't really pay attention, sorry.
Yes, really there was a lot of violence in the book I guess, but given the theme (Earth gets toasted by aliens) what would you expect. It was definitely not gratuitous violence and was handled well.
Great series, interesting plot twists, a few huge technical flaws that are pretty glaring (if you are a physicist or a rocket scientist and are obsessive compulsive about technical details you may want to skip it, drifting up to the alien ship in a cloud of debris while in orbit? Not sure I buy that but it makes for a good story), A lot of the routine technical stuff is detailed in creative ways that I found interesting and probably somewhat prophetic (which I like about SciFi). I really, really liked the character development (again not perfect but creatively done and very interesting). The political, cultural and human commentary I found extremely interesting (which I like about SciFi). Card is really interesting about the human factor and human interaction.
Very interesting story. Good series. I would definitely recommend reading these in order (I didn't and so read the third book again which I thought was the best of the three books).
I started reading these because one of my kids was reading Ender's Game and recommended it to me. He told me that I would really like it and I did. The book (Ender's Game) was much better than the movie, they had to leave way too much out of the movie robbing it of the character development which was unfortunate.
Yes, some of the stuff in his book is a stretch but so what, its fiction remember? The stories and character development and situations are really interesting. One of my favorite authors.
Mark
- Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2014Format: KindleVerified PurchaseEarth Unaware by Orson Scott Card (Ender’s Game) and Aaron Johnston (producer, collaborator).
These guys put together one heck of a story. The book starts out a bit slow and seemed to be a prelude to a soap opera. The asteroid miners are working the asteroid belt and fire back to Luna Station minerals for sale which they use to support their families. Victor is a part of said family, making a living in outer space, which some bigoted people call “space borns” and look down on them.
Card creates a world with new rules of society levels that is clearly a condemnation of the current social strata of rich/poor, have/have not.
Victor and Janda are cousins and yet they’re falling for each other. To handle this, the families separate them, sending Janda on a trip with the Italian fleet.
At this point I thought there was going to be a soap opera plot. Janda though is never developed as a character. Instead, the main character is Victor, who has a talent for machines and space mechanics and lacks a lot of social skills which is at times humorous.
Fathers and Fathers:
Victor respects his father (“father” is always initial caps when spoken by a son, interestingly) and Father has taught him everything he knows. When an alien spacecraft is discovered, Victor and Father go into action to find out what it is and what to do about it, at times to deadly result!
Lem is the son of the manufacturing conglomerate Jukes Enterprises and runs a ship that is testing a “glaser”, a machine that destroys matter with an energy field.
Lem is also a result of a fatherly upbringing. Unlike Victor, Lem feels controlled and manipulated by his father and wants to prove the father wrong by making a show of himself and how he operates his ship. Turns out that his father has manipulated the ship and crew to Lem’s shock and dismay.
Themes of family, fathers and sons, and ultimate sacrifice for the good of the group (and certain characters who say heck with the group, look out for yourself) are in constant conflict, which makes the book interesting, thought-provoking and intelligent.
Lastly we have the military MOPs, (Mobile Operations Police), an elite corps of soldiers, and in the training cycle we meet Mazer Rackham, who you might remember as the guy who beat the Formics in the Ender’s Game trilogy of books. Here he is new and he is trying to get into this elite corps. I won’t spoil it, but let’s say he has less than great luck to make this happen.
We meet Wit O’Toole, the commander of this unit who acts as a “father” of sorts to his crew but puts up with nothing and expects all to meet a set standard. Similar to Victor’s father and Lem’s sire, Wit takes on the role of forcing standards, demanding obedience and getting it or else.
Conclusion:
Great start to hopefully a good series of books on the Formics and how the invasion started and what happens when people who are in the know and want to warn Earth are scoffed at and invalidated while the Formic threat draws closer.
I would have liked more characterization with some people in the book as I did not feel a lot of love for them: “Imala” the accountant who hates her job, Janda, the girl who dies early in the book (and who also has father issues, it turns out) and her sister, the astronomer who discovered the alien craft.
The “tech” of the story is realistic and could happen as we continue to struggle with machines and computerized gadgets, as well as the money-grabbing corporations that Card clearly is gunning for.
Recommended.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2012Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseI didn't have high expectations going into Earth Unaware. It's a collaboration, and even though Orson Scott Card's name is plastered on the front it's a good bet that Aaron Johnston did most of the writing. I wasn't particularly fond of their last collaboration, Invasive Procedures, where it felt (to me) like someone else writing a book based on an Orson Scott Card idea. For that matter, I haven't been overwhelmed by the recent Enderverse books such as Shadows in Flight and Ender in Exile.
Well, I'm pleased to say that Earth Unaware does feel like an Orson Scott Card book. But more importantly, it's a really good story. As a prequel, it begins to explain some of the technology and backstory that leads into Ender's Game, but it isn't a slave to those things. There's a whole new cast of characters to love (or love to hate!) and we're immersed in the frontier-like setting of the Kuiper belt on the outer rim of the solar system, where mining families scrape a living by harvesting metal from asteroids. Even before the Buggers (sorry, Formics) show up, there's plenty of conflict and difficult choices to make. And once they realize an alien ship is heading towards Earth, everything in their already complicated life is thrown into chaos. In other words, this isn't just filling a gap in the Enderverse backstory; this is good sci fi and a story that can stand on its own legs.
Well, it stands on its own relative to Ender's Game and the subsequent books. As far as the story of the Formic Wars, this is just the beginning. There is a bit of resolution, but Earth Unaware ends with the promise of all the biggest events still to come.
Top reviews from other countries
- Kindle-KundeReviewed in Germany on August 6, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding novel which has me craving more.
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseMr. Card and Mr. Johnston have created a work that I found myself unable to put down. I‘m glad I didn‘t get this book when it was first written because I could not stand to wait for the sequel to come out. Now I can continue with the sequel right away and hope the next book is waiting when I‘m finished.
- Greg McKoneReviewed in Canada on October 16, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Back story for enders game
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseEnjoyable. Believable universe.sorry it was so short. The writing is consistent with the sequels, where strategic thinking and politics play as important a role as heroism.
- AJReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars Earth Unaware
Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseI have read all of Orson Scott Card and I am currently working my way through the graphic novels. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if I were to get bored with the Ender thread, but apparently not. This novel held me spellbound as usual. In particular, because this is a back story, I can enjoy the foreknowledge of what will happen next, and Card's skill as a writer meant that this knowledge enhanced my reading. I would highly recommend this to someone who is familiar with the series. If not, then the book will be a good read, but I would suggest going back to Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and read through the novels from there. You will most certainly not be disappointed.
- Peter EerdenReviewed in Australia on February 24, 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars OMG - What's not to like
You know that slight 'bump' feeling in your stomach when you start reading and all your expectations are met-and then some! Add to that the story lives within the world of Ender Wiggins and the feeling is doubly rewarding. I love the way this new series sits well as a story in its own right - even though it is a prequel - without needing to continually allude to 'Ender material' to make it relevant. Having said that I also enjoyed the dipping into characters that became crucial in the Ender series. Mazer Rackman begins his journey here though it is a less than auspicious debut. It adds authenticity to the character of Mazer and we get an inkling of the process the authors are going to to flesh out characters both new and entrenched. What's not to like and I have already bought the next two books in the series on the strength of this first offering. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
-
David AgulloReviewed in Spain on April 7, 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars Alucinante
muy buena la historia los personajes y todo en general, casi tanto como el juego de ender. Voy a por el siguiente