Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American author renowned for his science fiction and fantasy novels, particularly the Ender's Game series. A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served a two-year mission in Brazil during the early 1970s and earned a bachelor's degree in theater from Brigham Young University in 1975 and a master's in English from the University of Utah in 1981. Card's breakthrough novel Ender's Game (1985) won the Nebula Award in 1985 and the Hugo Award in 1986, while its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986) secured the Nebula in 1986 and the Hugo in 1987, marking him as the only author to win both major awards in consecutive years. He has produced over 50 books across genres, including the fantasy Tales of Alvin Maker series and biblical fiction, alongside contributions to comics, screenplays, and poetry; his works frequently examine themes of moral leadership, family structures, and interstellar conflict. Residing in Greensboro, North Carolina, with his wife, he teaches writing at Southern Virginia University and continues to publish, with recent titles including The Last Shadow (2021) and Wakers (2022).

Card attended Brigham Young High School in Provo, Utah, graduating at the end of his junior year in 1968. He enrolled at Brigham Young University (BYU) , initially as an archaeology major before switching to theater.

With only a few credit hours remaining for his bachelor's degree, Card interrupted his studies to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil from 1971 to 1973, primarily in cities within São Paulo state. During this period, he engaged in proselytizing activities typical of LDS missions, including preaching and community service, as an unpaid volunteer. He returned in 1973 and completed his bachelor's degree at BYU in 1975.

Following graduation, Card pursued advanced studies, earning a Master of Arts in English from the University of Utah in 1981. This postgraduate work focused on literature and writing, aligning with his emerging career in fiction and editing.

Card's entry into professional fiction publishing occurred in 1977 while he served as an assistant editor at The Ensign , the magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His debut story, "Gert Fram," a non-genre tale of interpersonal conflict, appeared in the July issue under the pseudonym Byron Walley. This publication, though outside science fiction, demonstrated his skill in concise narrative and moral inquiry, themes recurrent in his later work.

Transitioning to speculative fiction, Card sold the novelette "Ender's Game" to Analog Science Fiction and Fact , where it debuted in the August 1977 issue. The story, centering on a gifted child's strategic training amid interstellar war, garnered attention for its psychological depth and tactical realism, laying groundwork for expansion into a novel years later. In November 1977, his short story "Malpractice" followed in Analog , exploring ethical dilemmas in a futuristic medical context and signaling his growing foothold in the genre's premier venue for hard science fiction.

Card's productivity surged in the ensuing years, with 27 short stories appearing between 1978 and 1979 in outlets including Analog , Omni , and Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine . This prolific phase, fueled by rigorous submission and revision practices honed during his graduate studies in English, culminated in the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1978, recognizing his rapid emergence as a distinctive voice in science fiction. Early works like "Kingsmeat" (1978) and contributions to the Worthing cycle delved into interstellar politics, cloning, and societal decay, often blending technological speculation with philosophical undertones derived from his religious worldview and literary analysis.