Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card was born on August 24, 1951, in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. A great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, he attended Brigham Young University, where his plays were staged, and later served as a missionary for the LDS Church in Brazil. After returning, he ran a community theater for two summers before launching his writing career. Card won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1978, the same year he began publishing short stories prolifically. He earned a master’s degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981.

Card is best known for his science fiction, particularly *Ender’s Game* (1985) and its sequel *Speaker for the Dead* (1986), which made him the only writer to win both the Hugo and Nebula Awards in consecutive years. He also created the *Tales of Alvin Maker* series, which won the Locus Fantasy Award. His fiction often centers on gifted characters facing high-stakes moral decisions. Card co-produced the 2013 film adaptation of *Ender’s Game* and has written across genres, including fantasy, historical fiction, and nonfiction. His public opposition to homosexuality has drawn controversy.

Card has taught English at Southern Virginia University, authored two books on creative writing, and served as a judge for the Writers of the Future contest. He has mentored many writers through his “literary boot camps.”