Orson Scott Card Popular Books

Orson Scott Card Biography & Facts

Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is (as of 2023) the only person to have won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for his novel Ender's Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986). A feature film adaptation of Ender's Game, which Card co-produced, was released in 2013. Card also wrote the Locus Fantasy Award-winning series The Tales of Alvin Maker (1987–2003). Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism. Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence. Life Childhood and education Orson Scott Card was born on August 24, 1951, in Richland, Washington. He is the son of Peggy Jane (née Park) and Willard Richards Card, and is the third of six children and the older brother of composer and arranger Arlen Card. Card's family has Mormon pioneer heritage. His ancestors include Brigham Young, Charles Ora Card, Zina P. Young Card, Zina Young Card Brown, and Hugh B. Brown.When Card was one month old, his family moved to San Mateo, California, so Willard Card could begin a sign-painting business. When he was three years old, the family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, so his father could finish his bachelor's degree. The family moved to Santa Clara, California, when Card was six; they stayed there for seven years while his father completed his master's degree and worked as a professor at San Jose State College. In school, Card took classes for gifted students, but he was more interested in studying music—he played clarinet and French horn. He read widely, including historical fiction, nonfiction, and literary classics. At age ten, he wrote his first story, which was about an intelligent child who is assaulted by bullies and sustains brain damage. Ender's confrontation with Stilson in Ender's Game is based on this story.In 1964, Card and his family moved to Mesa, Arizona, where he participated in mock debates in junior high school. In 1967, the family moved to Orem, Utah, where his father worked at Brigham Young University (BYU). Card attended BYU's laboratory school, where he took both high school and early college-level classes before graduating in one year. When beginning his college studies he intended to major in archeology, but after becoming increasingly more interested in theater, he began script-writing, writing ten original plays and rewriting other students' plays. Most of his plays were based on Mormon history and scriptures; one was science fiction. By watching the body language of an audience, he could tell when an audience was interested in his scripts. During his studies as a theater major, he began doctoring scripts, adapting fiction for reader's theater production, and writing one-act and full-length plays, several of which were produced by faculty directors at BYU. Charles W. Whitman, Card's play-writing professor, encouraged his students to write plays with LDS themes. Card studied poetry with Clinton F. Larson at BYU. He also wrote short stories, which were later published together in The Worthing Saga.Before graduating, Card served as a missionary for the LDS Church in Brazil starting in 1971. During his mission, he wrote a play called Stone Tables. He returned from his mission in 1973 and graduated from BYU in 1975, receiving a bachelor's degree with distinction in theater. After graduation, he started the Utah Valley Repertory Theatre Company, which for two summers produced plays at "the Castle", a Depression-era outdoor amphitheater. After going into debt with the community theatre's expenses, Card took part-time employment as a proofreader at BYU Press, moving on to full-time employment as a copy editor. In 1981, Card completed his master's degree in English at the University of Utah where he studied with François Camoin and Norman Council. He began a doctoral program at the University of Notre Dame but dropped out to pursue his more lucrative writing projects. Personal life In 1977, Card married Kristine Allen, who is the daughter of Mormon historian James B. Allen. The two met when Kristine was in the chorus of a roadshow Card directed before his mission. They courted after Card's mission, and Card was impressed with her intellectual rigor.: 1:30 After their marriage, they had five children; their son Charles had cerebral palsy and died aged 17; their daughter Erin died the day she was born. Card's short story Lost Boys is highly autobiographical, but contains the death of a fictional child. One of Card's workshop readers, Karen Fowler, said that Card had pretended to experience the grief of a parent who has lost a child. In response, Card realized that the story expressed his grief and difficulty in accepting Charles's disability.: 119  Card stated that he rarely discusses Charles and Erin because his grief has not faded over time.: 1:35:15 Card and his wife live in Greensboro, North Carolina; their daughter Emily, along with two other writers, adapted Card's short stories Clap Hands and Sing, Lifeloop, and A Sepulchre of Songs for the stage in Posing as People. Card suffered a mild stroke on January 1, 2011, and made a full recovery. Works Early work In 1976 Card became an assistant editor for the Ensign magazine produced by the LDS Church and moved to Salt Lake City. While working at Ensign, Card published his first piece of fiction, a short story called Gert Fram, which appeared in the July 1977 issue of Ensign under the pseudonym Byron Walley.: 157  Between 1978 and 1988, Card wrote over 300 half-hour audioplays on LDS Church history, the New Testament, and other subjects for Living Scriptures in Ogden.... Discover the Orson Scott Card popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Orson Scott Card books.

Best Seller Orson Scott Card Books of 2024

  • Ruins synopsis, comments

    Ruins

    Orson Scott Card

    From Orson Scott Card, the internationally bestselling author of Ender’s Game, comes the second novel in the Pathfinder trilogy, the riveting story of Rigg, a teenager who possesse...

  • Twice Upon a Time synopsis, comments

    Twice Upon a Time

    James Riley

    Pirates and mermaids face off in this fracturedfairy tale sequel to Half Upon a Time!Jack and May are back for another adventure in the world of fairy tales with a twist. Now that ...

  • The Soldiers of Halla synopsis, comments

    The Soldiers of Halla

    D.J. MacHale

    The final installment of the #1 New York Times bestselling series!Every question is answered. Every truth is revealed. The final battle has begun.It was all leading up to this mome...

  • Maestro cantor synopsis, comments

    Maestro cantor

    Orson Scott Card

    Una sobrecogedora historia de poder y de amor. La formación de un artista y su educación sentimental y política. Una vida trágicay gloriosa, narrada con la mano experta en el trata...

  • Enchantment synopsis, comments

    Enchantment

    Orson Scott Card

    In Enchantment, Orson Scott Card works his magic as never before, transforming the timeless story of Sleeping Beauty into an original fantasy brimming with romance and adventure.Th...

  • New Skies synopsis, comments

    New Skies

    Patrick Nielsen Hayden

    Nightmarish or whimsical, irreverent or swashbuckling, each of these short stories is an adventure in imagination. Journey from the here and now into New Skies.A new generation of ...

  • Dominion synopsis, comments

    Dominion

    John Connolly & Jennifer Ridyard

    The third thrilling Chronicles of the Invaders adventure from New York Times bestselling author John Connolly and Jennifer Ridyard mixes classic scifi with gripping suspense and ri...

  • Maps in a Mirror synopsis, comments

    Maps in a Mirror

    Orson Scott Card

    Maps in a Mirror brings together nearly all of Orson Scott Card's short fiction written between 1977 and 1990. For those readers who have followed this remarkable talent since the ...

  • Legends, Vol. 1 synopsis, comments

    Legends, Vol. 1

    Stephen King, Robert Silverberg, Orson Scott Card & Raymond E. Feist

    The great anthology of short novels by the masters of modern fantasy.Stephen King tells a tale of Roland, the Gunslinger, in the world of The Dark Tower, in "The Little Sisters of ...

  • The Lost City of Faar synopsis, comments

    The Lost City of Faar

    D.J. MacHale

    CLORAL The second installment in an epic series of adventures Fourteenyearold Bobby Pendragon is not like other boys his age. His uncle Press is a Traveler, and, as Bobby has lea...

  • The Merchant of Death synopsis, comments

    The Merchant of Death

    D.J. MacHale

    D.J. MacHale’s New York Times bestselling middle grade fantasy series about Bobby Pendragon, a regular kid about to find himself and his two friends pulled into one epic adventure ...

  • Essential Novelists - Fanny Burney synopsis, comments

    Essential Novelists - Fanny Burney

    Fanny Burney & August Nemo

    Welcome to the Essential Novelists book series, were we present to you the best works of remarkable authors. For this book, the literary critic August Nemo has chosen the two most ...

  • Visitors synopsis, comments

    Visitors

    Orson Scott Card

    From Orson Scott Card, the internationally bestselling author of Ender’s Game, comes the riveting finale to the story of Rigg, a teenager who possesses a special power that allows ...

  • The Secret War synopsis, comments

    The Secret War

    Matt Myklusch

    The second installment of the actionpacked fantasy thrill ride that began with The Accidental Hero!Jack and his fellow students are now well into their School of Thought training a...

  • Legends synopsis, comments

    Legends

    Robert Silverberg

    Acclaimed writer and editor Robert Silverberg gathered eleven of the finest writers in Fantasy to contribute to this collection of short novels. Each of the writers was asked to wr...

  • The Reality Bug synopsis, comments

    The Reality Bug

    D.J. MacHale

    VIRTUAL REALITY? The territory of Veelox has achieved perfect harmony. Fifteenyearold Bobby Pendragon arrives on this territory in pursuit of the evil Saint Dane, but all is peace...

  • Mindbreaker synopsis, comments

    Mindbreaker

    Kate Dylan

    No more quiet rebellions.'A dystopian thriller that fizzes with energy and rebellion' SAMANTHA SHANNONAn explosive cyberpunk SF thriller from the author of Mindwalker, set in a wor...

  • The Ships of Earth synopsis, comments

    The Ships of Earth

    Orson Scott Card

    The City of Basilica has fallen. Now Wetchik, Nafai, and all their family must brave the desert wastes, and cross the wide continents to where Harmony's hidden spaceport lies silen...

  • The Call of Earth synopsis, comments

    The Call of Earth

    Orson Scott Card

    As Harmony's Oversoul grows weaker, a great warrior has arisen to challenge its bans. His name is Moozh, and he has won control of an army using forbidden technology. Now he is aim...

  • Rogue Knight synopsis, comments

    Rogue Knight

    Brandon Mull

    Magic and danger abound in the second book in a series of “fanciful, actionpacked adventure” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of th...

  • Meditations on Middle-Earth synopsis, comments

    Meditations on Middle-Earth

    Karen Haber

    NOMINATED FOR THE 2002 HUGO AND LOCUS AWARDWhen J.R.R. Tolkien created the extraordinary world of Middleearth and populated it with fantastic, archetypal denizens, reinventing the ...

  • Pathfinder synopsis, comments

    Pathfinder

    Orson Scott Card

    Una fascinante mezcla de aventuras, intriga política y viajes en el tiempo de la mano de uno de los autores de ciencia ficción y fantasía más consolidados del panorama actualUn pod...

  • Empire synopsis, comments

    Empire

    John Connolly & Jennifer Ridyard

    With the fate of the world at stake, Syl and Paul battle the sinister forces of the Nairene Sisterhood in this second thrilling Chronicles of the Invaders novel from New York Times...

  • The End of Infinity synopsis, comments

    The End of Infinity

    Matt Myklusch

    Jack Blank confronts his destiny in this actionpacked conclusion to the trilogy Publishers Weekly calls a “noholdsbarred adventure.”Ever since Jack Blank learned that he came from ...

  • Orson Scott Card synopsis, comments

    Orson Scott Card

    Edith S. Tyson

    From a precocious childhood, through practice at playwriting in college, early writing, and lifeexperiences from the mission field in Brazil to unemployment crises back in the USA,...

  • The Rivers of Zadaa synopsis, comments

    The Rivers of Zadaa

    D.J. MacHale

    The battle continues. The struggle of good versus evil continues as Bobby Pendragon follows Saint Dane to the territory of Zadaa. Saint Dane's influence has fueled the fire of disc...

  • Pathfinder synopsis, comments

    Pathfinder

    Orson Scott Card

    From Orson Scott Card, the internationally bestselling author of Ender’s Game, comes the first novel in the Pathfinder trilogy, the riveting story of Rigg, a teenager who possesses...

  • The Pilgrims of Rayne synopsis, comments

    The Pilgrims of Rayne

    D.J. MacHale

    When Bobby Pendragon first arrives on the tropical world of Ibara, he finds paradise. There is beauty all around and the people of Ibara are blissfully happy. It's not long before ...

  • Flux synopsis, comments

    Flux

    Orson Scott Card

    Seven tales of possible fates for the human race by one of science fiction's most revered authors, Orson Scott Card's Flux portrays the inner struggles of characters exploring thei...

  • The Never War synopsis, comments

    The Never War

    D.J. MacHale

    The third installment in an epic series of adventures First Earth Fourteenyearold Bobby Pendragon is a loyal friend, sports star, devoted pet owner and Traveler. Along with his ...

  • Wyrms synopsis, comments

    Wyrms

    Orson Scott Card

    A New York Times Best Book of the Year From the New York Times bestselling author of Ender's Shadow, comes Orson Scott Card's standalone Wyrms The sphere is alien in origin, but ...

  • Raven Rise synopsis, comments

    Raven Rise

    D.J. MacHale

    This is where it begins. The showdown for Halla. At stake is nothing less than all that ever was and all that will be. There's only one thing missingBobby Pendragon. While Bobby ...

  • Masterpieces synopsis, comments

    Masterpieces

    Orson Scott Card

    A collection of the best science fiction short stories of the 20th century as selected and evaluated by criticallyacclaimed author Orson Scott Card.Featuring stories from the genre...

  • Cruel Miracles synopsis, comments

    Cruel Miracles

    Orson Scott Card

    A collection of science fiction tales from the bestselling author of Ender's Game.Cruel Miracles, part of the Maps in a Mirror series of Card's collected fiction, presents the Hug...

  • The Quillan Games synopsis, comments

    The Quillan Games

    D.J. MacHale

    Let the Games Begin.... Quillan is a territory on the verge of destruction. The people have lost control of their own future and must struggle simply to survive. The only chance th...

  • Infinite Stars synopsis, comments

    Infinite Stars

    Bryan Thomas Schmidt, David Weber, Brian Herbert, Elizabeth Moon & Orson Scott Card

    The seductive thrill of uncharted worlds, of distant galaxies… and the unknown threats that lurk in the vastness of the cosmos. From Foundation to Lensman, Star Wars to Guardians o...

  • Black Water synopsis, comments

    Black Water

    D.J. MacHale

    Breaking the rules Just when fifteenyearold Bobby Pendragon thinks he understands his purpose as a Traveler to protect the territories of Halla from the evil Saint Dane he is fa...

  • Esperanza del venado synopsis, comments

    Esperanza del venado

    Orson Scott Card

    Vuelve uno de los grandes nombres del género fantástico, autor de las conocidas sagas de Ender y Alvin Maker.Novela única y memorable, recomendada a todos aquellos que deseen super...

  • Pendragon Books 6-10 synopsis, comments

    Pendragon Books 6-10

    D.J. MacHale

    The final five books in the epic, #1 New York Times bestselling Pendragon series are available in an eBook collection.Join Bobby Pendragon in his battle to protect all of time and ...