Songmaster (Paperback)

Orson Scott Card was born and raised in a Mormon family and has continually pointed out that Mormonism is the primary force in his life. He attended Brigham Young University and the University of Utah, and spent time in Brazil as a Mormon missionary. His earliest writings were radio and stage plays (Card has estimated the number at over 100) telling the history of Mormonism. His first published fiction was the science fiction short story called "Ender's Game" in 1977, which was nominated for a Hugo Award and a Reader's Award from Locus magazine. The Locus Award is based on votes compiled from the magazine's readers and is important in demonstrating just how popular Card is with readers. Since that story, Card has been nominated for or won the award more than 30 times, which is extraordinary considering the relatively short time that he has been writing fiction. In 1985, Card published an expanded version of "Ender's Game" as a novel, and won both the Hugo and Nebula awards. It was followed by a sequel in 1986, SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD, which also won the Hugo and Nebula, marking the first time in the history of the awards that one author won both in successive years. Card's next series of books, the Alvin Maker series, started in 1987 with SEVENTH SON. This series is set in an alternate past of America, and is closely modeled on the reported life of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormon Church. The Homecoming series--THE MEMORY OF EARTH, THE CALL OF EARTH, THE SHIPS OF EARTH, EARTHBORN, and EARTHFALL--repeats this theme, but in a space opera setting. Card has also written nonfiction--his first book, LISTEN, MOM AND DAD..., was actually about child-rearing. He has also tried his hand at horror, mainstream, and children's fiction, and he is also a respected editor and reviewer.