Orson Scott Card is an American novelist, critic, public speaker, essayist, and columnist. He writes in several genres but is known best for science fiction. His novel Ender's Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986) both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the only author to win both science fiction's top U.S. prizes in consecutive years.

Card, a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. 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. He had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979 and 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.

Card has written novels in science fiction, fantasy, nonfiction, and historical fiction genres. He has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories. Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University, has written two books on creative writing, and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. His works have influenced writers like Stephenie Meyer and Brandon Sanderson.

A feature film adaptation of Ender's Game, which Card co-produced, was released in 2013. His other notable works include the Locus Fantasy Award-winning series, The Tales of Alvin Maker (1987–2003).