Orson Scott Card Quotes

A collection of quotes by Orson Scott Card.

Orson Scott Card is an American writer, primarily known for his contributions to the science fiction and fantasy genres. Born on August 24, 1951, in Richland, Washington, Card showed an early interest in writing and began working on short stories during his teenage years. He attended Brigham Young University and received degrees in theater and English, further honing his storytelling skills.

Card first gained recognition with his science fiction novel "Ender's Game," published in 1985. This critically acclaimed work explores themes of war, morality, and the psychology of young prodigies. Due to its success, "Ender's Game" became a series, with Card expanding the story into multiple sequels and spin-offs.

Throughout his career, Card has authored numerous novels, short stories, and articles, captivating readers with his imaginative worlds and compelling characters. He has received several notable awards for his writing, including multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards.

In addition to his work as an author, Card is also known for his involvement in the field of writing education. He has taught writing workshops and served as a professor at Southern Virginia University.

While acclaimed for his literary achievements, Card's controversial views on social and political matters, including his opposition to same-sex marriage, have elicited criticism and led to debates regarding the separation of an artist's work from their personal beliefs. However, his impact on the science fiction genre and the influence of his stories remain significant.

I think it's impossible to really know someone, what they wa

I think it's impossible to really know someone, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves.

Orson Scott Card


For he loved her, as you can only love someone who is an ech

For he loved her, as you can only love someone who is an echo of yourself at your time of deepest sorrow.

Orson Scott Card


The most important training, though, is to experience life a

The most important training, though, is to experience life as a writer, questioning everything, inventing multiple explanations for everything. If you do that, all the other things will come if you don't, there's no hope for you.

Orson Scott Card


Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never

Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never spoken.

Orson Scott Card


Since we are not yet fully comfortable with the idea that pe

Since we are not yet fully comfortable with the idea that people from the next village are as human as ourselves, it is presumptuous in the extreme to suppose we could ever look at sociable, tool-making creatures who arose from other evolutionary paths and see not beasts but brothers, not rivals by fellow pilgrims journeying to the shrine of intelligence. Yet that is what I see, or yearn to see. The difference between raman and varelse is not in the creature judged but in the creature judging, and when we declare an alien species to be raman, it does not mean that they have passed a threshold of moral maturity. It means that we have.

Orson Scott Card

Science Fiction Alien Hegel The Other

Changing the world is good for those who want their names in

Changing the world is good for those who want their names in books. But being happy, that is for those who write their names in the lives of others, and hold the hearts of others as the treasures most dear.

Orson Scott Card

Happiness

[That wall] might be breached sometime in the future, but fo

[That wall] might be breached sometime in the future, but for now the only real conversation between them was the roots that had already grown low and deep, under the wall, where they could not be broken.The most terrible thing, though, was the fear that the wall could never be breached, that in his heart Alai was glad of the separation, and was ready to be Ender's enemy. For now that they could not be together, they must be infinitely apart, and what had been sure and unshakable was now fragile and insubstantial; from the moment we are not together, Alai is a stranger, for he has a life now that will be no part of mine, and that means that when I see him we will not know each other.

Orson Scott Card

Friendship Loss Game Ender Separation Walls Alai

He deserved to die except that nothing deserves death.

He deserved to die except that nothing deserves death.

Orson Scott Card

Death

Everyone is naked. Everyone wants to hide. But life is sweet

Everyone is naked. Everyone wants to hide. But life is sweet. Let it go on.

Orson Scott Card

Life

Keep your freedom, keep your immortality, but somewhere alon

Keep your freedom, keep your immortality, but somewhere along the line I hope you figure out what you're living forever for. What noble purpose you mean to achieve. Because you're no good to anyone here, not even yourselves.

Orson Scott Card

Purpose

Grief,she reminded herself, is almost always for the mourner

Grief,she reminded herself, is almost always for the mourner's loss.

Orson Scott Card

Grief

He knew her too well to see her from the distance that pity

He knew her too well to see her from the distance that pity requires. He loved her because he admired her. For bearing without complaint the burden the queen put on her. For still being gentle and loving when she had ample reason to be bitter.

Orson Scott Card

Distance

do you know why Satan is so angry all the time?, Because whe

do you know why Satan is so angry all the time?, Because whenever he works a particularly clever bit of mischief God uses it to serve his own Rigteous purposes. So God uses wicked people as his tools? God gives us the freedom to to do great evil, if we choose, Then He uses his own freedom to create goodness out of that evil, for that is what He chooses. So, in the long run, God always wins? Yes, in the short run though it Can be uncomfortable.

Orson Scott Card

Inspirational Humorous

Love can't conquer anything. Love can't make a scholar into

Love can't conquer anything. Love can't make a scholar into a warrior. Loving her can't make her love me.

Orson Scott Card

Love

Welcome to the human race. Nobody controls his own life, End

Welcome to the human race. Nobody controls his own life, Ender. The best you can do is choose to fill the roles given you by good people, by people who love you.

Orson Scott Card

Humanity Fate Manipulation

It was not right, thought Han Fei-tzu, for his wife to die b

It was not right, thought Han Fei-tzu, for his wife to die before him: her ancestor-of-the-heart had outlived her husband. Besides, wives should live longer than husbands. Women were more complete inside themselves. They were also better at living in their children. They were never as solitary as a man alone.

Orson Scott Card

Death Loneliness

Bienvenido a la raza humana. Nadie controla su propia vida,

Bienvenido a la raza humana. Nadie controla su propia vida, Ender. Lo más que puedes hacer es elegir ser controlado por personas buenas, por personas que te quieran.

Orson Scott Card

Sci Fi

Perhaps I'm hiding from myself. Perhaps I don't want to be w

Perhaps I'm hiding from myself. Perhaps I don't want to be what I'm supposed to be. Or perhaps I don't want to keep living the life I already started to live.

Orson Scott Card

Life

Was his very boyishness the reason he was chosen? In that ca

Was his very boyishness the reason he was chosen? In that case, was it not a virtue to be admired, and not a failing to be despised?

Orson Scott Card

Virtues

If you did not in your own mind distinguish between useful a

If you did not in your own mind distinguish between useful and erroneous information, then you were not learning at all, you were merely replacing ignorance with false belief, which was no improvement.

Orson Scott Card

Learning