America

by Orson Scott Card, Stephen Hoye (Reader), Gabrielle de Cuir (Reader)

Years after a war that destroyed America, Sam Monson, the governor of the state of Deseret, negotiates a peace treaty with a woman out of his past—on behalf of the son he left behind. This story is included in Orson Scott Card's collection The Folk of the Fringe.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories

Audio CD

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Orson Scott Card 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.

Reviews

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange, quiet tale. I want to see where the story goes.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leído en 2012.

Distopía corta antes y después de una América destruida en la que salen inicialmente un adolescente y una joven india brasileña. El casi siempre efectivo Card consiguió que me enganchara a los personajes y me zampara la novelilla en un abrir y cerrar de ojos.

Eso sí, el ramalazo mormón se nota bastante.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an unexpected short story from Orson Scott Card -- essentially arguing for the expulsion/subjugation of White/European people from the Americas and rule by Natives/Indios/Indians, using a young Mormon boy and his evil miner father and the magical sorceress Native/Brazilian woman in the jungle. This all seems like very predictable high school/college writer material of a certain type, but seeing Orson Scott Card as the author makes me wonder if he write it on a dare. Points for being concise and written well, but still stupid.

[Moni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same as many other stories I've read. Not necessarily the story line, but the way they are written. Everything starts with detailed descriptions of places, people and their thoughts, every action has a thorough explanation and the narrative leads to the climax we've all expected. So far so good.

But the denouement is nothing more than 3 unsatisfying sentences.

All in all, not a complete waste of my time but I wouldn't re-read this and I can't say I'd recommend it.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise, well executed, but not that exciting. From the post apocalyptic folks on the fringe series, Sam negotiates a treaty with someone from his past. This 90 minute read could easily have been marketed as part of a whole book.

[John Sorensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a huge an of Card's work I enjoyed this story. Only recommended if you want to read all of Card's fiction.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short story.