# Rae Carson

Rae Dawn Carson (born August 17, 1973, in Oakland, California) is an American fantasy writer. Her debut novel, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, was published in 2011. Her books have also been translated into languages around the world. Beginning in 2017, she has written several tie-in stories for the Star Wars universe, including the official novelization of The Rise of Skywalker.

## Biography

Carson was born August 17, 1973, in Oakland, California. She attended Livermore High School and graduated from Biola University in 1995.
Carson joined the Online Writers Workshop (OWW) in 2004 and published her first story, "First Waltz," in 2006. She published her debut novel, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, in 2011.
In 2007, Carson married science fiction writer Charles Coleman Finlay, whom she met through OWW. After their marriage, Carson moved to Columbus, Ohio, to live with Finlay and his two sons.
Before writing full-time, Carson worked for the president of Ohio State University.

## Awards and honors

The Girl of Fire and Thorns books were a New York Times bestselling series in September 2013.
Awards for Carson's writing :
| Year | Title | Award | Result |
| 2011 | The Girl of Fire and Thorns | Cybils Award for Young Adult Speculative Fiction | Finalist |
| 2012 | The Girl of Fire and Thorns | ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults | Top 10 |
| 2012 | The Girl of Fire and Thorns | Andre Norton Award | Finalist |
| 2012 | The Girl of Fire and Thorns | Locus Award for Best First Novel | Finalist |
| 2012 | The Girl of Fire and Thorns | Ohioana Book Award for Young Adult Literature | Winner |
| 2012 | The Girl of Fire and Thorns | William C. Morris Award | Finalist |
| 2013 | The Crown of Embers | Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book | Finalist |
| 2015 | Walk on Earth a Stranger | National Book Award for Young People's Literature | Longlist |
| 2020 | "Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse" | Nebula Award for Best Short Story | Finalist |
| 2021 | The Rise of Skywalker | Scribe Award for Adapted Novel — General & Speculative | Finalist |
| 2021 | "Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse" | Hugo Award for Best Short Story | Finalist |
| 2021 | "Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse" | Locus Award for Best Short Story | Finalist |
| 2022 | "Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse" | Ignotus Award for Cuento extranjero (Foreign Story) | Finalist |

## Publications
### Novels
#### The Girl of Fire and Thorns series

* The Girl of Fire and Thorns, 2011
* Crown of Embers, 2012
* The Bitter Kingdom, 2013
* The Empire of Dreams, 2020
The following books are prequel novellas to the series:
* The Shadow Cats, 2012
* The Shattered Mountain, 2013
* The King's Guard, 2013

#### The Gold Seer trilogy

* Walk on Earth a Stranger, 2015
* Like a River Glorious, 2016
* Into the Bright Unknown, 2017

#### Standalone books

* Any Sign of Life, 2021

### Short fiction

* "Omega Ship", in Three Sides of a Heart: Stories About Love Triangles, ed. by Natalie C. Parker, 2017
* "Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse", in Uncanny Magazine, Jan-Feb 2020, ed. by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas

### Star Wars Universe

* "The Red One"; Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View (October 2017)
* "Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing"; Star Wars: Canto Bight (December 2017)
* Most Wanted (2018)
* Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: Expanded Edition (2020)

### Critical studies, reviews and biography

* Bond, Gwenda (Dec 2013). "Locus Looks at Books : Divers Hands". Locus (635): 22–23. Review of The bitter kingdom.