Lawrence M. Schoen holds a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology, with a focus in psycholinguistics. He spent ten years as a college professor, and has done extensive research in the areas of human memory and language. His background in the study of human behavior and cognitive processes provide a principal metaphor for his fiction. He currently works as the director of research and analytics for a series of mental health and addiction treatment facilities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He's also one of the world's foremost authorities on the Klingon language, having championed the exploration of this constructed tongue and lectured on this unique topic throughout the world since 1992. In addition, he's the publisher behind a speculative fiction small press, Paper Golem, aimed at serving the niche of up-and-coming new writers as well as providing a market for novellas. And finally, inspired by his fictional creation, in 2013 he became certified as a hypnotherapist.
In 2007, Lawrence was nominated for the John W.Campbell Award for best new writer and in 2010 received a Hugo nomination for best short story. His first book, Buffalito Destiny was published in 2009, bringing the characters of the Amazing Conroy and Reggie from short stories to novel-length adventures. The sequel, Buffalito Contingency, came out in 2011.
In 2013, Lawrence received a Nebula Award nomination for his novella, “Barry’s Tale,” which was the cover story for his collection, Buffalito Buffet. The following year, the novella you've just read, “Trial of the Century,” earned him a second Nebula Award nomination for another Amazing Conroy novella. And again, in 2015, his third novella in this series brought him his third Nebula Award nomination in a row for Best Novella.
The next year Lawrence took a break from writing novellas. Instead, he published his anthropomorphic SF novel Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard, which went on to bring hims a fourth Nebula award nomination, this time for Best Novel. The book also won the Cóyotl Award for Best Novel of 2015.
Lawrence lives near Philadelphia with his wife, Valerie, who is neither a psychologist nor a Klingon speaker.
Author photo by Nathan Lilly.
Cover Art for both Buffalito Destiny, Buffalito Contingency and Buffalito Buffet by Rachael Mayo.
Cover Art for Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard by Victo Ngai.