Karen Lord

1 universe Last reviewed 2026-08-13

Karen Antoinette Roberta Lord was born May 22, 1968, in Barbados. She attended Queen's College in Bridgetown, earned a science degree from the University of Toronto, and completed a PhD in the sociology of religion from Bangor University in 2008. Lord is a Barbadian writer of speculative fiction, fantasy, and social science fiction whose work blends Caribbean and African influences, drawing on folklore and cultural themes alongside her scholarly interest in the sociology of religion. Her debut novel, Redemption in Indigo (2010), retells a Senegalese folktale and was praised as "a clever, exuberant mix of Caribbean and Senegalese influences." Her subsequent novels include The Best of All Possible Worlds (2013), a work of social science fiction; The Galaxy Game (2015); Unravelling (2019); and The Blue, Beautiful World (2023), described as having "warmth and intelligence reminiscent of Ursula K. Le Guin." Lord's honors include the Frank Collymore Literary Award (2008), the Carl Brandon Society Parallax Award (2010), the Crawford Award (2011), the Mythopoeic Award (2011), the Kitschies Golden Tentacle Award for Best Debut Novel (2012), and a Locus Award for Best Anthology (2026) for We Will Rise Again.

Universe(s)

Books

• Redemption in Indigo (2010) · Redemption in Indigo Core Canon

Aggregate across all universes

• Total Core Canon books across all universes: 1 book
• Award recognitions across all universes: 1 (1 won)

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