John C. "Bud" Sparhawk (born 1937) is an American science fiction author. He is best known for the strong scientific basis for his work, and also his humorous science fiction, in particular his Sam Boone series of short fiction.
Bud Sparhawk was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and lives in Annapolis. He has a BS degree in Mathematics from the University of Maryland and an MBA in Finance from Oklahoma City University. He recently retired as Vice President at Macfadden, a Federal Government contractor. Sparhawk is also a member and the web master for SIGMA, a think tank of speculative writers that advises the government on issues of national security.
Sparhawk started writing seriously in 1974 and made his first sale to Analog, followed quickly by his second, just when he entered his second year of graduate school. His work is most associated with his short fiction in Analog but it has also appeared in various other magazines and anthologies. He is a three-time nominee for the Nebula Award for Best Novella in 1997, 2002, and 2005, and his stories have appeared in several Year's Best SF anthologies. His most recent novel, titled Vixen, was released in 2008 from Cosmos Books. He also serves on the Board of Directors in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America as the Eastern Regional Director.
Sparhawk occasionally attends science fiction and fantasy conventions, including Balticon, Confluence, and CapClave in the mid-Atlantic region of the US. When not writing, he spends his spare time sailing on Chesapeake Bay.
