Sylvia Louise Engdahl was born in Los Angeles, California, on November 24, 1933. She attended several colleges and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1955. Following graduation she taught elementary school for a year and then became a computer programmer and systems specialist for the SAGE Air Defense System, a position she kept for more than ten years. She has borrowed extensively from these career experiences to enhance the fictional worlds that she creates.

In 1968 Engdahl turned her attention full-time to writing. Enchantress from the Stars was named a Newbery Honor Book in 1971, and all of Engdahl's novels have had a strong popular reception. Engdahl has edited two anthologies of science fiction stories—Universe Ahead: Stories of the Future (1975) and Anywhere, Anywhen: Stories of Tomorrow (1976)—and has also written several nonfiction books for young people on scientific subjects...