Disclosed herein is an apparatus and method for controlling a linear compressor. The linear compressor control apparatus has a collision detection unit, a control unit, and a compressor driving unit. The collision detection unit detects a collision of a piston with a valve due to the operations of the linear compressor. The control unit determines whether the collision of the piston occurs on the basis of an output signal from the collision detection unit, and resets maximum amplitude data of the piston of the linear compressor when the collision occurs. The compressor driving unit controls the maximum amplitude of the piston of the linear compressor under the control of the control unit.