Alan Dean Foster is a renowned American author of fantasy and science fiction. He is well-known for his novelizations of film scripts, including notable works from the Alien saga, the first Terminator movie, and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.

Born in New York City, Foster was raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1968 and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster began his career in writing when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was published in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth universe.

Foster currently resides in Prescott, Arizona, with his wife. He is also known for his extensive travels, which influence his writing by introducing new worlds and cultures, often with a unique twist of setting them on other planets with alien races.