Carlos Fuentes Macías (November 11, 1928 – May 15, 2012) was a renowned Mexican novelist and essayist. Among his celebrated works are The Death of Artemio Cruz (1962), Aura (1962), Terra Nostra (1975), The Old Gringo (1985), and Christopher Unborn (1987).

The New York Times described Fuentes as "one of the most admired writers in the Spanish-speaking world" and a significant influence on the Latin American Boom, which was an "explosion of Latin American literature in the 1960s and '70s." The Guardian called him "Mexico's most celebrated novelist."

Throughout his illustrious career, Fuentes received numerous literary honors, including the Miguel de Cervantes Prize and Mexico's highest award, the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor (1999). A frequent contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature, Fuentes was often mentioned as a potential laureate, though he never received the award. His literary legacy continues to inspire readers and writers alike.