Dathan Auerbach is an American author known for his debut novel, Penpal, published in 2012. Born in the southern United States, Auerbach has spent most of his life there. He first gained attention in 2011 when he began posting a series of horror stories on the Reddit forum r/nosleep, which later served as the foundation for his novel.

Penpal is a horror-suspense novel that revolves around a first-person narrator who discovers he was the target of a relentless stalker throughout his childhood. The book was initially self-published through Auerbach's imprint, 1000Vultures, and was well-received, with its stories also adapted for The NoSleep Podcast's debut season.

The film rights for Penpal were optioned by producer Rich Middlemas in 2012, marking a significant milestone in Auerbach's career. His efforts to publish the book were backed by a successful Kickstarter campaign, which raised over 1000% of its goal.