Dean Ray Koontz is an American author best known for his novels which could be described broadly as suspense thrillers. He also frequently incorporates elements of horror, science fiction, mystery, and satire. A number of his books have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List, with ten hardcovers and fourteen paperbacks reaching the number one slot. Early in his career, Koontz wrote under an array of pen names.

Koontz has published over 105 novels and a number of novellas and collections of short stories, and has sold over 450 million copies of his work. He has written under several pen names, including "David Axton", "Deanna Dwyer", "K.R. Dwyer", "Leigh Nichols" and "Brian Coffey".

He lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda.