Douglas Jerome Preston is an American journalist and author. He is best known for his thrillers written in collaboration with Lincoln Child, including the Agent Pendergast series and Gideon Crew series. In addition to these collaborative works, he has penned six solo novels, among them the Wyman Ford series and a novel entitled Jennie, which was adapted into a movie by Disney.

Preston has also authored a number of nonfiction books focusing on science and exploration. His articles have appeared in prestigious publications such as The New Yorker and Smithsonian magazine.