Elizabeth Moon is an American science fiction and fantasy writer, born on March 7, 1945. Her diverse writing repertoire includes newspaper columns and opinion pieces. Among her notable achievements is her novel The Speed of Dark, which won the prestigious 2003 Nebula Award.

Prior to embarking on her writing career, Elizabeth served in the United States Marine Corps. She holds a B.A. in History from Rice University (1968) and another in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin (1975), with further graduate work in Biology at the University of Texas, San Antonio.

Elizabeth's passion for writing can be traced back to her childhood when she wrote stories and poems, and even attempted her first book at the tender age of six. She began crafting science fiction during high school.

She married Richard Moon, a former classmate from Rice University and an Army officer, in 1969. The couple settled in a small central Texas town in 1979, where they still reside. They have one son, born in 1983.