Gene Rodman Wolfe was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, born on May 7, 1931, in New York and passed away on April 14, 2019, in Peoria, Illinois. He was noted for his dense, allusive prose and the strong influence of his Catholic faith, which he adopted after marrying a Catholic.

After dropping out from Texas A&M University, Wolfe served in the Korean War and later graduated from the University of Houston. He worked as an engineer, notably designing part of the machine that produces Pringles potato chips, and later served as the editor of a professional engineering magazine, Plant Engineering.

Wolfe was a prolific writer, publishing over 30 novels and hundreds of short stories. His narratives are known for their complexity and the depth of his characters, frequently using unreliable or fallible narrators to enhance his thematic focus on memory and morality. Wolfe has been referred to as "the Melville of science fiction."

Primarily recognized for his science fiction and fantasy works, Wolfe received numerous awards in these genres, including the British Science Fiction, World Fantasy, British Fantasy, Locus, Nebula, and Campbell Memorial Awards. In 2012, he was honored as the 29th Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

Wolfe is best known for his Book of the New Sun series (four volumes, 1980–1983), the first part of his "Solar Cycle". Locus magazine ranked it the third-best fantasy novel published before 1990.