John William Steakley, Jr. (July 26, 1951 – November 27, 2010) was an American science fiction author. He published two major novels, Armor (1984) and Vampire$ (1990); the latter was the basis for the movie John Carpenter's Vampires. He also published four short science fiction and fantasy stories.

Steakley lived most of his life in Texas, with brief travels to South America and Hollywood in his youth. He died at his home in McKinney, Texas, after a five-year battle with liver disease, at the age of 59.