Justin Cronin is an American author known for his gripping novels. Born and raised in New England, he is a graduate of Harvard University and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Cronin's works include six novels: Mary and O'Neil, The Ferryman, and The Summer Guest, as well as a captivating vampire trilogy consisting of The Passage, The Twelve, and The City of Mirrors. Among his accolades are the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, the Stephen Crane Prize, and a Whiting Writers’ Award.

Cronin taught creative writing and was "Author in-residence" at La Salle University in Philadelphia from 1992 to 2003. A former professor of English at Rice University, he currently resides in Houston, Texas, with his wife and children. In 2017, Fox 2000 acquired the screen rights to his vampire trilogy. The Passage, released in June 2010, became a bestseller, spending three months on the New York Times bestseller list and was adapted into a television series by Fox.

His novel The Passage was compared to works by Cormac McCarthy, Michael Crichton, Stephen King, and Margaret Atwood. It appeared on numerous "Best of the Year" lists, including Time’s "Top 10 Fiction of 2010," NPR’s "Year’s Most Transporting Books," and Esquire’s "Best & Brightest of 2010." Stephen King described it as "enthralling." His works have been published in over 45 languages and sold more than three million copies worldwide.