Martha Wells is an American writer of speculative fiction, born on September 1, 1964. She has published numerous fantasy novels, young adult novels, media tie-ins, short stories, and nonfiction essays on fantasy and science fiction subjects. Her novels have been translated into twelve languages, and she is known for incorporating her academic background in anthropology to create complex, realistically detailed societies.

Wells has been honored with multiple awards including four Hugo Awards, two Nebula Awards, and three Locus Awards, notably for her science fiction series, The Murderbot Diaries. She is also recognized for her fantasy series Ile-Rien and The Books of the Raksura.