Matthew John Reilly is an internationally bestselling Australian action thriller writer, born on 2 July 1974 in Sydney. He is renowned for his fast-paced novels that have captivated readers worldwide, selling over 7.5 million copies.

Matthew's journey into writing began later in his life. He wasn't always a fan of reading until he encountered classics like To Kill A Mockingbird and Lord of the Flies in Year 10. This sparked his interest in storytelling, and he wrote his first novel, Contest, at 19 while studying law at university.

After facing rejections from major publishers, Matthew self-published Contest in 1996, printing 1,000 copies. His efforts paid off when a Commissioning Editor from Pan Macmillan Australia discovered the book in a bookstore and subsequently signed him for a two-book deal, leading to the publication of Ice Station in 1998, which became an instant hit.

Matthew's bibliography includes a diverse array of novels and novellas, such as Temple, Area 7, Scarecrow, Hover Car Racer, Hell Island, Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors, The Tournament, The Great Zoo of China, Troll Mountain, The Four Legendary Kingdoms, The Three Secret Cities, and The Secret Runners of New York. He has also written short stories like Time Tours, The Mine, Altitude Rush, The Rock Princess and the Thriller Writer, and The Dead Prince.

Several of his works have attracted interest from the film industry. Although Ice Station was optioned by Paramount Pictures and Hover Car Racer by Walt Disney Pictures, neither film was produced. The rights to his Jack West series were optioned for a TV series by ABC US Network Television.

Matthew Reilly currently resides in Los Angeles and enjoys spending his free time on the golf course. An enthusiast of pop culture, he owns a DeLorean DMC-12 and a life-sized Han Solo in carbonite. When not writing novels, he is likely working on a film script.