Raymond E. Feist, born Raymond Elias Gonzales III on December 21, 1945, is a renowned American fantasy fiction author. He is best known for creating The Riftwar Cycle, a series of novels and short stories that have captured the imaginations of readers worldwide.

Feist was born in Southern California and chose to settle in San Diego. He pursued higher education at the University of California, San Diego, where he graduated with a B.A. in Communication Arts with Honors in 1977. During his time at the university, he began conceptualizing a novel about a boy destined to become a magician. This novel was published in 1982 by Doubleday.

Feist's works have been translated into multiple languages, with over 15 million copies sold globally. In addition to his writing, he is an avid collector of fine wine, DVDs, and books on various subjects, including wine, biographies, history, and American Professional Football.