Sidney Sheldon was an Academy Award-winning American writer. His career began in the 1930s, first making a mark on Broadway and then in Hollywood, where he wrote the successful comedy The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), winning an Oscar in 1948.

Sheldon became a well-known figure in television, creating series such as The Patty Duke Show (1963–66), I Dream of Jeannie (1965–70), and Hart to Hart (1979–84). However, it was not until after he turned 50 that he gained fame as a novelist, writing best-selling romantic suspense novels, including Master of the Game (1982), The Other Side of Midnight (1973), and Rage of Angels (1980).

Sheldon's novels have achieved global success, selling over 300 million copies and being translated into 51 languages, establishing him as one of the top ten best-selling fiction writers of all time.