Terence Dean Brooks (born January 8, 1944) is an American writer of fantasy fiction. He primarily writes epic fantasy and has authored two movie novelizations. During his career, he has penned 23 New York Times bestsellers and has over 21 million copies of his books in print. Brooks is considered one of the biggest-selling living fantasy writers.

Brooks was born in Sterling, Illinois, a rural town in the Midwest of the United States, where he spent much of his life. He attended Hamilton College and earned a B.A. in English Literature. Later, he obtained a J.D. from Washington and Lee University. Before becoming a full-time author, he practiced law.

Now residing in Seattle, Washington, Brooks has seen his work attract interest from the film industry. Universal Studios is working on a movie adaptation of his book Magic Kingdom for Sale, while Warner Bros has acquired rights to make films based on the Shannara series, potentially starting with The Elfstones of Shannara.