Allen Steele is a former journalist who’d worked for newspapers and magazines in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Missouri, and his home state of Tennessee. Science fiction was his first love, though, so he eventually ditched journalism and began producing that which made him decide to be a writer in the first place. He has been a full-time SF writer since 1988.
In that time, Allen has published 22 novels and over 130 short stories. His work has received numerous awards, including three Hugos and the Robert A. Heinlein Award, and has been translated worldwide. He is a former member of the Board of Advisors for the Space Frontier Foundation and the Board of Directors for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He also belongs to Sigma, a group of SF writers who frequently serve as unpaid consultants on matters regarding technology and security.
Allen is a lifelong space buff, and this interest has not only influenced his writing, but also taken him to some interesting places. He has witnessed numerous space shuttle launches from Kennedy Space Center and has flown NASA’s shuttle cockpit simulator at the Johnson Space Center. In 2001, he testified before the U.S. House of Representatives in hearings regarding the future of space exploration
Allen lives in western Massachusetts with his wife Linda and a procession of adopted dogs.