Darren Shan is the pen name of the Irish author Darren O'Shaughnessy, who is best known for his work in the young adult fantasy and horror fiction genres. Shan was born in London in 1972 and moved to Limerick, Ireland with his family when he was six years old, where he has lived since. He began writing in 1999 and has since published numerous series and stand-alone novels, including The Saga of Darren Shan, The Demonata, Saga of Larten Crepsley, and Zom-B.
Shan always had a passion for writing and saw success early on, with a dark comedy script titled "A Day in the Morgue" finishing as a runner-up in a television script-writing competition in Ireland when he was fifteen. He wrote his first novel at the age of seventeen, and while his early works were geared towards an adult audience, he eventually found success in the children's literature market with the publication of his first children's book, Cirque du Freak, in 2000. This book marked the beginning of a twelve-book series about vampires, which was followed by The Demonata, a series about demons, and Zom-B, a twelve-book series about zombies. Shan has also published several stand-alone novels and a number of books for adults under various pen names.
In addition to his writing, Shan has also been involved in various movie and manga adaptations of his work. He has a big collection of movies, comics, and books, and enjoys studying and collecting original artwork. Shan is a Tottenham Hotspur and Ireland soccer fan, and also enjoys travelling, watching soccer, listening to music, and coming up with new ways to scare his readers. He currently resides in Limerick, Ireland with his wife and children.