Dennis L. McKiernan

Dennis L. McKiernan is a bestselling American author, well-known for his high fantasy series, The Iron Tower, and the Mithgar series. Hailing from Moberly, Missouri, McKiernan served in the U.S. Air Force for four years during the Korean War, stationed within US territory. After his military service, he pursued higher education and received a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri in 1958 and a Master's degree in the same field from Duke University in 1964.

McKiernan worked as an engineer at AT&T, specifically at Western Electric and Bell Laboratories, from 1958 until his early retirement in 1989. It was during this time that McKiernan's life took a dramatic turn, leading him to become a full-time author. In 1977, while riding his motorcycle, he was involved in a severe accident, which left him confined to a bed for many months. During his recuperation, McKiernan began writing a sequel to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. However, the publisher Doubleday was unable to obtain authorization from Tolkien's estate, leading McKiernan to rewrite his story and place the characters in a different fictitious world, giving birth to the Mithgar series.

McKiernan's writing covers various genres, including horror fiction, science fiction, crime fiction, and high fantasy, set in different fictional worlds. His works are heavily influenced by his engineering background, as he meticulously crafts detailed and intricate storylines. McKiernan's Faery Series, for instance, expands on tales drawn from Andrew Lang's Fairy Books, tying the selected tales together with a larger plot. Currently residing in Tucson, Arizona, McKiernan continues to captivate audiences with his imaginative storytelling and intricate world-building.