Rick Partlow is an American author of military science fiction novels, who has written over 60 books across more than a dozen different series. Partlow was born in Tampa, Florida, and grew up listening to tales from his World War II veteran father, as well as reading the works of Robert Heinlein. This early exposure to both military history and science fiction sparked a lifelong love of the genres for Partlow. He began writing novels while still in high school, and went on to study History at Florida Southern College. Upon graduation, Partlow joined the US Army as an Infantry platoon leader.
After leaving the Army, Partlow finished some of the books he had started during his high school years and self-published them on Amazon. His work is characterized by a strong emphasis on military action, drawn from his own experiences in the Army, as well as a deep knowledge of science fiction history. Partlow's writing is informed by a wide range of influences, from the classic Heinlein juveniles to the works of authors such as Clifford Simak, Asimov, Clarke, William Gibson, Walter Jon Williams, and Peter F Hamilton.
Partlow's bibliography includes a number of popular series, such as Drop Trooper, Earth At War, and Wholesale Slaughter. He is currently writing the best-selling Drop Trooper series for Aethon Books, as well as the Taken to the Stars series for Variant Publishing. In addition to his work as a novelist, Partlow has also contributed short stories to various anthologies. He currently lives in northern Wyoming with his wife and their dog, where he enjoys outdoor photography, hiking, and camping in his spare time.