Robert Buettner is a critically acclaimed author, best known for his military science fiction novels. He was born in 1947 on Manhattan Island and went on to graduate with honors in Geology from the College of Wooster in 1969. Buettner later obtained his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati in 1973.
Buettner's literary career has produced numerous highly regarded works, most notably his best-selling debut novel, Orphanage, which was published in 2004. The novel, which was a Quill Award nominee for Best SF/Fantasy/Horror novel, has been translated into several languages, including Chinese, Czech, French, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. Orphanage has also been adapted for film by Olatunde Osunsanmi for Davis Entertainment. Buettner's other notable works include his Orphanage/Jason Wander series, which has been well-received by critics and fans alike. His fifth novel, Orphan's Triumph, was a Fandomania Top 15 Selection for 2009.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Buettner had a varied career, serving as a U.S. Army intelligence officer, a National Science Foundation Fellow in Paleontology, and an attorney. As an attorney, he practiced in the U.S. federal courts, appearing before courts and administrative tribunals in no fewer than thirteen states and five foreign countries. He is a long-time member of the Heinlein Society and has written for several publications, including the Afterword for Baen's recent re-issue of Heinlein’s Green Hills of Earth/Menace From Earth short story collection.
Buettner's short stories, such as "Sticks and Stones," "Mole Hunt," and "Magic and Other Honest Lies," have been featured in various anthologies and are available for free online at Baen.com. He has also served as the author judge for the 2011 National Space Society Jim Baen Memorial short story writing contest. Buettner currently resides in Georgia with his family, where he continues to write and publish engaging and thought-provoking science fiction.