Stephen Hunter is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, best known for his novels featuring Bob Lee Swagger, Earl Swagger, and the emerging hero Ray Cruz. One of his notable books, Point of Impact, was adapted into the movie "Shooter." Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Hunter grew up in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. He developed a fascination with guns at a young age, which he now believes was a response to his desire for protection from his father's physical abuse. Despite his parents' strict anti-gun rules at home, Hunter found solace in drawing guns, which reflected his inner longing for security.
Hunter's parents, Virginia Ricker Hunter and Charles Francis Hunter, were both influential figures in his life. His mother was an author of children's books, while his father was a professor at Northwestern University, teaching speech, television production, and film. However, Charles Francis Hunter was also an alcoholic who struggled with his hidden homosexuality, which led to frequent physical abuse towards his wife and children. It was only after his father's death, when he was pushed out of a window by two gay men, that the family discovered his sexuality. Despite the tumultuous upbringing, Hunter pursued a career in journalism, graduating with a degree in Journalism from Medill School at Northwestern in 1968. He then served in the military and became one of the guards honored at Arlington National Cemetery before joining The Baltimore Sun as a writer in 1971.
Hunter's career as a writer and critic has been highly acclaimed. He won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism and the 1998 American Society of Newspaper Editors Award for Distinguished Writing in Criticism for his work as a film critic at The Washington Post. He has also authored fourteen novels, including Time to Hunt, Black Light, Point of Impact, Havana, Pale Horse Coming, and Hot Springs, among others. Hunter currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland, where he continues to write and contribute to the world of literature and film criticism.