Steve Alten is an American author, best known for his science fiction and horror novels. He was born in Philadelphia and earned his Bachelors degree in Physical Education at Penn State University, a Masters Degree in Sports Medicine from the University of Delaware, and a Doctorate of Education at Temple University. Alten struggled to support his family of five, which led him to write a novel he had been thinking about for years. After working on it late nights and weekends, he completed MEG; A Novel of Deep Terror. Despite financial struggles, Alten sold his car to pay for editing fees and eventually secured a two-book deal with Bantam Doubleday.
Alten's MEG series, which revolves around a giant prehistoric shark thought to be extinct, is his most famous work. The series' popularity led to three of the books being optioned for film. In addition to the MEG series, Alten has written several other successful novels, including The TRENCH, DOMAIN, RESURRECTION, GOLIATH, MEG: Primal Waters, The LOCH, The SHELL GAME, and GRIM REAPER: End of Days. His novels are known for their visual and action-packed storytelling, which has also earned him several film options.
Apart from his writing career, Alten is also passionate about encouraging students to read. After learning that high school teachers were using his books in the classroom, he launched Adopt-An-Author, a nationwide non-profit program designed to encourage students to read. The program provides teachers with free curriculum materials, student-author correspondence, an interactive website, and classroom conference calls/visits with the author. Alten's goal is to become a better storyteller and create exciting page-turning thrillers while remaining accessible to his readers. He reads and answers all emails and even hires readers as editors, depending on their particular expertise.