W. Michael Gear is an accomplished American author and archaeologist, best known for his historical fiction novels. Gear's passion for history and archaeology began in his childhood, growing up in the foothills above Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins, Colorado. After completing his high school education, Gear went on to earn his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in physical anthropology from Colorado State University.
Gear's career in archaeology took him throughout the western United States, where he conducted cultural resource management studies and worked on various projects, including pipelines, oil wells, power lines, timber sales, and highway construction. During his travels, he developed a taste for strong black coffee, chocolate donuts, and Mexican cuisine. In 1981, Gear co-founded Pronghorn Anthropological Associates, a consulting company that remains in operation in Casper, Wyoming.
As an author, Gear is renowned for his meticulous attention to historical accuracy. Frustrated by the numerous historical inaccuracies he encountered in Western fiction, Gear decided to write his own novels, starting with a 550-page manuscript that, while historically accurate, failed to impress readers. Undeterred, Gear continued to write, publishing his first three novels in 1988. He frequently collaborates with his wife, Kathleen O'Neal Gear, with whom he has co-authored the acclaimed First North Americans series.
Gear's work has been widely recognized, with over 18 million copies of his books in print and translations into 29 languages. He has received numerous awards and accolades, including the International Book Awards for Science Fiction and the Western Writers "Spur" award. In 2021, Gear and his wife were honored with the Owen Wister Award for lifetime contributions to Western literature and were inducted into the Western Writers Hall of Fame. Gear was also inducted into the Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame in the same year.