Tobias S. Buckell American science fiction writer Date of Birth: 01.01.1979 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Influences
2. Clarion Workshop and Early Success
3. Novel Career and Acclaim
4. "Halo: Protocol Cole" and New York Times Bestseller
5. Later Work and Literary Contributions
6. Personal Life and Academic Pursuits

Early Life and Influences

Ned Backemeyer was born in 1979 in Grenada, a Caribbean island where he spent his childhood primarily on a boat. His upbringing in this unique environment, along with time spent in the British and American Virgin Islands, significantly influenced his literary imagination.

Clarion Workshop and Early Success

In 1999, Backemeyer attended the Clarion Workshop, a prestigious writing workshop. Shortly after, he made his first sale to Scott Edelman at Analog Science Fiction, titled "The Fish Merchant." The story was published in the March 2000 issue, coinciding with his victory in the Writers of the Future quarterly writing contest for his short story "On Medieval Orbit."

Novel Career and Acclaim

Backemeyer's debut novel, "Crystal Rain," was published in 2006 by Tor Books. His subsequent novels, "Ragamaffin" (2007) and "The Tangled Manticore" (2008), both garnered Nebula Award nominations. His first short story collection, "Tides from New Worlds," was released with a limited hardcover edition in 2009.

"Halo: Protocol Cole" and New York Times Bestseller

In 2008, Backemeyer was commissioned to write the sixth book in the Halo novel series, titled "Halo: Protocol Cole." The novel, based on military procedures used to safeguard sensitive information from the Covenant, became a New York Times bestseller upon its release in November 2008.

Later Work and Literary Contributions

Throughout his career, Backemeyer's short stories have appeared in numerous publications, including Analogand Naturemagazines, as well as anthologies such as "New Voices in Science Fiction" and "So Long Been Dreaming." His latest novel, "Stranger in the Citadel," was released through Audible Originals in 2021.

Personal Life and Academic Pursuits

Backemeyer resides in Bluffton, Ohio, where he teaches as a faculty member in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing program. Despite having ADHD and dyslexia, he has overcome these challenges to establish himself as a successful and award-winning author of speculative fiction.