Dean Ing has written many bestsellers combining High-tech (and accurate) technology with fast-moving thriller plots in the vein of Tom Clancy and Stephen Coonts, including the New York Times best seller, The Ransom of Black Stealth One. Kirkus Reviews has called his work "credible and entertaining." His 1980 novel Soft Targets has proven prophetic with its warning of the vulnerability of the United States to terrorist attacks. He is also a widely published science fiction writer, and has been a Hugo and Nebula Awards finalist. His contributions to the Man-Kzin Wars volumes have been among the most popular in that best-selling series. A former U.S. Air Force interceptor crew chief, Ing has designed, built, and raced prototype sports cars while becoming a senior research engineer in the aerospace industry for Lockheed, United, and others. He and his wife live in Ashland, Oregon.