The Marseilles-born Jean-Patrick Manchette (1942-1995) authored ten short, tough-minded, highly acclaimed crime novels, as well as a multitude of other books, screen- and teleplays, magazine columns, and translations of American crime and science fiction novels. A lifelong comics fan, he also wrote the hardboiled graphic novel Griffu for Jacques Tardi in 1978, and in the late 1980s, was selected to translate the French edition of Watchmen.
Jean Echenoz worked for several years as a child psychologist before turning to fiction writing. In addition to his numerous articles and short stories, he is the author of eight novels and a pamphlet on �ditions de Minuit founder J�r�me Lindon. Most of his books are "exuberant spoofs" (Atlantic Monthly) of the espionage thriller, including Cherokee, big Blondes, and Double Jeopardy, all f which are available in English translation. In 1983 he was awarded the Prix Medicis for Cherokee. He currently lives in Paris, France.