Mel Odom (born 1957 in California) is a writer who has published more than 140 books. He is best known for his novels of science fiction and fantasy, though he has also written non-fiction about computer gaming. He teaches undergraduate courses at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication in the Professional Writing program at the University of Oklahoma. One of his best known fantasy novels is The Rover (2001), which in 2002 won the Alex Award, an American Library Association award given to novels written for adults that would also appeal to young readers.