John DeChancie was born on August 3, 1946. He studied philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh. After graduation, he worked in public television including as a technical consultant to PBS network shows such as Mister Roger's Neighborhood. After five years in television, he started producing and directing educational films including The Lightning-Rod Man, Birdhouse, and The Commercial Artist. He turned his attention to writing fiction and his first novel, Starrigger, was published in 1984. He has written over two dozen fiction and nonfiction books including Red Limit Freeway, Paradox Alley, Castle Perilous, Other States of Being, and The Little Gray Book of Alien Stories. He received the… Golden Headset Award for the audio version of Dr. Dimension in 1997.