Daniel Suarez
1964
Daniel Suarez is an American IT consultant turned author of science fiction thrillers. Suarez initially published his critically acclaimed novel under the pen name Leinad Zeraus, which is a play on his name Daniel Suarez, written backwards. His first novel was the 2006 published Daemon which he self-published. During his information technology system consultant days, he consulted for Fortune 1000 companies, and developed and designed innovative technologies and software for entertainment, finance, and defense industries. Given his long-held interest in creative writing and IT systems, most of his sci-fi and high-tech novels are about technology driven change. In addition to consulting for a range of companies, he has spoken about technology at the Long Now Foundation, MIT Media Lab, and TED Global among many other platforms. What makes the diminutive Suarez so unique is that all that he knows about technology and software development is self-taught, given that he never studied scientific subjects in college. Nonetheless, he is an avid console and PC gamer, which perhaps explains his exceptional world building skills.