Dean Charles Ing was an American author and academic who specialized in science fiction and techno-thriller novels. Before establishing his career as a writer, Ing served in the United States Air Force as an interceptor crew chief. He later worked as an aerospace engineer and pursued higher education, eventually earning a doctorate in communications theory and working as a university professor. His technical background and expertise heavily influenced his literary output, which often featured detailed technological and scientific concepts.\n\nOver his career, Ing authored more than thirty novels. He achieved significant commercial success with his 1989 techno-thriller The Ransom of Black Stealth One, which became a New York Times bestseller. In addition to his solo work, Ing was a frequent collaborator, co-authoring books with prominent science fiction writers such as Jerry Pournelle, S. M. Stirling, and Leik Myrabo. Following the death of science fiction writer Mack Reynolds in 1983, Ing was also tasked with completing several of Reynolds' unfinished manuscripts, helping to bring those works to publication.\n\nBeyond his writing and academic pursuits, Ing was active in space policy discussions. He served as a member of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy, a role that aligned with his engineering background and interest in future technologies. Ing passed away in July 2020, leaving behind a diverse body of work that bridged the gap between hard science, military technology, and speculative fiction.
