Jack Heath is the author of REPLICA and many other sci-fi thrillers for young adults. He started writing THE LAB when he was 13 and had a publishing contract for it at 18. The book has since been adapted into a screenplay.He has been shortlisted for a Kids Own Australian Literature Award (KOALA), a Young Australians Best Book Award (YABBA), two Aurealis Awards, the Nottinghamshire Brilliant Book Award, the National Year of Reading "Our Story" Collection and the Young Australian of the Year Award.In the course of his research, Jack has gone scuba diving with sharks, traveled through Texas, Russia, and Cambodia, trained with firearms, toured prisons and interviewed guards, examined body parts at the morgue, read only books by women for a year, been a stunt driver, played bass in a rock band and performed street magic for an afternoon. He is also on the board of the ACT Writers Centre.Jack lives in Canberra, Australia with his wife and their son.