Jamil Nasir was born in Chicago, Illinois, but spent much of his childhood in the Middle East, surviving two major wars. He returned to the U.S. in 1970, and started college at age 14, studying hard science, philosophy, psychology, history, and so many other things that he finally graduating from the University of Michigan with a Bachelors of General Studies degree. He also attended the University of Michigan Law School, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1983. Between stints at school he hitchhiked extensively around North America, working as a carpenter, fruit picker, warehouseman, gardener, shop clerk, and paralegal, among others. He currently works on large regulatory and litigation matters at a Washington, D.C. law firm, and lives in a suburb of Washington with his two daughters. He collects art, holds a Black Belt, 2nd Dan in Tae Kwon Do, and is a devotee of many subjects. His hobbies are photography and rampant metaphysical speculation. He is the winner of the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire, France's top science fiction award, and the Special Citation of the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award for best science fiction paperback published in the U.S. His website is www.jamilnasir.com.