Rob Stone was born in New York in 1964. At the age of twelve, Rob got the notion that he might want to write science fiction and fantasy for a living, so he sent a letter to Isaac Asimov inquiring about the process. Asimov's reply, full of typos, demonstrated that excellent typing skills were not a prerequisite for publication. Reassured, Rob's career path was set.

There have been several digressions along the way, including stints as a bicycle messenger in Manhattan, a private tutor, editor of a literary journal, a teacher and the principal of a market research consultancy for technology companies. Because consulting involves a fair amount of travel, Rob has become a local resource for snack-size bags of peanuts and small bottles of shampoo.

Rob is currently under contract with Ace Books to write a five-novel series, The Chronicles of the Unbinding. It's an epic fantasy with a dark flavor (which is to say, there is a minimum of cuddly critters scurrying around). He is also at work on other projects, including a comedic fantasy and the first volume of a new epic series. He continues to putter with a concept for a horror novel and several short stories, but needs a firm kick in the butt to make some progress.

Rob's education includes a B.A. at the University of Chicago in English, where literature was considered a good thing; an M.A. in English and Comparative Literature at Northwestern University, where literature was considered an interesting thing; and an M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D. in American cultural studies at Columbia University, where literature is sometimes considered an instrument of darkness.

Biography provided by the author, September 2001