About the Authors
Andrew Novak was one of the original creators of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.—a postapocalyptic computer game inspired by the Chernobyl disaster—as well as the sci-fi series of the same name. His S.T.A.L.K.E.R. books have sold over a million copies. Andrew lives high in the Bulgarian mountains, where he continues working on new books.
Vasily Mahanenko is the author of several works of science fiction and fantasy, including the Way of the Shaman series. He graduated from Belgorod State University in Russia and currently works as a project manager.
Pavel Kornev is a popular Russian science fiction and fantasy author whose writing crosses the boundaries of the sci-fi thriller, fantasy adventure, and steampunk genres. Pavel is an economist who worked for a large bank—until his first novel, The Ice, became an overnight bestseller, allowing him to quit his day job.
Alexey Osadchuk was an avid reader from an early age, devouring adventure novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Jack London, and Arthur Conan Doyle. His first fantasy novel was published in 2010 by Alpha Book, one of Russia’s leading publishing houses. Originally from the Ukraine, Alexey currently lives in the south of Spain.
Michael Atamanov is a science fiction and fantasy writer who was born in Grozny, Chechnya. A graduate of Moscow University, he has held a variety of different jobs, including moonlighting in chemical labs, loading trucks, translating technical articles, and working as a software installer.
Andrei Livadny is a popular Russian science fiction author who has penned numerous books, including The Island of Hope, the Phantom Server trilogy, and the extensive A History of Our Galaxy series. Besides hard science fiction, Andrei also works in cyberpunk genres. He lives in Pskov, Russia.
Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875) was born in Odense, Denmark, the son of a poor shoemaker and a washerwoman. As a young teenager, he became quite well known in Odense as a reciter of drama and as a singer. When he was fourteen, he set off for the capital, Copenhagen, determined to become a national success on the stage. He failed miserably, but made some influential friends in the capital who got him into school to remedy his lack of proper education. In 1829 his first book was published. After that, books came out at regular intervals. His stories began to be translated into English as early as 1846. Since then, numerous editions, and more recently Hollywood songs and Disney cartoons, have helped to ensure the continuing popularity of the stories in the English-speaking world.
About Tim Campbell
Tim Campbell, winner of AudioFile Earphones Awards, is a narrator and actor based in Los Angeles, California. He studied at the University of California and earned a BA in music and theater and a certification from the prestigious Great Books program at Pepperdine University, where he graduated magna cum laude. He is also a classically trained singer and performs regularly with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Los Angeles Opera Chorus, as well as on studio soundtracks for film and television.