Stephen Donaldson was born in 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio. From the age of three until he was sixteen he lived in India, where his father worked as an orthopaedic surgeon. He lives in New Mexico.
His first fantasy trilogy, 'The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever', was published in 1977 and rapidly became a classic, establishing Stephen Donaldson as one of the most important figures in modern fantasy. In 1980, his success continued with the publication of the first volume in his equally popular second trilogy, 'The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant'.
His most recent work is the acclaimed Gap series, an epic five-volume science-fiction adventure. It was after hearing one of his father's speeches on leprosy that he conceived the character of Thomas Covenant. He has recently completed the bestselling 'Gap' series, a five-volume of epic that has been hailed as 'the best work of his career'.