TIMOTHY ZAHN has been writing science fiction since 1975 and sold his first story toAnalogin 1978. Since then Zahn has published nearly seventy short stories and novelettes, numerous novels, and three short fiction collections. Along the way he has won a Hugo Award (for the novellaCascade Point, in 1984) and has been nominated twice more. He is best known for his original fiveStar Wars
novels (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, Specter of thePast,andVision of the Future). His most recent publications have been the science-fiction Cobra series and the six-part young adult series Dragonback. He has a B.S. in physics from Michigan State University, and an M.S. in physics from the University of Illinois.