Dan Simmons was an American science fiction and horror writer. He was the author of the Hyperion Cantos and the Ilium/Olympos cycles, among other works that span the science fiction, horror, and fantasy genres.

He began writing stories as a child, aiming to captivate audiences with his storytelling.

He earned a B.A. in English from Wabash College in 1970, followed by a Master’s degree in Education from Washington University in St. Louis in 1971.

Simmons started publishing short stories early on, but his career gained momentum in 1982 when, with the support of Harlan Ellison, he attended the Milford workshop—described by Ellison as “the best SF writing workshop in the world.” Ellison became Simmons’s mentor and friend, encouraging him to pursue writing full-time.

His short story The River Styx Runs Upstream won first prize in a Twilight Zone Magazine story competition and led to representation by Ellison’s agent, Richard Curtis. Simmons published his debut novel, Song of Kali, in 1985.

Alongside his early writing career, Simmons worked in elementary education until 1989.