S.M. Stirling was born in Metz, France; his father was a Newfoundlander of Scots descent, and his mother an Englishwoman who grew up in Peru. Raised in Europe, Africa, and North America, his interests include history, travel, anthropology, and the marital arts. His acclaimed Islander novels include On the Oceans of Eternity, Island in the Sea of Time and Against the Tide of Years. A former lawyer and an amateur historian, he lives in the Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife, Jan.