John Steakley, born 1951 in Cleburne, Texas, is an author, best known for his science fiction writing. He has written two major novels, Armor (1984) and Vampire$ (1991), the latter of which became the basis for John Carpenter's Vampires movie. He has also written no fewer than four short stories in the sci-fi and fantasy genres. Not a prolific writer, he has lived most of his life in Texas, aside from brief spells in South America and Hollywood in his youth. He currently lives in McKinney, Texas.