Stephen Reeder Donaldson (born May 13, 1947) is an American
fantasy,
science fiction and
mystery novelist, most famous for
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, his ten-novel fantasy series. His work is characterized by psychological complexity, conceptual abstractness, moral bleakness, and the use of an arcane vocabulary, and has attracted critical praise for its "imagination, vivid characterizations, and fast pace." He earned his
bachelor's degree from
The College of Wooster and a
Master's degree from
Kent State University. He currently resides in
New Mexico.