author
Dean Ing
1931–2020
A science fiction and techno-thriller writer with a strong feel for engineering, flight, and survival, he brought real technical know-how to fast-moving stories. Best known for The Ransom of Black Stealth One, he also wrote widely across novels, short fiction, and nonfiction.
1 Audiobook
Tight Squeeze
by Dean Ing
About the author
Born in Austin, Texas, Dean Ing (1931–2020) was an American author whose work blended science fiction, techno-thrillers, and practical survival themes. Before becoming a full-time writer, he served in the U.S. Air Force and worked as an aerospace engineer; sources also note his academic background, including advanced study in communications theory.
His fiction was known for technical detail and problem-solving under pressure, qualities that helped make The Ransom of Black Stealth One a New York Times bestseller. Over his career he wrote more than thirty books, along with short stories and essays, and he also collaborated with writers including Jerry Pournelle, S. M. Stirling, and Leik Myrabo.
Readers often remember him for stories that feel grounded in real-world systems, from aircraft and weapons to survival skills and frontier ingenuity. That mix of hands-on knowledge and storytelling gave his books a distinctive voice within late-20th-century speculative fiction.