Alan Dean Foster
A foundational architect of modern media tie-in fiction, he gave narrative depth to the worlds of Star Wars, Alien, and his own original universes.
Born 1946 (age 80)·American fiction writer·Birthday: November 18·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alan Dean Foster operates in the vital, often overlooked engine room of science fiction, a writer who built a career on making other people's worlds feel lived-in. After a start writing novelizations for the animated 'Star Trek' series, his big break was penning the first-ever Star Wars novelization, based on George Lucas's screenplay for 'A New Hope.' That task required immense creativity, fleshing out characters and scenes with internal monologues and background details not in the film, effectively creating the blueprint for the Expanded Universe. He repeated this magic with the novelization of 'Alien,' crafting a tense, atmospheric prelude to the film that stands on its own. Alongside this work-for-hire, Foster built a substantial original bibliography, most notably the Humanx Commonwealth series, which began with 'The Tar-Aiym Krang.' His prose is known for its ecological curiosity and focus on alien cultures, a direct influence of his travels and degree in political science. For decades, he has been a gateway author, introducing readers to vast fictional universes through accessible, imaginative storytelling.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Alan was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Alan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Wrote the first-ever Star Wars novelization, published as 'Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker' in 1976.
- Authored the official novelization of the film 'Alien,' which was released ahead of the movie in 1979.
- Created the extensive Humanx Commonwealth series, which includes over 20 novels and stories exploring a universe where humans and the insectoid Thranx coexist.
- Has written novelizations for major films including 'The Chronicles of Riddick,' 'Star Trek,' 'Transformers,' and 'The Last Starfighter.'
Did You Know?
He is an avid traveler and has visited more than 100 countries, often using his experiences to inform his alien world-building.
He wrote the story for the first Star Tours ride at Disneyland.
Foster is a skilled outdoorsman and has canoed down many major rivers, including a significant portion of the Amazon.
He holds a degree in political science from UCLA and once contemplated a career in film directing.
“I try to write the kind of books I would like to read.”
