Neal Shusterman
A writer who explores the darkest edges of human nature and technology, crafting profound stories that captivate young readers and adults alike.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American novelist·Birthday: November 12·Baby Boomers
Biography
Neal Shusterman didn't set out to become a fixture in young adult literature; he started as a storyteller for film and television. His pivot to novels revealed a unique talent for wrapping complex, often unsettling, philosophical questions in the fast-paced plots of speculative fiction. Living in Southern California, he built a career on the idea that young readers deserve narratives that don't shy away from mortality, ethics, and societal collapse. His breakthrough came with the 'Unwind' dystology, but it was the deeply personal 'Challenger Deep', inspired by his son's experiences, that earned him the National Book Award. The subsequent success of the 'Arc of a Scythe' trilogy proved his ability to create expansive, thought-provoking worlds that spark conversation far beyond the page.
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.
Neal was born in 1962, 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 Neal Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Neal's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
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
1967Started school
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
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 2015 National Book Award for Young People's Literature for 'Challenger Deep'.
- Received a Michael L. Printz Honor in 2017 for 'Scythe'.
- Authored the widely taught and discussed 'Unwind' dystology.
- Served as a writer and director for the 'Goosebumps' television series.
Did You Know?
He wrote his first novel at age 17, though it was not published.
He is a certified master scuba diver.
His son, Brendan Shusterman, co-wrote the novel 'Roxy' with him.
He has a black belt in Kempo karate.
““Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader—not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.””
