Matthew Reilly

Born: 1974

Matthew Reilly burst onto the thriller scene in 1996 when he self-published Contest after every major publisher rejected it. Born in Sydney in 1974, the law student borrowed money to print 1,000 copies and personally delivered them to bookstores, eventually catching a publisher's attention and landing a deal. His breakthrough came with Ice Station, which established his signature style: ultra-fast pacing, physics-defying action sequences, and chapters that end in cliffhangers. Writing the books he wished existed as a teenager, Reilly has become an international bestseller translated into over 20 languages, proudly creating pure escapist entertainment without apology. What sets Reilly apart is his genuine enthusiasm for making readers miss subway stops and forget their problems. His research involves traveling to remote locations and asking "what's the coolest thing that could happen here?" rather than "what's realistic?" This approach has produced two major series (Scarecrow and Jack West Jr.) plus standalone novels that regularly top charts worldwide. In an era of gritty realism and complex antiheroes, Reilly stands as the writer who asks, "But what if the hero fought a genetically modified killer whale while defusing a nuclear bomb?" He's not trying to win literary awards; he just wants readers to have the most fun possible turning pages.