An American scientist and writer of science fiction, Doug Beason is known for his short story, When the Desert Wind Turns: The Stormtrooper's Tale, which appears in Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina.
After earning a dual degree in physics and mathematics from the United States Air Force Academy in 1977, he later returned to the Academy as an officer in the 1980s to teach physics, during which time he began writing his first novel. A retired Air Force Colonel holding a PhD in physics, he is also a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the author of two nonfiction books. Science and Technology Policy for the post-Cold War: A Case for Long-Term Research, one of his books, received the National Defense University President's Strategic Vision award. He has also collaborated with Kevin J. Anderson on several books, including Lifeline, The Trinity Paradox, and Nanospace. Currently, he serves as the Associate Laboratory Director for Threat Reduction at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
- " When the Desert Wind Turns: The Stormtrooper's Tale " – Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina (1995)