Steven Barnes

Steven Barnes, a science fiction author, was born in Los Angeles on March 1, 1952. He is the writer behind the The Cestus Deception novel from Clone Wars, along with its e-book companion, The Hive. Furthermore, he penned Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife, the author Tananarive Due. From previous and current marriages, Barnes has two children: Lauren Nicole and Jason.

Barnes' educational background is diverse, beginning with his secondary studies at Los Angeles High School. He then went on to Pepperdine University, where he studied Communication Arts. He is also a certified hypnotherapist, having received his training at the Transformative Arts Institute located in San Anselmo, California.

Besides his writing career, Barnes has a strong interest in martial and physical arts. He has attained Black Belt status in both Kenpo Karate and Kodokan Judo. He is a certified instructor in Wu Ming Ta, and holds instructor candidate status in Filipino Kali stick and knife combat. He is an advanced student of Jun Fan Kickboxing and an instructor in Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan. Additionally, he is an intermediate student in pistol self-defense.

He also has a Brown Belt in Shorenji Jiu Jitsu, and intermediate level skills in both Tae Kwon Do and Aikido. His experience also includes Western fencing, boxing, wrestling, Wing Chun Kung Fu, Shotokan Karate, and French Savate.

He has successfully finished the Yoga Works basic Hatha Yoga teacher training program.

Currently, he is studying Pentjak Silat, an Indonesian martial art, under Guru Stevan Plinck, and Ashtanga Yoga, a physically demanding style of yoga.