David L. Robbins (born July 4, 1950)[1] is an American author of English and Pennsylvania Dutch descent. He writes both fiction and non-fiction. He has written over three hundred books under his own name and many pen names, among them: David Thompson, Jake McMasters, Jon Sharpe, Don Pendleton, Franklin W. Dixon, Ralph Compton, Dean L. McElwain, J.D. Cameron and John Killdeer.
Robbins was raised in Pennsylvania. Until he was eight he lived in an outlying area of Philadelphia. Robbins spent many of his teen years on a farm owned by his Mennonite great aunt and uncle in Pennsylvania Dutch country. Water was brought in from an outdoor pump, and they used an outhouse.[citation needed]
At seventeen Robbins enlisted in the United States Air Force and became a sergeant. After his honorable discharge he attended college and went into broadcasting. He worked as an announcer and engineer and later as a program director at various radio stations. Later still he entered law enforcement and then took to writing full-time.[citation needed]
At one time or another Robbins has lived in Pennsylvania, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Montana, Colorado and the Pacific Northwest. He spent a year and a half in Europe, traveling through France, Italy, Greece and Germany. He lived for more than a year in Turkey.[citation needed]
His writing has been critically praised by the Pulp Rack, among others.[citation needed] He is known for two current long-running series.
Wilderness is the generational saga of a Mountain Man and his Shoshone wife. Started in 1990 under his David Thompson pen name, the series has nearly eighty books to date. Robbins has since stopped using pen names on his own works, and WILDERNESS is now under his own name.
Endworld is a science fiction series under his own name started in 1986. There are forty-two books, and it is still being published.
His works have been published in nine languages.
Robbins suffers from familial hemiplegic migraine. His father had the same condition, and would isolate himself in a dark room for days at a time to recover. Robbins' eyes are extremely light sensitive, and for years he has worn custom prescription Aviator sunglasses to reduce the frequency of the attacks.[citation needed]
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