Kazuaki Takano studied Film Studies at Los Angeles City College and has worked for many years as a scriptwriter in Japan. Takano's debut novel, Thirteen Steps, won the 47th Edogawa Rampo Award for best mystery of the year in 2001. EXTINCTION was nominated for the Naoki Prize and won the Yamada Futaro Award, selling 340,000 copies since its publication in April 2011.
