Ray Nayler's short fiction has appeared in multiple 'Year's Best' anthologies, including The Very Best of the Best: 35 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction. As Environment, Science, Technology and Health Officer at the United States Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, he led a series of environmental conservation projects on the Con Dao Archipelago, the setting for The Mountain in the Sea. He dove its reefs daily, working with an international team of scientists, park rangers, and local youth on a project to preserve the archipelago's biodiversity.
