Steven Robert "Steve" Alten is an American science fiction author. He is best known for his Meg series, a set of novels around the fictitious survival of the megalodon, a giant prehistoric shark. Alten holds a bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University, a master's in sports medicine from the University of Delaware and a doctorate in sports administration from Temple University. Alten is the founder and director of Adopt-An-Author, a nationwide secondary school free reading program promoting works from six authors, including his own. Alten resides in South Florida.