“Doing research for 'Penumbra,' I read quite a bit about the early history of printing, and the more I did, the more it sounded like... the Internet today. There was crazy competition and upheaval; there were constant arguments about new techniques, new materials, new machines; and, of course, there were fortunes to be made.”

American author

Robin Sloan is an American author. He came to wider attention with his debut novel, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, published in 2012. Sloan is known for fiction that blends contemporary life with ideas about books, technology, and curiosity. His work has reached a broad readership, and his name is often associated with inventive, warmly observant storytelling.