Brian Thao Nguyen Gunney was born in Vietnam and escaped to the U.S. with his family in 1975 as refugees from the Vietnam War. His father was in the South Vietnamese Air Force. Growing up around military planes, Brian was fascinated by flight and wanted to be an aerospace engineer.
After briefly considering a creative writing major, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from San Diego State University followed by a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and scientific computing from the University of Michigan. He works in scientific computing.
In 1996, he wrote three limericks and showed his girlfriend. She was so impressed that she married him two years later. The newlyweds chose the name “Gunney”—an anagram of “Nguyen”—as their new surname.
Brian’s writings have been published in the California Writers Club Tri-Valley Branch Anthology. Drawing on his scientific training, outdoor experience, and interest in history, he brings dragons into the real world in his first novel, Dragon’s Ridge. The book has been honored as a finalist in the American Fiction Award, historical fantasy category.
The seed of Dragon’s Ridge was a game Brian played with his daughter when she was a toddler. When he failed to scare her playing the role of a fearsome dinosaur, he concluded that she must be a fearless dragon.
Besides writing, Brian’s interests include hiking, backpacking, running, biking, ballroom dancing, history, photography, reading, classical guitar, enjoying music, travel, and open-source software. He lives in Northern California with his wife and two teenage children.