Allen Stroud is an acclaimed British science fiction author, academic, and creative researcher. He is best known for his highly regarded space opera Fearless (Flame Tree Press 2020) and serves as Assistant Professor of Defence and Security Futures, where he leads the Creative Futures research project in collaboration with the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL).

With a Ph.D. in Writing Structures and World Development Techniques in Science Fiction and Fantasy, Stroud has an extensive background in storytelling across multiple mediums, from computer and roleplaying games to novels, short stories, and screenplays.

A key figure in the Elite: Dangerous universe, Stroud co-founded Lave Radio, helped run the annual Lavecon convention, and authored the tie-in novel Elite: Lave Revolution (Kickstarter-funded and published in 2014, with a second edition in 2015). He later collaborated with Spidermind Games on the Elite Dangerous Roleplaying Game and contributed to Snapshot Games titles Chaos Reborn and Phoenix Point (2019).

Beyond his creative work, Stroud has played a major role in the UK's speculative fiction community, serving as Chair of Fantasycon (2017, 2018, 2021) and later as Chair of the British Science Fiction Association (from 2019). He continues to publish academic papers, reviews, and fiction exploring the intersections of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.