Howard Waldrop (1946–2024) was an American science fiction author. He was born in Mississippi and lived much of his life in Austin, Texas. His highly original books include Them Bones and A Dozen Tough Jobs, and the collections Strange Monsters of the Recent Past, Night of the Cooters, and Going Home Again. He won the Nebula and World Fantasy Awards for his novelette “The Ugly Chickens.” His fiction has also won the Hugo, Bram Stoker, and Locus Awards.