Karen Traviss is a science fiction author from Wiltshire, England. She is the author of the Wess'Har series, and is also known for writing tie-in material based on Star Wars, Gears of War, Halo, and G.I. Joe. Her work crosses various forms of media including novels, short stories, comics, and video games.
Traviss is originally from the Portsmouth area. She worked as both a journalist and defence correspondent before turning her attention to writing fiction, and has also served in both the Territorial Army and the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service. Traviss is a graduate of the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy workshop. Her first published novel, City of Pearl (2004) centered on the clash of several distinct alien civilizations, several hundred years in the future. It was shortlisted for the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and the Philip K. Dick Award. She has since written five sequels to City of Pearl: Crossing the Line (2004), The World Before (2005), Matriarch (2006), Ally (2007), and Judge (2008).
In 2014, Traviss published Going Grey, a techno-thriller and the first novel in a planned series called Ringer.
In addition to creating her own fictional settings, Traviss has written numerous novels using existing intellectual property—particularly in the Star Wars universe. Traviss wrote the Republic Commando Series, beginning with Hard Contact in 2004 and continuing with Triple Zero (2006), True Colors (2007), and Order 66 (2008). In 2009, a related novel featuring the same characters was released (Star Wars Imperial Commando: 501st).