Zac Topping

Zac Topping grew up in Norwich, CT. He graduated high school from Norwich Free Academy in 2002 and promptly joined the United States Army where he served in an artillery unit out of Fort Bragg, NC for four and a half years with two tours in Iraq. He eventually made his way back to Connecticut and earned his Associates degree from Three Rivers Community College. He is currently pursuing his Bachelors at Eastern Connecticut State University, and is now a career fire fighter in Eastern Connecticut.

Zac’s love of writing started in the fifth grade when he first read Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park and knew instantly that he wanted to write stories of his own. Since then he’s been influenced by writers like Richard Morgan and Joe Abercrombie, and the way they use fantasy and science fiction to expose the dark underbelly of humanity in gritty stories that focus tightly on deeply flawed characters immersed in complex worlds.

In his spare time Zac likes to play tabletop strategy board games and role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons, and anything that involves using the imagination. He is a huge Hellboy fan and tries to go to the occasional Comic Con when they come around. He also likes to practice primitive camping and spend as much time as he can outdoors. Zac now lives with his wife in the quiet farm town of Canterbury, CT.

You can learn more about him on his website or follow him on Twitter @ZacTopping.

Bibliography

  • FORTH
    Standalone
    Rogue Sequence
    Zac Topping
  • Standalone
    Wake of War
    Zac Topping
     

Reviews

Standalone

Rogue Sequence
"dazzling high-tech combat" with a "flashy, cinematic finish ... readers who prefer their action in overdrive should check this out"

Publishers Weekly

"Rogue Sequence reads like a thriller and resonates like a prophecy.”

Elliot Ackerman, New York Times bestselling author

“A fast-moving thriller with plenty of action, with shades of Richard K. Morgan’s Altered Carbon and William Gibson’s Count Zero.”

Marko Kloos, bestselling author of the Frontlines and Palladium Wars series

“A breakneck thriller set in a complex near-future of gene modification that pulls no punches, kicks, or body slams.”

Dan Moren, author of the Galactic Cold War series

"A character-driven sci-fi thriller packed with tense action, ROGUE SEQUENCE is a visceral look into an all too realistic future. Beliefs are challenged, loyalties tested, and moral boundaries pushed to their limits as the characters are thrust into a viper’s nest of corporate and political greed. The result is a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled gauntlet through striking, gritty urban settings where a team of ultra-competent, unlikely allies will have to throw out the rule book—and the red tape—in order to survive."

J.S. Dewes, author of the Divide Series

Wake of War
"Topping, a U.S. Army veteran, pays attention to moral issues while taking care not to overly demonize either side, but it’s the heroic characters and meticulously rendered battle scenes that make this a standout. This is a must for fans of the genre."

Publishers Weekly, STARRED review!

"Topping, who has served two tours in Iraq, does a phenomenal job of using dialogue and scene details to impart the raw and dangerous wartime conditions that surround his characters... Wake of War will resonate with all readers who enjoy thrillers that reflect real-world crises.

Chika Gujarathi, Book Page

"WAKE OF WAR, the new military thriller from Zac Topping, reaches beyond the action to be both timely and quite ambitious. This book looks past the battlefield to examine just how far those with power will go to keep it"

The Big Thrill

"I love a good military thriller and this was no exception! It was full of fast-paced fighting, backstories on the characters and a rebellion to add to the intrigue."

The Open Books, 4 out of 5 stars

"WAKE OF WAR is packed with intense, realistic combat action set in an all-too-believable near future. Zac Topping doesn't give you a view from above...he slams you right down in the muck. He has been there and done that, and he delivers riveting combat scenes that explode off of the page."

Michael Mammay, author of The Misfit Soldier

"Wake of War is absolutely brutal, poignant, and enthralling from start to finish. An amazing debut novel.”

Nick Martell, author of The Kingdom of Liars

"Chilling, deeply humane, and unflinchingly believable"

J. T. Greathouse, author of Hand of the Sun King