Tang Seng (a pen name chosen after the determined monk from Journey to the West) has spent over a decade as a story consultant and script doctor. While everyone else wanted to be the flashy Monkey King, Tang Seng embraced the path of the powerless pilgrim who somehow survived 81 tribulations all without being eaten by monsters and seduced by hordes of women. (Granted, some of the women wanted to eat him too).

With a background in screenwriting and years of teaching writing to students who mistakenly thought "show don't tell" was dating advice, Tang Seng now creates works that blend sci-fi, fantasy, and thrillers from his home in Beijing.

Tang Seng's decision to pursue writing full-time represents his personal Journey to the West—minus the companions with useful skills, but with significantly more caffeine. When not writing, he can be found explaining to concerned friends that "full-time author" is indeed a real job, constructing elaborate plot outlines that his characters promptly ignore, and reminding himself that even the original Tang Seng eventually reached enlightenment. Keyword being eventually.