Sergei Lukyanenko was born in Kazakhstan, then a republic of the Soviet Union. In 1985 he entered the Alma-Ata Medical University, where he began to write science fiction and publish his first books. Though Lukyanenko completed his medical course, he realized that he would never be a doctor. In 1997 he moved to Moscow, and since then has published prolifically. Many of his works have become bestsellers and have won science fiction awards. Night Watch and Day Watch were released as films in 2004 and 2006, respectively. Lukyanenko's writing has been translated into more than twenty languages and continues to be hugely popular.
There are two things Lukyanenko does exceedingly well building an intricate, believable world and then forcing characters to make hard choices within that world and he brings both strengths to the fore in The Genome, a multi-layered mystery with some impressive sci-fi ornamentation. San Francisco Book Review Lukyanenko uses his questing hero to explore the mind, the heart, and many genres... allowing even jaded readers to see their fields of interest anew, gain a deeper understanding and be thoroughly entertained. Faren Miller, Locus The narrative moves briskly and often mysteriously, with a curiously boyish enthusiasm. Add in splashes of humor, quirky references to Western cultural tropes and a true-to-life conclusion.... refreshingly different and something of a page-turner: well worth investigating. Kirkus Reviews [An] excellent 1999 novel by the noted Russian SF author, finally available in an English translation... Lukyanenko is at the forefront of contemporary Russian SF, and his English-speaking fans should be thrilled to finally have a chance to read this fine novel. Booklist The Genome is complex, witty, ambitious, amusing and entertaining. SF Site Night Watch is an epic of extraordinary power. Quentin Tarantino Like Tolkien getting mugged in a Moscow back alley by John le Carre. Bleeding Cool on New Watch [A] sceptical, intelligent thriller. The Daily Telegraph on Night Watch [As] potent as a shot of vodka ... [a] compelling urban fantasy. Publishers Weekly, starred review of Night Watch