John Twelve Hawks

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John Twelve Hawks is the mysterious author of the 2005 anti-state novel entitled The Traveler.

His publishers claim that he is a first-time author, and that he contacts the publishers using an untraceable satellite phone. Not much is known about him except what he himself states. In the beginning of the audiobook version of The Traveler, a garbled, electronic voice states, "This is John Twelve Hawks," and after some introduction as to why he wrote the book, he stated, "I live off the grid." That last statement basically sums up what is known about this author as of July 2006. It is claimed by some that the name John Twelve Hawks is a Pseudonym and that the mystery surrounding his true identity is a publicity stunt.

"Twelve Hawks is a very mysterious fellow!" says Jason Kaufman, his editor. "I'll tell you what I can." Kaufman continued "we talk quite frequently and I believe he always speaks with a satellite phone, and a satellite phone is virtually untraceable." His agent Joe Regal says "Twelve Hawks uses a synthesizer to disguise or filter his voice. When he calls, I know it's him because nothing comes up, not 'out of area' - nothing." - He's older than 30 and could be in his 40's or 50's

These clues were divulged during a brief question-and-answer piece e-mailed to USA TODAY by his publisher 'Doubleday'; Twelve Hawks precedes the answer to a question about religion with: "When I was in my twenties," and when an editor asked him whether the "realm of hell" could be compared to current conditions in Iraq, Hawks replied "it's more like Beirut in the '70s", a remark that could indicate that he was then old enough to read newspaper accounts of war-torn Lebanon; then again, he could have gleaned the information from old news clippings or a library.

According to Regal "He lives in New York, Los Angeles and London," although the literary agent has never met him face-to-face.^[1]

The mysterious author gave a rare interview with SFF World^[2] where Hawks claims that he has "no plans to go public".