Jean-Michel Smith was born in Palo Alto, California, but lived many years in Chicago, which he considers his home town. After pursuing degrees in physics and engineering, he ultimately chose computer science and graduated with a BS from the University of Illinois, College of Engineering. After completing the course work for his masters degree at Illinois State University, he embarked on a career as a systems engineer and enterprise architect. His work has taken him to many countries across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Published in France, his essays on free culture and collaborative endeavor appear in LOGS: micro-fondements d'emancipation sociale et artistique. His science fiction novel Autonomy will be available in the spring of 2012. He is married to author Christine Todd and lives in New York. Visit his websites at jean-michel.eu and autonomyseries.com.