Douglas Arthur Hill was born on April 6, 1935 in Brandon, Manitoba and was raised in rural Canada in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The jacket of one of his books quotes the writer as stating, "The backwoods of Canada were a great place to grow up in but a lousy place to be an adolescent." A self-described "dreamer," Hill began reading science fiction at an early age.

Staples of his reading diet included the Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers comic strips, whose influence can still be seen in his fast-paced futuristic adventure stories for young people.

Hill left home at the age of seventeen to attend the University of Saskatchewan at Saskatoon; he graduated and continued his studies at the University of Toronto. At age twenty-three he moved to London, England, where he still makes his home.

Hill's interest in science fiction has continued through his adult...