Hugh Mannfield

Hugh was born and raised in the American west, primarily within the mountain states of Wyoming, Colorado and Idaho. He graduated high school in the central Wyoming town of Riverton where he helped work his father's 80 acre farm not far from the Wind River Mountains. He attended college at the University of Wyoming in Laramie and emerged with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Growing up in the era of moon landings and space shuttle launches it was natural he chose a job at Boeing Commercial Aircraft Company in Washington State. It was in the Seattle area that he developed a passion for sailing along with a love of aviation, earning a private pilot certificate.

Hugh's career in aircraft design has involved many projects including the B2 bomber, Space Station, the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor for the Space Shuttle and Boeing commercial aircraft, most recently the 747-8. He has settled his family on a five acre plot atop a forested hill outside the metro area with a view of the Cascade and Olympic ranges.

Hugh began writing while on the Space Station and science fiction allows him to explore technology applications he may never be able to work on. "The Scepters of Time" is part of the Stormbold Adventures, and "A Place to Be Free" is the beginning of the "Our Place in Space" series. "A Place to Embrace continues this series.

Another hobby is costuming for Sci-Fi cons. Hugh's biggest and best achievement is a Vorlon encounter suit from Babylon 5 TV series, which won best novice at Norwescon 30, and the head of which, he was lucky enough to get signed by Bruce Boxleitner at Sakura-con 2011. One of his fondest memories from that con was when a very young boy asked if he could take a picture of the Vorlon with his Nintendo DS.