Miguel Pestana’s journey to becoming a novelist is as compelling as the dystopian world he’s created. Born and raised in Venezuela, he left his homeland as it took its final breaths of freedom, eventually finding a new home in the vibrant state of Florida. His inquisitive intellect led him to a career in medicine, becoming a physician while nurturing a growing passion for fiction—where his mind could truly be free and unrestrained.

Inspired by his life experiences, Dr. Pestana asked a chilling question: What if the affliction that devastated his native homeland were to infect a far wealthier and more technologically advanced United States? This unsettling thought gave rise to his debut novel, 2076.

When he’s not working in the medical field or crafting alternate realities, he enjoys the Florida sunshine with his wife, three sons, and two AI-skeptic dogs.