R.A. Salvatore
Robert Anthony Salvatore (b. 1959) is a prolific American sci-fi and fantasy author, specialising in writing stories on contract in other people's settings, particularly the Star Wars expanded universe and D&D's Forgotten Realms.
Highlights of his career include murdering Chewbacca (though even he was sad about it and only did it for plot reasons/editorial mandate), writing the in-game chat for the multiplayer bots in Quake 3, and the creation of Drizzt Do'Urden, drow ranger and potato farmer extraordinaire. That means we have him to thank (alongside Peter Jackson) for every Legolas-like, special snowflake, lilac eyed-white-haired (dark)-elf-with-a-heart-of-gold since the mid-early 90s. The shield surfing is all on Jackson, though. (Although to be fair, the problem with Drizzt has more to do with shitty players making endless mary sue Drizzt clones than anything related to Drizzt himself). He also wrote the Cleric Quintet, which is generally much less skubby.