Nearly a decade ago, Ryan left Chicago and headed into the wilds of Papua New Guinea to study the plants that the people of Manus Province used medicinally. Armed with a background in botany and chemistry, he quickly learned that the people had plenty to show him.
While there, he stumbled across interesting facts related to their history and was intrigued by their concept of the Masalai. Four bouts of malaria, an expired visa and numerous filled notebooks later, he headed back to Chicago to finish his studies. As the years went on, his interest in the Masalai and other similar supernatural folklore grew until finally culminating in the form of a novel.
In his other life, Dr. Case has numerous scientific publications that range in subject from biochemistry to medical anthropology. He has worked in academia, government and the pharmaceutical industry with the hope that his efforts contribute towards reducing the burden of some of the world’s worst diseases. He lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.