丹尼斯·約翰遜（1949— ）　生於德國慕尼黑，長於日本、菲律賓和美國，曾獲眾多文學奬項。根據他的作品《耶穌之子》改編的同名電影被《紐約時報》、《洛杉磯時報》等評為年度十佳電影；《煙樹》獲2007年美國全國圖書奬，並獲普利策奬提名。

約翰遜是一個極力避免聚光燈的作傢。他沒有自己的網站，從不為自己的書作宣傳。甚至在全國圖書奬頒奬當晚，他都遠在伊拉剋體驗生活。

約翰遜善以後現代主義的筆法描寫那些在宏大時代和悲慘命運中痛苦掙紮的靈魂。有人認為，他的作品有一種狂亂和痛苦的美，和陀思妥耶夫斯基筆下的人物一樣淒涼，和愛倫·坡一樣充滿激情，讓人恐懼。

Tree of Smoke the name given to a 'psy op' that might or might not be hypothetical and might or might not be officially sanctioned is Denis Johnson's most gripping, visionary and ambitious work to date. Set in south-east Asia and the US, and spanning two decades, it ostensibly tells the story of Skip Sands, a CIA spy who may or may not be engaged in psychological operations against the Viet Cong -- but also takes the reader on a surreal yet vivid journey, dipping in and out of characters' lives to reveal fundamental truths at the heart of the human condition. 'A Catch-22 for our times' Alan Warner, Books of the Year, Observer 'The God I want to believe in has a voice and a sense of humour like Denis Johnson's' Jonathan Franzen 'An epic of drenched sensuality and absurdly chewable dialogue, as though Don DeLillo and Joseph Heller had collaborated on a Vietnam war novel' Steven Poole, Books of the Year, New Statesman