Bill (Merl. W, Jr.) Baldwin (June 6, 1935 – October 14, 2015) was an American science fiction writer. He wrote militaristic space opera. His main series is about a male protagonist named . He graduated from The Mercersburg Academy and the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned a B.A. in Journalism and a Master of Letters degree. He served as a lieutenant at the U.S. Air Force Missile Test Center. He worked at NASA at Cape Canaveral, Florida supporting Project Mercury as Chief of the Reports Division. Later, Baldwin served as a contractor for the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center.