David Brin's popular science fiction novels have been translated into more than 20 languages, and include New York Times best-sellers that won Hugo, Nebula, and other awards. His 1989 ecological thriller, Earth, foreshadowed global warming, cyberwarfare, and the World Wide Web. A 1998 movie, starring Kevin Costner, was loosely adapted from his Campbell Award winner The Postman. Foundation's Triumph brought a grand finale to Isaac Asimov's famed Foundation Universe.

David's latest novel, Kiln People, portrays a coming era when a simple advance in technology allows anyone to achieve the ancient dream of being in two places at once. In 2003, DC / Wildstorm released a 144-page hardcover graphic novel, The Life Eaters, which they call "the most exciting work in our field since Watchmen."

David is also a noted scientist and speaker / consultant about trends in the near future. His non-fiction book The Transparent Society: Will Technology Make Us Choose Between Freedom and Privacy? deals with issues of openness, security, and liberty in the new wired age. It won the 2000 Obeler Freedom of Speech Award of the American Library Association and a prize from the McGannon Foundation for public service in communications.

David was a cast member on ArchiTechs - a short-run History Channel show that challenged "five geniuses" to solve impossible design problems in 48 hours. In one episode, a four-star general demanded a 21st-century replacement for the Humvee. In another, former FDNY Commissioner Thomas Von Essen requested new rescue and evacuation tools for skyscraper disasters.