Author Bio 

Ellen R.Kao is a contemporary Taiwanese historical and martial arts fiction writer.

Although presented in the classical form of traditional martial arts fiction, Ellen R. Kao's works transcend the genre's typical vendettas and romantic entanglements. Instead, they engage with modern concerns, using the past to illuminate the present, subverting old paradigms, and forging new historical perspectives.

At the same time, they subtly offer insights into contemporary global affairs, thereby expanding the scope of martial arts fiction. Some scholars have published dedicated research papers, referring to Kao's works as "Era-Defining Martial Arts Fiction" and hailing her as "a Master of Contemporary Taiwanese Martial Arts Fiction." Given the innovative approach of her chronicle-style series Ten Dynasties, she is also regarded as "the Pioneer of Martial Arts Historiography."

Ellen R. Kao graduated from the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology in 1995 and then joined Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). During her nearly decade-long tenure as a manufacturing and business planning engineer, her exposure to complex workplace dynamics helped cultivate an international outlook and a keen eye for diverse personalities, which laid the groundwork for her future literary career.

After leaving TSMC in 2006, she was profoundly affected by the 2008 financial crisis and the ensuing global instability. This period of upheaval prompted her to begin writing in early 2009.

She has fully committed herself to the pursuit of writing, which she regards as her true calling.

Ten Dynasties

• February 2019: Published the first installment of the third series, "Yǐn lóng "(Hidden Dragon), which is the opening volume of "Ten Dynasties". Set in the late Tang and early Liang periods, it is a chronicle-style wuxia trilogy centered on Feng Dao, the "Prime Minister of Ten Dynasties".

• 2022: Released the second installment of "Ten Dynasties", "Gui Dao" (The Way of Deception). With 1.18 million words, it reimagines the historical perspective of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period through grand and magnificent scenes of rival warlords vying for supremacy.

• 2025: Published the third installment of "Ten Dynasties", "Tian Xiang" (Ten Dynasty Prime Ministers). Spanning 820,000 words, it explores the dynamics between rulers, ministers, and the people through the lens of the rise and fall of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period."

Wu Tang

Can Tian Que

• July 2013 – January 2014: 

Published the first series work "Can Tian Que" (The Broken Sky Realm). Centered on brotherhood, it blends fantasy and martial arts elements to construct a grand Central Plains wuxia world.