Eugene Burdick was an American author and political scientist, best known for his novel "Fail-Safe," published in 1962. The book explores the dangers of nuclear warfare and the complexities of military decision-making during the Cold War. Burdick's writing often reflected his concerns about technology and its impact on society. In addition to his fiction, Burdick was a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where he taught political science. He also co-authored the influential book "The Ugly American" in 1958, which critiqued American foreign policy and its effects on international relations, particularly in Southeast Asia.