J. R. Murphy is a retired electrical engineer who spent his career in commercial broadcasting as well as satellite and cellular communications. During his working life, he wrote technical articles, operated an FAA aircraft repair facility, and was president of a large cable manufacturing company. He taught digital and microprocessor technology and developed the first curriculum for electrician license preparation in the area. He lives with his wife Freeda in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Zero Mass Machine is his second novel. His first novel, The Oblong Dots, was released in 2010.