Dan O'Neill (writer)

Dan O'Neill (Daniel T. O'Neill) is an Alaskan writer. He is the author of three books of literary nonfiction: The Firecracker Boys (1994), an exposé of the 1958 plan (called Project Chariot) to excavate a harbor in Alaska using nuclear devices; The Last Giant of Beringia (2004), detailing the history of scientific thought about the Bering land bridge and geologist David Hopkin's central role in establishing current theory; and A Land Gone Lonesome (2006), an exploration of the history, prehistory, and culture of the upper Yukon River and its frontier inhabitants. His nonfiction children's book Stubborn Gal (2015) tells the true story of a young woman who wins a 60-mile sled dog race, despite having no experience in the sport. His most recent book, The Impertinent Question: The Words & Adventures of a Liberal Columnist at a Conservative Newspaper in the Red State of Alaska (2025) is a collection of his newspaper columns and essays spanning four decades.