Thomas Harris (born in Jackson, Tennessee April 11, 1940), American author of crime novels, most notably The Silence of the Lambs, made into the Oscar-winning movie starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

Harris grew up in the South, went to Baylor University, where he majored in English. Throughout college, Harris worked as a reporter for the local paper. He covered the police beat, which undoubtedly stoked his own interest in crime and law enforcement. By 1968, Harris had made his way to New York City to work for Associated Press. He continued to work as a reporter until he began writing Black Sunday in 1974.