Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos de Laclos (October 18, 1741 – September 5, 1803) was a French writer, official and military officer famous for Les Liaisons dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) and also known as the inventor of the modern artillery shell.  Born and raised in Amiens, he attended military academy and climbed the ranks as an artillery officer in various postings.  Bored by the military, he began writing poetry, comic opera, and other works before starting on Dangerous Liaisons in 1779. His goal was to "write a work which departed from the ordinary, which made a noise, and which would remain on earth after his death".

He was an active freemason and helped Louis Phillippe II, Duke of Orleans, lead the Grand Orient of France, the largest Masonic order in France. He left the army in 1788 to serve the Duke of Orleans, undertaking diplomatic duties during the French Revolution. He left the Duke to serve in the Republican Ministry of War. He eventually joined the party of Napolean Bonaparte and was appointed Brigadier General in the army of the Rhine in 1800. He died of dysentery and malaria in 1803 while serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Reserve artillery in Taranto, Italy.