Russell Thacher was an American author and film producer who co-produced the films Soylent Green and The Last Hard Men together with Walter Seltzer. Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, Thatcher attended New York University and Bucknell University, before serving in the United States Navy during World War II. In addition to working as an editor at Omnibook Magazine and the Book-of-the-Month Club, Thacher authored the novels The Captain, The Tender Age and A Break in the Clouds.