Peter Soyer Beagle first opened his eyes in the vibrant Bronx, New York, on April 29, 1939. His academic journey led him to the University of Pittsburgh, where he remarkably earned his Bachelor's degree by the tender age of nineteen in 1959. Pursuing further education, he ventured to Stanford University for graduate studies from 1960 to 1961. Much of his life has since unfolded under the Californian sun. In 1964, he married Enid Elaine Nordeen; their union brought forth three children before concluding in 1980. Presently, Beagle shares his life with Padma Hajmadi, an esteemed Indian author and photographer, and together they are well-known figures in the lively circles of Davis, California.

From 1968 to 1969, Beagle held the position of vice-chairman for the Santa Cruz chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Despite his declaration, "I don't write sequels," the novella Giant Bones and other tales in the 1997 Giant Bones collection unfold in the fantastical world of The Innkeeper's Song. The novella Lal and Soukyan also features characters from this mythical realm. He explains, "I made it [the world of The Innkeeper's Song] as substantial as I could, because that's my job; but it was never supposed to be more than a backdrop, a stage set. It wasn't intended to last." Nonetheless, Beagle found himself "curiously lonely for it. And that had never happened to me before." This longing inspired him to weave narratives within the world of The Innkeeper's Song, a place that might never bear another name. The novella Giant Bones stands as one of these stories, not as a continuation of any previous work, but rooted in the world depicted in The Innkeeper's Song. Beagle candidly reveals, "the entire plot of Giant Bones itself showed up one morning in the shower. I'm good in the shower."