Michael Lennox Blake ( July 5 , 1945 -- May 2 , 2015 ) was an American author , best known for the film adaptation of his novel `` Dances with Wolves '' .
Michael Lennox Blake ( July 5 , 1945 -- May 2 , 2015 ) was an American author and screenwriter . He was best known for the movie adaptation of his novel `` Dances with Wolves '' , for which he won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe .