A graduate of UCLA with a Bachelor's degree in Astronomy, he worked for the U.S. Navy as a civilian space scientist before becoming a full-time writer. He has also worked as a writer and editor for the San Francisco Ball, designed and written manuals for a number of computer games, and co-taught a writing class at the California State University at Northridge. A member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), he has served as editor of its SFWA Bulletin and held the position of the association's western regional director.

Goldin has been married twice, first to Kathleen Sky (from 1972-1982) and later to Mary Mason (from 1987 to present). He has collaborated with both in his fiction. Goldin lives in California.

Goldin's "The Last Ghost" was a 1972 nominee for the Nebula Award for best short story.

Series

• Family d'Alembert (based on a novella by E.E. "Doc" Smith):
• Imperial Stars (with E.E. "Doc" Smith, 1976)
• Stranglers' Moon (1976)
• The Clockwork Traitor (1977)
• Getaway World (1977)
• Appointment at Bloodstar (1978)
• The Purity Plot (1978)
• Planet of Treachery (1982)
• Eclipsing Binaries (1983)
• The Omicron Invasion (1984)
• Revolt of the Galaxy (1985)

• The Parsina Saga
• Shrine of the Desert Mage (1988)
• The Storyteller and the Jann (1988)
• Crystals of Air and Water (1989)
• Treachery of the Demon King (2002)

• The Rehumanization of Jade Darcy (with Mary Mason):
• Jade Darcy and the Affair of Honor (1988)
• Jade Darcy and the Zen Pirates (1990)

• The Mindsaga
• Mindflight (1978)
• Mindsearch (2002 - ebook only)

Novels

• And Not Make Dreams Your Master (1981)
• Assault on the Gods (1977)
• Caravan (1975)
• Crossroads of the Galaxy (1999)
• The Eternity Brigade (1975)
• Finish Line (1976)
• Herds (1975)
• Scavenger Hunt (1976)
• Star Rooks (2004 - ebook only) (with Kathleen Sky)
• Trek to Madworld (Star Trek) (1979)
• A World Called Solitude (1981)
• Polly! (2008)

Collections

• The Last Ghost and Other Stories (collection) (1999)

Anthologies (editor)

• The Alien Condition (1973)
• Protostars (1971) (with David Gerrold)

Nonfiction

• An Hour with Kathleen Sky (cassette audiobook) (1979) (with Kathleen Sky)
• The Business of Being a Writer (1982) (with Kathleen Sky)