Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is an American author and editor, best known for writing

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

. He is a multiple winner of both

Hugo Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on ...

and

Nebula Award The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of profe ...

s, a member of the

Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame The Museum of Pop Culture or MoPOP is a nonprofit museum in Seattle, Washington, dedicated to contemporary popular culture. It was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2000 as the Experience Music Project. Since then MoPOP has organized ...

, and a Grand Master of SF. He has attended every Hugo Awards ceremony since the inaugural event in 1953.

Biography

Early years

Silverberg was born to

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

parents in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York. A voracious reader since childhood, he began submitting stories to science fiction magazines during his early teenage years. He received a BA in

English Literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, in 1956. While at Columbia, he wrote the juvenile novel ''

Revolt on Alpha C ''Revolt on Alpha C'' is a juvenile science fiction novel by American writer Robert Silverberg, published by Crowell in 1955. It was Silverberg's first published book. Plot summary The story takes place in the year 2363. The protagonist is Ca ...

'' (1955), published by Thomas Y. Crowell with the cover notice: "A gripping story of outer space". He won his first Hugo in 1956 as the "best new writer". That year Silverberg was the author or co-author of four of the six stories in the August issue of ''

Fantastic The fantastic (french: le fantastique) is a subgenre of literary works characterized by the ambiguous presentation of seemingly supernatural forces. Bulgarian-French structuralist literary critic Tzvetan Todorov originated the concept, characte ...

'', breaking his record set in the previous issue. For the next four years, by his own count, he wrote a million words a year, mostly for magazines and

Ace Double American company Ace Books began publishing genre fiction starting in 1952. Initially these were mostly in tête-bêche format with the ends of the two parts meeting in the middle and with a divider between them which functioned as the rear cover ...

s. He used his own name as well as a range of pseudonyms during this era, and often worked in collaboration with

Randall Garrett Gordon Randall Phillip David GarrettGarrett, Randall
in ''

(The Silverberg/Garrett collaborations also used a variety of pseudonyms, the best-known being Robert Randall.) From 1956 to 1959, Silverberg routinely averaged five published stories a month, and he had over 80 stories published in 1958 alone. In 1959, the market for science fiction collapsed, and Silverberg turned his ability to write copiously to other fields, from historical non-fiction to

softcore pornography Softcore pornography or softcore porn, is commercial still photography or film that has a pornographic or erotic component but is less sexually graphic and intrusive than hardcore pornography, defined by a lack of visual sexual penetration. Sof ...

. "Bob Silverberg, a giant of science fiction... was doing two ooksa month for one publisher, another for a second publisher, and the equivalent of another book for a magazine... He was writing a quarter of a million words a month" under many different pseudonyms including about 200 erotic novels published as Don Elliott. In a 2000 interview, Silverberg explained that the erotic fiction (published under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

"Don Elliott")

"... was undertaken at a time when I was saddled with a huge debt, at the age of 26, for a splendid house that I had bought. There would have been no way to pay the house off by writing science fiction ... so I turned out a slew of quick sex novels. I never concealed the fact that I was doing them; it made no difference at all to me whether people knew or not. It was just a job. And it was, incidentally, a job that I did very well. I think they were outstanding erotic novels."

Literary growth

In the mid-1960s, science fiction was becoming more serious and sophisticated.

Frederik Pohl Frederik George Pohl Jr. (; November 26, 1919 – September 2, 2013) was an American science-fiction writer, editor, and fan, with a career spanning nearly 75 years—from his first published work, the 1937 poem "Elegy to a Dead Satelli ...

, then editing three science fiction magazines, offered Silverberg creative freedom in writing for them. Thus inspired, Silverberg returned to the field that gave him his start, paying far more attention to depth of character development and social background than he had in the past and mixing in elements of the

modernist Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...

literature he had studied at Columbia. Silverberg continued to write rapidly—

Algis Budrys Algirdas Jonas "Algis" Budrys (January 9, 1931 – June 9, 2008) was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome (in collaboration with Jerome Bixby), John ...

reported in 1965 that he wrote and sold at least 50,000 words ("call it the equivalent of a commercial novel") weekly—but the novels he wrote in this period are considered superior to his earlier work; Budrys in 1968 wrote of his surprise that "Silverberg is now writing deeply detailed, highly educated, beautifully figured books" like ''

Thorns Thorn(s) or The Thorn(s) may refer to: Botany * Thorns, spines, and prickles, sharp structures on plants * ''Crataegus monogyna'', or common hawthorn, a plant species Comics and literature * Rose and Thorn, the two personalities of two DC Com ...

'' and '' The Masks of Time''. Perhaps the first book to indicate the new Silverberg was ''To Open the Sky'', a

fixup A fix-up (or fixup) is a novel created from several short fiction stories that may or may not have been initially related or previously published. The stories may be edited for consistency, and sometimes new connecting material, such as a frame s ...

of stories published by Pohl in ''

Galaxy Magazine ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published in Boston from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by a French-Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break into the American market. World Editi ...

'', in which a new religion helps people reach the stars. That was followed by '' Downward to the Earth'', a story containing echoes of material from

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and short story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in t ...

's work, in which the human former administrator of an alien world returns after the planet's inhabitants have been set free. Other acclaimed works of that time include '' To Live Again'', in which the memories and personalities of the deceased can be transferred to other people; ''

The World Inside ''The World Inside'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Robert Silverberg, published in 1971. The novel originally appeared as a series of shorter works in 1970 and 1971, all but one published in ''Galaxy'', including the Hugo nominat ...

'', a look at an overpopulated future; and '' Dying Inside'', a tale of a telepath losing his powers. In the August 1967 issue of ''Galaxy'', Silverberg published a 20,000-word novelette called "Hawksbill Station". This story earned Silverberg his first Hugo and Nebula story award nominations. An expanded novel form of ''

Hawksbill Station ''Hawksbill Station'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Robert Silverberg. The novel is an expanded version of a short story first published in ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' in August 1967. The novel was published in 1968 and was release ...

'' was published the following year. In 1969 '' Nightwings'' was awarded the Hugo for best novella. Silverberg won a Nebula award in 1970 for the short story "

Passengers A passenger (also abbreviated as pax) is a person who travels in a vehicle, but does not bear any responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination or otherwise operate the vehicle, and is not a steward. The ...

", two the following year for his novel ''

A Time of Changes ''A Time of Changes'' is a 1971 science fiction novel by American writer Robert Silverberg. It won the Nebula Award for that year, and was also nominated for the 1972 Hugo and Locus Awards. Plot introduction The novel is set in a culture wher ...

'' and the short story " Good News from the Vatican", and yet another in 1975 for his novella "

Born with the Dead "Born with the Dead" is a science fiction novella by Robert Silverberg. It describes a near-future world in which the recently dead can be "rekindled" to a new life, but one in which their personalities and attitudes are radically changed; although ...

Later developments

After suffering through the stresses of a major house fire and a

thyroid The thyroid, or thyroid gland, is an endocrine gland in vertebrates. In humans it is in the neck and consists of two connected lobes. The lower two thirds of the lobes are connected by a thin band of tissue called the thyroid isthmus. The thy ...

malfunction, Silverberg moved from his native

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

to the

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

in 1972, and he announced his retirement from writing in 1975. In 1980 he returned, however, with ''

Lord Valentine's Castle ''Lord Valentine's Castle'' is a novel by Robert Silverberg published in 1980. Plot summary ''Lord Valentine's Castle'' is a novel in which Lord Valentine liberates the planet Majipoor series, Majipoor from tyrannical rule and helps establish a ...

'', a panoramic adventure set on an alien planet, which has become the basis of the

Majipoor series The Majipoor series is a series of novels and stories by American writer Robert Silverberg, set on the planet Majipoor. The setting is a mixture of science fiction and fantasy elements. The series Books in the series: # ''Lord Valentine Cycle' ...

—a cycle of stories and novels set on the vast planet Majipoor, a world much larger than Earth and inhabited by no fewer than seven different species of settlers. In a 2015 interview Silverberg said that he did not intend to write any more fiction. Silverberg received a Nebula award in 1986 for the novella ''

Sailing to Byzantium "Sailing to Byzantium" is a poem by William Butler Yeats, first published in the 1928 collection '' The Tower''. It comprises four stanzas in ottava rima, each made up of eight lines of iambic pentameter. It uses a journey to Byzantium (Const ...

'', which takes its name from the poem by William Butler Yeats; a Hugo in 1987 for the novella ''

Gilgamesh in the Outback ''Gilgamesh in the Outback'' is a science fiction novella by American writer Robert Silverberg, a sequel to his historical novel '' Gilgamesh the King'' as well as a story in the shared universe series ''Heroes in Hell''. It won the Hugo Award fo ...

'', set in the '' Heroes in Hell'' universe of

Bangsian Fantasy Bangsian fantasy is a fantasy genre which concerns the use of the afterlife as the main setting within which its characters, who may be famous preexisting historical or fictional figures, act and interact. It is named for John Kendrick Bangs (1 ...

; a Hugo in 1990 for ''Enter a Soldier. Later: Enter Another''. The

inducted Silverberg in 1999, its fourth class of two deceased and two living writers, and the

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, doing business as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, commonly known as SFWA ( or ) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. While ...

made him its 21st

SFWA Grand Master The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is a lifetime honor presented annually by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) to no more than one living writer of fantasy or science fiction. It was inaugurated in 1975 when Robe ...

in 2005.

Personal life

Silverberg has been married twice. He and Barbara Brown married in 1956, separated in 1976, and divorced a decade later. Silverberg and science fiction writer

Karen Haber Karen Haber (born January 9,"She came upon the story somehow, was startled and amused to find that she shared a birthday with its protagonist (...) Her name was Karen Haber (...) Today was her birthday, the seventh of January": introduction to "Ca ...

married in 1987. They live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Before the age of 30, Silverberg was independently wealthy through his investments and once owned the former mansion of New York City Mayor

Fiorello La Guardia Fiorello Henry LaGuardia (; born Fiorello Enrico LaGuardia, ; December 11, 1882September 20, 1947) was an American attorney and politician who represented New York in the House of Representatives and served as the 99th Mayor of New York City fro ...

Awards

Hugo Awards * Most Promising New Author (1956) * ''Nightwings'' (Best Novella, 1969) * ''Gilgamesh in the Outback'' (Best Novella, 1987) * "Enter a Soldier. Later: Enter Another" (Best Novelette, 1990) Locus Award * ''

'' (Best Novella, 1975) * ''

'' (Best Fantasy Novel, 1981) * ''The Secret Sharer'' (Best Novella, 1988) Nebula Awards * "Passengers" (Best Short Story, 1969) * ''

'' (Best Novel, 1971) * "Good News from the Vatican" (Best Short Story, 1971) * ''Born with the Dead'' (Best Novella, 1974) * ''Sailing to Byzantium'' (Best Novella, 1985) * Damon Knight Grand Master Award (2003)

Bibliography

References

External links

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Silverberg, Robert 1935 births 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists American alternate history writers American erotica writers American fantasy writers American male novelists American male short story writers American science fiction writers Anthologists Asimov's Science Fiction people Columbia College (New York) alumni Erasmus Hall High School alumni Hugo Award-winning writers Jewish American novelists Jewish American short story writers Living people Nebula Award winners Novelists from New York (state) Science fiction editors Science fiction fans Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees SFWA Grand Masters Writers from Brooklyn