Editing Spider Robinson

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Short description|Canadian science fiction author (born 1948)}}
{{Infobox writer
| name             = Spider Robinson
| image            = Spider Robinson (cropped).jpg
| caption          = Robinson at the 2004 Necronomicon
| occupation       = Author
| genre            = [[Science fiction]]
| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|1948|11|24}}
| birth_place      = New York City, U.S.
| nationality      = Canadian
| awards           = 
}}

'''Spider Robinson''' (born November 24, 1948) is an American-born Canadian [[science fiction]] author. He has won a number of awards for his [[hard science fiction]] and humorous stories, including the [[Hugo Award]] 1977 and 1983, and another Hugo with his co-author and wife [[Jeanne Robinson]] in 1978.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Spider Robinson |encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]] |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/spider-robinson |access-date=September 11, 2019 |last1=Boyd |first1=Colin |date=December 15, 2013 |last2=Grandy |first2=Karen}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1978 Hugo Awards |url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1978-hugo-awards/ |access-date=March 19, 2020 |website=The Hugo Awards|date=July 26, 2007 }}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Robinson was born in [[the Bronx]], [[New York City]]; his father was a salesman.<ref name=Kimber /><ref name="Ketterer1992">{{Cite book |last=Ketterer |first=David |url=https://archive.org/details/canadiansciencef00davi |title=Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy |publisher=Indiana University Press |year=1992 |isbn=0-253-33122-6 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/canadiansciencef00davi/page/79 79]–80 |url-access=registration}}</ref> He was an avid reader of science fiction, and it was his early childhood exposure to the [[Heinlein juveniles|juvenile novels]] of [[Robert A. Heinlein]] that later influenced him to become a writer.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wells |first=Paul |title=Spider and his long dead co-author {{!}} Maclean's {{!}} October 16, 2006 |url=https://archive.macleans.ca/article/2006/10/16/spider-and-his-long-dead-co-author |access-date=January 27, 2022 |website=Maclean's {{!}} The Complete Archive |language=en-US}}</ref> He attended a Catholic high school, spending his junior year in a [[seminary]]; this was followed by two years in a Catholic college, and five years<ref>Robinson, Spider. ''The Crazy Years'', "School Will Be Ending, Next Month" p. 107.</ref> at the [[Stony Brook University|State University of New York at Stony Brook]] in the 1960s,<ref>Robinson, Spider. ''The Crazy Years'', "Buzzed High Zonked Stoned Wasted" p. 44.</ref> where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English.<ref name=Kimber /> While at Stony Brook, Spider entertained at campus coffeehouses and gatherings, strumming his guitar and singing in harmony with his female partner.<ref name="bio">{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Spider |title=Spider Robinson's Bio |url=http://www.spiderrobinson.com/bio.html |access-date=October 13, 2016 |website=SpiderRobinson.com}}</ref> It was at this time that his friends, at his request, stopped calling him his childhood nickname of "Robbie" (a simple contraction of his last name, Robinson) and gave him the nickname "Spider", which he eventually adopted as his official first name.<ref name="JM">{{Cite magazine |last=Richards |first=Linda |title=Spider Robinson talks about...callahan's, usenet & becoming spider |url=https://www.januarymagazine.com/profiles/spiderrobinson4.html |magazine=[[January Magazine]]}}</ref>{{Not in source|date=November 2023|reason=Source says "So I've been Spider for so long it's as official as it gets now." and something about bank account in that name but no deed poll or other such judicial or governmental change noted.}}<ref name="Heaphy2010">{{Cite book |last=Heaphy |first=Maura |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y65aAAAAYAAJ |title=100 Most Popular Science Fiction Authors: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies |publisher=Libraries Unlimited |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-59158-746-0 |pages=353–354}}</ref> Robinson adopted the name partially out of admiration for blues musician [[John Koerner|"Spider" John Koerner]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Spider |date=July 13, 2006 |title=Spider's Diary: The Best Music Festival I Know |url=http://www.spiderrobinson.com/vimfestival.html |website=Spider Robinson: Online Diary}}</ref>

== Career ==
In 1971, just out of college, Robinson took a night job guarding sewers in New York City, and wanting a career change, began writing science fiction. He made his first short-story sale in 1972 to ''[[Analog Science Fiction and Fact|Analog Science Fiction]]'' magazine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 12, 1983 |title=Lethbridge Herald Newspaper Archives, Mar 12, 1983, p. 21 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/lethbridge-herald-mar-12-1983-p-21/ |access-date=January 27, 2022 |website=NewspaperArchive.com |language=en}}</ref> The story, "The Guy with the Eyes" (''Analog'', February 1973), was set in a bar called [[Callahan's Crosstime Saloon|Callahan's Place]]; Robinson would, off-and-on, continue to write stories about the denizens of Callahan's into the 21st century. The stories have been collected into a number of published books.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The SF Site Featured Review: Callahan's Con |url=https://www.sfsite.com/10b/cc162.htm |access-date=January 27, 2022 |website=www.sfsite.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=February 20, 2004 |title=Callahan's Con |url=https://quillandquire.com/review/callahan-s-con/ |access-date=January 27, 2022 |website=Quill and Quire |language=en}}</ref>

In 1973, Robinson moved to Nova Scotia and began writing full-time.<ref name="Ketterer1992" /> He made several short-story sales to ''Analog'', ''[[Galaxy Science Fiction]]'' magazine, and others, earning the John Campbell Award for best new writer in 1974.<ref name="Ketterer1992" />

In 1975, he married [[Jeanne Robinson]], a choreographer, dancer, and [[Sōtō]] [[Zen]] monk, with whom he later co-wrote the [[Stardance Trilogy]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rupp |first=Shannon |date=June 7, 2010 |title=Jeanne Robinson brought modern dance to Halifax |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/jeanne-robinson-brought-modern-dance-to-halifax/article4321697/ |access-date=January 27, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Kimber">{{Cite web |date=December 20, 1980 |title=Lethbridge Herald Newspaper Archives, Dec 20, 1980, p. 67 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/lethbridge-herald-dec-20-1980-p-67/ |access-date=January 27, 2022 |website=NewspaperArchive.com |language=en}}</ref>

He worked as a book reviewer for ''Galaxy'' magazine during the mid-to-late 1970s. In 1978–79, he contributed book reviews to [[Jim Baen]]'s original anthology series ''[[Destinies]]''. For several years after he reviewed books for ''Analog'', including reviews of Heinlein's later work.

Robinson's first published novel, ''[[Telempath]]'' (1976), was an expansion of his [[Hugo Award]]–winning novella ''By Any Other Name''.<ref name="Ketterer1992" /> Over the following three decades, Robinson on average released a book a year, including short story anthologies.

In 1977, Robinson released ''[[Callahan's Crosstime Saloon]]'', a collection of short stories in his long-running Callahan's series. These stories, and later novels, make frequent reference to the works of mystery writer [[John D. MacDonald]]; his character Lady Sally McGee reflects [[Travis McGee]], the central character in MacDonald's mystery novels. The lead character in ''Lady Slings the Booze'' frequently refers to Travis McGee as a role model. In ''Callahan's Key'' the patrons make a visit to the marina near [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale]] where the ''Busted Flush'' was usually moored in the McGee series.   Similarly important to Robinson is writer [[Donald E. Westlake]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spider Robinson |url=http://www.sffaudio.com/features/author-pages/spider-robinson/ |access-date=October 13, 2016 |website=SFFaudio.com}}</ref> and Westlake's most famous character, [[John Dortmunder]].

In 1992, Robinson was master-of-ceremonies for the Hugo Awards at MagiCon, the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) in [[Orlando, Florida]].<ref name="Bacon-Smith2000">{{Cite book |last=Bacon-Smith |first=Camille |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oCvIZpCSRA0C&pg=PA61 |title=Science Fiction Culture |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |year=2000 |isbn=0-8122-1530-3 |page=61}}</ref> From 1996 to 2005, he served as a columnist in the op-ed section (and briefly in the technology section) of ''[[The Globe and Mail]]''.<ref>[https://www.sfsite.com/04a/cy197.htm "The Crazy Years: Reflections of a Science Fiction Original"]. ''SF Site'', 2005, review by  Kit O'Connell</ref>

In 2004, Robinson began working on a seven-page 1955 novel outline by the late [[Robert A. Heinlein]] to expand it into a novel. The book, titled ''[[Variable Star]]'', was released on September 19, 2006.<ref>[https://newspaperarchive.com/winnipeg-free-press-feb-03-2008-p-36/ "Sci-fi collaboration made in heaven"]. ''Winnipeg Free Press'', via Newspaper Archives. February 3, 2008 – Page 36</ref><ref>[https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7653-1312-6 "Variable Star"]. ''Publishers Weekly'', review</ref> Robinson had previously written of his admiration for Heinlein in his 1980 essay "Rah, Rah, R.A.H.!", in the 1998 "Mentors", and in his book ''The Free Lunch''.<ref>[https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780312865245 "The Free Lunch"]. ''Publishers Weekly'' review.</ref> In an afterword to ''Variable Star'', he recounts the story of how reading ''[[Rocket Ship Galileo]]'', and soon after, Heinlein's other [[Heinlein juveniles|Heinlein juvenile]] novels, helped set the direction for his life, and how he came to write the novel.<ref>[https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/31468/variable-star-by-robert-a-heinlein-spider-robinson-read-by-spider-robinson/ "VARIABLE STAR "]. review in ''Audiophile'' magazine, February–March 2008.</ref>  The novel reflects the very different writing styles of both Heinlein and Robinson; reviews of the books were mixed, praising Robinson's handling of a difficult task and the lively story, but criticizing the unlikely plot twists and trite romantic scenes.<ref>[http://www.sfreviews.net/variable_star.html "VARIABLE STAR"]. ''SF Reviews'', 2006 by Thomas M. Wagner.</ref>

== Personal life ==

Robinson has resided in Canada for nearly 40 years, primarily in the provinces of [[Nova Scotia]] and [[British Columbia]]. He and his wife Jeanne had a daughter, Terri Luanna da Silva, who once worked for [[Martha Stewart]],<ref name=JM /> and one granddaughter.

After living in [[Vancouver]] for a decade,<ref>Robinson, Spider. ''The Crazy Years'', "I Want a Really Interactive Newspaper" p. 78.</ref> he moved to [[Bowen Island]] in about 1999.<ref>[https://www.pressreader.com/canada/vancouver-sun/20100923/284640368681443 "Words from the Heart of Spider's Web"]. ''Vancouver Sun'', September 23, 2010, by GraemeMcRanor.</ref> He became a Canadian citizen in 2002, retaining his American citizenship.<ref>Robinson, Spider. ''The Crazy Years'', "Citizen Keen" p. 53–55.</ref> Jeanne underwent treatment for [[Cholangiocarcinoma|biliary cancer]], and died May 30, 2010.<ref name="Spider">{{Cite web |title=Spider Robinson's official website |url=http://www.spiderrobinson.com/index2.html |access-date=September 2, 2009}}</ref> Their daughter Terri died of [[breast cancer]] on December 5, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Graceful Woman Warrior |url=http://gracefulwomanwarrior.com |access-date=December 27, 2014}}</ref>

Robinson suffered a [[heart attack]] on August 31, 2013, but recovered.  Due to the health issues faced by both himself and his family, he has not published a novel since 2008. In 2013, Robinson reported on his website that work on his next book ''Orphan Stars'' was progressing, albeit slowly.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Spider |date=September 14, 2013 |title=Spider's Online Diary |url=http://spiderrobinson.com/diary13.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405022540/http://spiderrobinson.com/diary13.html |archive-date=April 5, 2016 |access-date=December 8, 2018 |website=Spider Robinson}}</ref> Concurrently, he has begun work on his autobiography.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beairsto |first=Bronwyn |date=August 16, 2018 |title=Spider Robinson's star shines in Worldcon's sci-fi universe |url=https://www.bowenislandundercurrent.com/news/spider-robinson-s-star-shines-in-worldcon-s-sci-fi-universe-1.23403589 |access-date=January 11, 2019 |website=Bowen Island Undercurrent (Online Newspaper)}}</ref>

He was named a Guest of Honor at the [[76th World Science Fiction Convention|76th World Science Fiction Convention in 2018]].<ref>[https://www.bowenislandundercurrent.com/news/spider-robinson-s-star-shines-in-worldcon-s-sci-fi-universe-1.23403589 "Joy and Pun-ishment: Callahan's Crosstime Saloon by Spider Robinson"]. ''Bowen Island Undercurrent'', Alan Brown, September 28, 2017</ref>

== Awards and honors ==
* [[Astounding Award for Best New Writer|John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer]] (1974)<ref name="Kimber" />
* [[Hugo Award]]s for:
** [[Hugo Award for Best Novella|Best Novella]] (1977) ''By Any Other Name'' (later expanded into'' [[Telempath]]'')<ref name="ReginaldMenville2010">{{Cite book |last1=Reginald |first1=R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P8zW2AH6150C&pg=PA776 |title=Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature |last2=Douglas Menville |last3=Mary A. Burgess |date=September 1, 2010 |publisher=Wildside Press LLC |isbn=978-0-941028-76-9 |pages=767–}}</ref>
** Best Novella (1978) ''Stardance'' (with [[Jeanne Robinson]])
** [[Hugo Award for Best Short Story|Best short story]] (1983) "[[Melancholy Elephants]]"<ref>[https://newspaperarchive.com/winnipeg-free-press-sep-06-1983-p-26/ "Tempo"]. ''Winnipeg Free Press'', via Newspaper Archives. September 6, 1983 – Page 26</ref>
* [[Nebula Award]] for:
** [[Nebula Award for Best Novella|Best Novella]] (1977) ''Stardance'' (with Jeanne Robinson)
* 2008 [[Robert A. Heinlein Award]] (for Lifetime Achievement)
* 2015 [[Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society|LASFS]] [[Forrest J Ackerman|Forrest J Ackerman Award for Lifetime Achievement]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Forry Award Winners |url=http://www.lasfsinc.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=70&Itemid=175 |access-date=March 12, 2018 |website=lasfsinc.info}}</ref>
* Named a Guest of Honor at the [[76th World Science Fiction Convention|2018 World Science Fiction Convention]]<ref name="Worldcon SJ">{{Cite web |last=JoPhan |date=August 20, 2016 |title=San José to Host 2018 Worldcon |url=http://www.worldcon.org/2016/08/20/san-jose-to-host-2018-worldcon/ |access-date=October 13, 2016 |website=Worldcon.org}}</ref>
* [[Inkpot Award]], 2001<ref>[https://www.comic-con.org/awards/inkpot Inkpot Award]</ref>

== Published works ==
=== Novels and collections of linked stories ===
{|class="sortable wikitable"
|+ The following table can be sorted by any column.<br />
! Year !! Title !! Co-author !! Series !! Notes
|-
|1976
|''[[Telempath]]''
|
|
|
|-
|1977
|''[[Callahan's Crosstime Saloon]]''
|
|Callahan's/Jake Stonebender
|Collection of linked stories
|-
|1979
|''[[Stardance]]''
|Jeanne Robinson
|[[Stardance Trilogy]]
|
|-
|1981
|''Time Travelers Strictly Cash''
|
|Callahan's/Jake Stonebender
|Collection of linked stories; also contains several non-Callahan's stories
|-
|1982
|''[[Mindkiller]]''
|
|Deathkiller Trilogy
|
|-
|1985
|''[[Night of Power (novel)|Night of Power]]''<ref>[https://www.popmatters.com/10-hip-hopartists-foray-into-sci-fi-2612415792.html "Sci-Fi Goes Hi-Fi: 10 Artists' Foray into Hip-Hop Futurism"]. ''Pop Matters'', Imran Khan, October 23, 2018</ref>
|
|
|
|-
|1986
|''Callahan's Secret''
|
|Callahan's/Jake Stonebender
|Collection of linked stories
|-
|1987
|''[[Mindkiller#Sequel stories|Time Pressure]]''<ref name="CollinsLatham1988">{{Cite book |last1=Collins |first1=Robert A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EJ2BvOQUf0oC&pg=PA41 |title=Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Review Annual |last2=Robert Latham |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=1988 |isbn=978-0-88736-249-1 |page=41}}</ref><ref name="Hedblad2001">{{Cite book |last=Hedblad |first=Alan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=749kAAAAMAAJ |title=Something About the Author: Facts and Pictures About Authors and Illustrators of Books for Young People |date=January 1, 2001 |publisher=Gale / Cengage Learning |isbn=978-0-7876-4036-1 |page=177}}</ref>
|
|Deathkiller Trilogy
|
|-
|1989
|''[[Callahan's Lady]]''
|
|Lady Sally's
|
|-
|1991
|''[[Starseed (novel)|Starseed]]''
|Jeanne Robinson
| [[Stardance Trilogy]]
|
|-
|1992
|''Lady Slings the Booze''
|
|Lady Sally's
|An excerpt from ''Lady Slings the Booze'' was published in a special edition novella called ''Kill the Editor'' in 1991.
|-
|1993
|''The Callahan Touch''
|
|Callahan's/Jake Stonebender
|
|-
|1995
|''[[Starmind (novel)|Starmind]]''
|Jeanne Robinson
| [[Stardance Trilogy]]
|
|-
|1996
|''Callahan's Legacy''
|
|Callahan's/Jake Stonebender
|
|-
|1997
|''[[Lifehouse (novel)|Lifehouse]]''
|
|Deathkiller Trilogy
|
|-
|2000
|''Callahan's Key''
|
||Callahan's/Jake Stonebender
|
|-
|2001
|''[[The Free Lunch]]''
|
|
|
|-
|2003
|''Callahan's Con''
|
|Callahan's/Jake Stonebender
|
|-
|2004
|''[[Very Bad Deaths]]''
|
|Russell Walker
|
|-
|2006
|''[[Variable Star]]''
|[[Robert A. Heinlein]]
|
|Based on an outline Heinlein prepared in 1955.
|-
|2008
|''[[Very Hard Choices]]''
|
|Russell Walker
|
|-
|}

=== Omnibus volumes ===
* ''Callahan and Company'' (1988) – (omnibus edition of ''Callahan's Crosstime Saloon'', ''Time Travelers Strictly Cash'', and ''Callahan's Secret'')
* ''Off the Wall at Callahan's'' (1994) – (a collection of quotes from books in the Callahan's/Lady Sally series)
* ''The Callahan Chronicals'' (1997) – (retitled republication of ''Callahan and Company'')
* ''The Star Dancers'' (1997) (with Jeanne Robinson) (omnibus edition of ''Stardance'' and ''Starseed'')

=== Short story collections ===
* ''[[Antinomy (novel)|Antinomy]]'' (1980)
* ''[[Melancholy Elephants]]'' Penguin (1984 – Canada; 1985 – United States)<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fiQrAQAAIAAJ |title=The Malahat Review |publisher=University of Victoria. |year=1984 |page=121}}</ref>
* ''True Minds'' (1990)
* ''User Friendly'' (1998)
* ''By Any Other Name'' (2001)
* ''God Is an Iron and Other Stories'' (2002)
* ''My Favorite Shorts'' (2016; e-book only)

=== Anthologies ===
* ''The Best of All Possible Worlds'' (1980) – collection of works by other authors edited and introduced by Robinson
* ''"Compostela" Tesseracts 20'' – with James Alan Gardner<ref>[https://locusmag.com/2018/10/2018-aurora-awards-winners/ "2018 Aurora Awards Winners"]. ''Locus Mag'', October 8, 2018</ref>

=== Discography ===
* ''Belabouring the Obvious'' (2000)

=== Collected essays ===
* ''The Crazy Years: Reflections of a Science Fiction Original'' (2004), a collection of his articles for ''[[The Globe and Mail]]''

== References ==
* {{Cite book |last=Robinson |first=Spider |title=Telempath |publisher=Berkley |year=1976 |isbn=0-399-11796-2 |location=New York}}
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* [http://www.spiderrobinson.com/ Official website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/19990826160106/http://scifan.com/writers/rr/RobinsonSpider.asp Bibliography] on SciFan
* [http://www.thefutureandyou.libsyn.com/?search_string=spider&Submit=Search&search=1 All of Spider Robinson's audio interviews on the podcast ''The Future and You''] (in which he describes his expectations of the future)
* {{isfdb name | id=Spider_Robinson | name=Spider Robinson}}
* [http://www.spiderrobinson.com/stardance/index.html The Stardance Project], a computer-generated film based on ''Stardance''
* [http://www.thefutureandyou.libsyn.com/?search_string=Jeanne&Submit=Search&search=1 Jeanne Robinson's audio interviews on the podcast ''The Future And You''] (the history of her Stardance Project and her collaboration with Spider on the Stardance novels)
{{Hugo Award Best Novella}}
{{Hugo Award Best Short Story 1981–2000}}
{{Inkpot Award 2000s}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Science Fiction}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Spider}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian novelists]]
[[Category:Canadian male novelists]]
[[Category:Canadian podcasters]]
[[Category:Canadian science fiction writers]]
[[Category:Canadian speculative fiction critics]]
[[Category:Hugo Award–winning writers]]
[[Category:Inkpot Award winners]]
[[Category:John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer winners]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Nebula Award winners]]
[[Category:Science fiction critics]]