Spider Robinson

Robinson was born in the Bronx, New York City; his father was a salesman.{{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}} He was an avid reader of science fiction, and it was his early childhood exposure to the juvenile novels of Robert A. Heinlein that later influenced him to become a writer.{{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}} 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 yearsRobinson, Spider. The Crazy Years, "School Will Be Ending, Next Month" p. 107. at the State University of New York at Stony Brook in the 1960s,Robinson, Spider. The Crazy Years, "Buzzed High Zonked Stoned Wasted" p. 44. where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English. While at Stony Brook, Spider entertained at campus coffeehouses and gatherings, strumming his guitar and singing in harmony with his female partner.{{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}} 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.{{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}}{{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.}}{{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}} Robinson adopted the name partially out of admiration for blues musician "Spider" John Koerner.{{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}}

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 magazine.{{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}} The story, "The Guy with the Eyes" (Analog, February 1973), was set in a bar called 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.{{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}}{{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}}

In 1973, Robinson moved to Nova Scotia and began writing full-time. 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.

In 1975, he married Jeanne Robinson, a choreographer, dancer, and Sōtō Zen monk, with whom he later co-wrote the Stardance Trilogy.{{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}}{{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}}

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. 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 where the Busted Flush was usually moored in the McGee series. Similarly important to Robinson is writer Donald E. Westlake{{Cite web |title=Spider Robinson |url=http://www.sffaudio.com/features/author-pages/spider-robinson/ |access-date=October 13, 2016 |website=SFFaudio.com}} 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.{{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}} 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.[https://www.sfsite.com/04a/cy197.htm "The Crazy Years: Reflections of a Science Fiction Original"]. SF Site, 2005, review by Kit O'Connell

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.[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[https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7653-1312-6 "Variable Star"]. Publishers Weekly, review 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.[https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780312865245 "The Free Lunch"]. Publishers Weekly review. In an afterword to Variable Star, he recounts the story of how reading Rocket Ship Galileo, and soon after, Heinlein's other Heinlein juvenile novels, helped set the direction for his life, and how he came to write the novel.[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. 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.[http://www.sfreviews.net/variable_star.html "VARIABLE STAR"]. SF Reviews, 2006 by Thomas M. Wagner.

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, and one granddaughter.

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

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.{{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}} Concurrently, he has begun work on his autobiography.{{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)}}

He was named a Guest of Honor at the 76th World Science Fiction Convention in 2018.[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

• John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (1974)
• Hugo Awards for:
• Best Novella (1977) By Any Other Name (later expanded into Telempath){{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–}}
• Best Novella (1978) Stardance (with Jeanne Robinson)
• Best short story (1983) "Melancholy Elephants"[https://newspaperarchive.com/winnipeg-free-press-sep-06-1983-p-26/ "Tempo"]. Winnipeg Free Press, via Newspaper Archives. September 6, 1983 – Page 26
• Nebula Award for:
• Best Novella (1977) Stardance (with Jeanne Robinson)
• 2008 Robert A. Heinlein Award (for Lifetime Achievement)
• 2015 LASFS Forrest J Ackerman Award for Lifetime Achievement{{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}}
• Named a Guest of Honor at the 2018 World Science Fiction Convention{{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}}
• Inkpot Award, 2001[https://www.comic-con.org/awards/inkpot Inkpot Award]

• 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)

• Antinomy (1980)
• Melancholy Elephants Penguin (1984 – Canada; 1985 – United States){{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fiQrAQAAIAAJ |title=The Malahat Review |publisher=University of Victoria. |year=1984 |page=121}}
• 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)

• 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[https://locusmag.com/2018/10/2018-aurora-awards-winners/ "2018 Aurora Awards Winners"]. Locus Mag, October 8, 2018

• Belabouring the Obvious (2000)

• The Crazy Years: Reflections of a Science Fiction Original (2004), a collection of his articles for The Globe and Mail

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

{{reflist}}

{{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}}

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{{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