鲍伯·萧尔

罗伯特·肖（英语：Robert Shaw，1931年12月31日—1996年2月11日），笔名鲍勃·肖（英语：Bob Shaw），是北爱尔兰的科幻小说作家、评论家和科幻迷 。他曾于1979年和1980年两度获得雨果奖最佳粉丝作家奖。他的短篇小说《昔日之光》曾获1967年雨果奖提名，长篇小说《衣衫褴褛的宇航员》也曾获1987年雨果奖提名。

Robert Shaw (31 December 1931 – 11 February 1996) was a science fiction writer and fan from Northern Ireland, noted for his originality and wit. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980. His short story "Light of Other Days" was a Hugo Award nominee in 1967, as was his novel The Ragged Astronauts in 1987.

Life

Shaw was born and raised in Belfast, the eldest of three sons of a policeman. He learned of science fiction at about 11 years old when he read an A. E. van Vogt short story in an early edition of Astounding Science-Fiction magazine. During the Second World War, American troops passed through Northern Ireland and often left their used SF magazines behind at Smithfield Market, where they were available for locals. He later described the experience as being more significant and long-lasting than taking LSD. He attended Belfast College of Technology. In 1950 he joined the group Irish Fandom, which also included another Northern Irish science fiction writer James White, and met at the house of Walt Willis on Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast. The group was influential in the early history of science fiction fandom and produced fanzines Hyphen and Slant; Shaw contributed material to both. Shaw acquired the nickname "BoSh" during this period. His first professional science fiction short story was published in 1954, followed by several others.

He gave up writing and went with his first wife Sadie (née Sarah Gourley) and their son and two daughters to live in Canada from 1956 to 1958. His novel Vertigo is set in Alberta, and Orbitsville's limitless grasslands may have been influenced by this period in his life. Originally trained as a structural engineer, he worked as an aircraft designer for Short and Harland, then as science correspondent to The Belfast Telegraph from 1966 to 1969, and as publicity officer for Vickers Shipbuilding (1973–1975), before starting to write full-time. In April 1973, during the Troubles, Shaw and his family moved from Northern Ireland to England, where he produced most of his published work: first to Ulverston, then to Grappenhall in Warrington. After Sadie died suddenly in 1991, Shaw lived alone there for some years.

Shaw nearly lost his eyesight through illness, and suffered migraine-induced visual disturbances throughout his life. Speculative treatments of seeing, and references to eyes and vision, appear in some of his works. He was known as a drinker, and at one stage considered himself an alcoholic. He was quoted in 1991 as saying: "I write science fiction for people who don't read a great deal of science fiction." He married American Nancy Tucker in 1995 and went to the US to live with her, then returned to England in the last months of his life. Shaw died of cancer on 11 February 1996.

Works

Shaw is the author of "Pilot Plant" (May 1966) which first appeared in New Worlds (May 1966) and "Light of Other Days" (August 1966), the story that introduced the concept of slow glass, through which the past can be seen. Shaw sold this story to Analog editor John W. Campbell, who liked it so much Shaw wrote a sequel for him, "Burden of Proof", in May 1967. The original story was written in four hours, but after years of planning. Shaw expanded on the concept in the novel Other Days, Other Eyes, and the concept was adopted by the Marvel Comics/Curtis Magazines anthology magazine Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction.