Spider Robinson

About the Author

Science fiction author Spider Robinson was born in the Bronx, New York on November 24, 1948. He received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the State University of New York. He began writing professionally in 1972 and has won numerous awards including three Hugos, one Nebula, and the John W. show more Campbell Award for Best New Writer. He is best known for his Callahan stories and for the Stardance Sequence, which he co-wrote with his wife Jeanne Robinson. He was selected by the Heinlein Prize Trust to write Variable Star, a novel based on a 1955 outline created by Robert A. Heinlein. He also worked as a book reviewer for Galaxy, Analog, and New Destinies magazines and his opinion column Future Tense has appeared in The Globe and Mail since 1996. In 2001, he released Belaboring the Obvious, a CD featuring original music. He currently lives in Bowen Island, Brisith Columbia, Canada with his wife. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Includes the names: Spdr Robnson, Spide Robinson, Spider Robonson, Spider Robinson, Spider ed. Robinson, Spider zzz-Robinson, Spider et al Robinson

Disambiguation Notice:

Spider Robinson (b. 1948), American born science fiction author; resides in Canada; since 2002 he has had dual American and Canadian citizenship; has used the pen name B.D. Wyatt

Image credit: Richard A. Wales, June 2001 at University of Washington Bookstore, Seattle, WA

Series

Callahan's

Lady Sally's

The Stardance Trilogy

The Place

Mary's Place

The Lifehouse trilogy

Russell Walker

Works by Spider Robinson

Popular Recent

Callahan's Crosstime Saloon (1977) 1,494 copies, 33 reviews

Variable Star (2006) — Author — 1,240 copies, 43 reviews

Callahan's Lady (1989) 1,044 copies, 14 reviews

Time Travelers Strictly Cash (1981) 933 copies, 9 reviews

Lady Slings the Booze (1992) 913 copies, 15 reviews

Stardance (1977) 812 copies, 9 reviews

The Callahan Touch (1993) 790 copies, 4 reviews

Callahan's Secret (1986) 785 copies, 6 reviews

The Callahan Chronicals, or Callahan and Company (1989) 755 copies, 10 reviews

Callahan's Legacy (1996) 721 copies, 6 reviews

Callahan's Key (2000) 718 copies, 8 reviews

Telempath (1976) 673 copies, 5 reviews

Callahan's Con (2003) 563 copies, 15 reviews

Mindkiller (1982) 499 copies, 3 reviews

Time Pressure (1987) 461 copies, 4 reviews

User Friendly (1998) 416 copies, 5 reviews

Starseed (1991) 408 copies, 2 reviews

The Free Lunch (2001) 377 copies, 5 reviews

By Any Other Name (2001) 361 copies, 4 reviews

Starmind (1995) 348 copies, 3 reviews

Very Bad Deaths (2004) 344 copies, 8 reviews

Lifehouse (1997) 315 copies, 6 reviews

Night of Power (1985) 290 copies, 7 reviews

Melancholy Elephants (1984) 244 copies, 5 reviews

Deathkiller (1996) 231 copies, 1 review

Off the Wall at Callahan's (1994) 226 copies, 6 reviews

Antinomy (1980) 174 copies

Very Hard Choices (2008) 164 copies, 9 reviews

The Star Dancers (1997) 122 copies

The Crazy Years: Reflections of a Science Fiction Original (2004) 100 copies, 2 reviews

The Stardance Trilogy omnibus of Stardance, Starseed and Starmind (2006) 89 copies, 4 reviews

The Best of All Possible Worlds (1980) 81 copies, 2 reviews

The Lifehouse Trilogy (2007) 46 copies, 2 reviews

Compostela: Tesseracts Twenty (2017) — Editor — 44 copies, 18 reviews

God Is an Iron and Other Stories (2002) 38 copies, 1 review

True Minds [short story] (1991) 21 copies

Kill the Editor (1991) 18 copies, 1 review

Stardance [short fiction] (1977) 9 copies, 1 review

The Guy with the Eyes [short story] (1973) 6 copies

When No Man Pursueth (1974) 6 copies

Author's Choice Monthly, Issue 12 (1991) 5 copies

The Time-Traveler (1974) 5 copies

The Magnificent Conspiracy (1977) 4 copies

By Any Other Name [short story] (1976) 4 copies

Antinomy [short story] 4 copies

The Centipede's Dilemma (1977) 4 copies

Serpents' Teeth [short story] 4 copies

Pyotr's Story (1981) 4 copies

And Subsequent Construction (1995) 4 copies

Soul Search (1979) 3 copies

Overdose 3 copies

Two Heads Are Better Than One [short story] (1975) 3 copies

A Voice Is Heard in Ramah . . . [short story] (1975) 3 copies

Copyright Violation 3 copies

Half an Oaf 3 copies

The Law of Conservation of Pain [short story] (1977) 3 copies

Unnatural Causes [novelette] (1975) 3 copies

Not Fade Away 3 copies

Dog Day Evening (1977) 3 copies

Too Soon We Grow Old 3 copies

Satan's Children 3 copies

No Renewal 3 copies

El asesino de mentes (1982) 3 copies, 1 review

Just Dessert [short story] 2 copies

The Mick of Time [novella] (1986) 2 copies

The Wonderful Conspiracy [short story] 2 copies

The Blacksmith's Tale [novella] (1986) 2 copies

Have You Heard the One . . . ? [novelette] (1980) 2 copies

Fivesight [short story] (1979) 2 copies

Very Hard Choices (Very Bad Death Series Book 2) 2 copies

Mirror/rorriM Off the Wall [short story] (1977) 2 copies

La notte del potere (1991) 2 copies

Apogee 2 copies

Melancholy Elephants [short story] 2 copies

Rubber Soul 2 copies

Tin Ear 2 copies

In The Olden Days 2 copies

The Gifts of the Magistrate [short fiction] 2 copies

Nobody Likes to Be Lonely {short story} 2 copies

Pulphouse: A Weekly Magazine #0 1 copy

The Snoopy Scientist 1 copy

A Standing Joke 1 copy

S1: Callahan's Lady 1 copy

S2: Lady Slings the Booze 1 copy

Pandora's Last Gift 1 copy

Plus Ca Change 1 copy

Le bar du coin des temps (1977) 1 copy

Callahanův přesčasový bar (2005) 1 copy

Callahanovo tajemství (2009) 1 copy

Cestovatelé v čase platí hotově (2009) 1 copy

Easton Press Very Bad Deaths SIGNED by SPIDER ROBINSON 1st Edition Leather Bound 1 copy

Callahan's Key 1 copy

Stardance II 1 copy

Rah Rah R.A.H.! {essay} 1 copy

You Don't Know My Heart (novelette) 1 copy

Für Zeitreisende nur gegen bar. Ein weiterer Abend in Callahans Saloon. Science Fiction. 1 copy

DeathkillerLife House 1 copy

Local Champ 1 copy

The Shamin' of the Shaman 1 copy

Chronic Offender 1 copy

It's a Sunny Day 1 copy

High Infidelity 1 copy

Rhythms and 'Rithms 1 copy

Orphans Of Eden 1 copy

His Own Petard 1 copy

Distraction 1 copy

Involuntary Man's Laughter 1 copy

God Is an Iron [short story] 1 copy

Live On Tape 1 copy

Three-Time Winner 1 copy

Work Explorer

Associated Works

For Us, The Living: A Comedy of Customs (2004) — Introduction, some editions — 1,421 copies, 33 reviews

Requiem (1992) — Contributor — 752 copies, 4 reviews

There Will Be War (1983) — Contributor — 273 copies

''All You Zombies - -'' | Five Classic Stories (1959) — Narrator, some editions — 242 copies, 14 reviews

The Hugo Winners: Volume Four (1976-1979) (1985) — Contributor — 222 copies, 2 reviews

The New Hugo Winners: Award Winning Science Fiction Stories (1989) — Contributor — 216 copies, 3 reviews

Tales from the Spaceport Bar (1987) — Contributor — 183 copies, 2 reviews

Stars: Original Stories Based on the Songs of Janis Ian (2003) — Contributor — 129 copies, 1 review

Still I Persist in Wondering (1978) — Introduction, some editions — 113 copies, 3 reviews

The Best Science Fiction of the Year #7 (1978) — Contributor — 113 copies, 3 reviews

Tomorrow Sucks (1994) — Contributor — 110 copies

The Best from Galaxy Volume IV (1978) — Contributor — 104 copies, 1 review

Pulling Through (1983) — Introduction, some editions — 104 copies, 3 reviews

Nebula Winners Thirteen (1980) — Contributor — 104 copies

The Best Science Fiction of the Year #11 (1982) — Contributor — 99 copies, 1 review

Gordon R. Dickson's SF Best (1978) — Introduction, some editions — 99 copies

Christmas Stars (1992) — Contributor — 98 copies, 2 reviews

The Prentice Hall Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy (2000) — Contributor — 94 copies, 2 reviews

The First Omni Book of Science Fiction (1983) — Contributor — 93 copies

New Skies: An Anthology of Today's Science Fiction (2003) — Contributor — 88 copies, 2 reviews

Northern Stars: The Anthology of Canadian Science Fiction (1994) — Contributor — 83 copies

The Second Omni Book of Science Fiction (1983) — Contributor — 74 copies, 1 review

Tales from the Planet Earth (1986) — Contributor — 67 copies

Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year Seventh Annual Collection (1977) — Contributor — 60 copies

Virtuous Vampires (1996) — Contributor — 54 copies

Analog Annual (1976) — Contributor — 52 copies, 2 reviews

Tesseracts 1 (1985) — Contributor — 50 copies, 1 review

The Fourth Omni Book of Science Fiction (1985) — Contributor — 50 copies

Before They Were Giants: First Works from Science Fiction Greats (2010) — Contributor — 48 copies, 2 reviews

Tales by Moonlight II (1989) — Contributor — 46 copies

Haight Ashbury Flashbacks (1980) — Introduction, some editions — 41 copies, 1 review

Chrysalis (1977) — Contributor — 40 copies, 1 review

Touch Wood (1993) — Contributor — 36 copies, 1 review

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. XCVII, No. 11 (November 1977) (1977) — Contributor — 32 copies, 1 review

Sense of Wonder: A Century of Science Fiction (2011) — Contributor — 32 copies

Tales in Time (1997) — Contributor — 31 copies, 1 review

New Voices II: The Campbell Award Nominees (1979) — Author — 28 copies, 1 review

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. XCVII, No. 3 (March 1977) (1977) — Contributor — 28 copies

Distant Early Warnings (2009) — Contributor — 27 copies

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. XCVIII, No. 2 (February 1978) (1978) — Contributor — 26 copies

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. XCVIII, No. 6 (June 1978) (1978) — Contributor — 26 copies

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. XCVII, No. 10 (October 1977) (1977) — Contributor — 26 copies, 1 review

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. XCVI, No. 11 (November 1976) (1976) — Contributor — 25 copies

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. XCV, No. 10 (October 1975) (1975) — Contributor — 24 copies, 2 reviews

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. XCIII, No. 2 (April 1974) (1974) — Contributor — 24 copies

The Bakka anthology (2002) — Introduction — 23 copies

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. XCV, No. 5 (May 1975) (1975) — Contributor — 23 copies, 1 review

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. XCVIII, No. 10 (October 1978) (1978) — Author — 23 copies

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. XCIV, No. 3 (November 1974) (1974) — Contributor — 23 copies

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. XCV, No. 11 (November 1975) (1975) — Contributor — 21 copies, 1 review

Chrysalis 4 (1981) — Contributor — 21 copies, 1 review

Analog Science Fiction and Fact: Vol. CXIII, No. 8 & 9 (July 1993) (1993) — Contributor — 21 copies

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. XC, No. 6 (February 1973) (1973) — Contributor — 21 copies

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. CVI, No. 5 (May 1986) (1986) — Contributor — 21 copies

Galaxy Science Fiction 1976 October, Vol. 37, No. 7 (1976) — Reviewer — 18 copies

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. CVI, No. 13 (Mid-December 1986) (1986) — Author, some editions — 18 copies

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. CII, No. 6 (June 1982) (1982) — Contributor — 17 copies

Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine: Vol. 6, No. 8 [August 1982] (1982) — Contributor — 16 copies, 1 review

Ark of Ice (1992) — Contributor — 15 copies, 1 review

Galaxy Science Fiction 1976 September, Vol. 37, No. 6 (1976) — Contributor — 14 copies

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. CIII, No. 13 (December 1983) (1983) — Contributor — 12 copies

Visions from the Edge: An Anthology of Atlantic Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy (1981) — Contributor — 10 copies

Analog 4 (1982) — Contributor — 8 copies

Other Canadas: An Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy (1979) — Contributor — 7 copies

ULLSTEIN 2000 SF STORIES 80 (1982) — Contributor — 4 copies

I Premi Hugo 1976-1983 — Contributor — 3 copies

Omni Magazine April 1982 (1982) — Contributor — 2 copies

Tagged

aliens (67) anthology (619) Callahan (186) Callahan's (171) Callahan's Crosstime Saloon (35) callahans (49) Canadian (39) collection (157) dance (51) ebook (186) essays (35) fantasy (371) fiction (1,729) hardcover (83) Heinlein (80) humor (558) magazine (112) mmpb (78) novel (118) omnibus (49) own (82) owned (47) paperback (254) PB (73) puns (103) read (197) Robinson (40) science fiction (4,531) Science Fiction/Fantasy (137) series (137) sf (1,184) sff (330) short stories (648) signed (59) speculative fiction (109) Spider Robinson (124) stories (56) time travel (199) to-read (451) unread (114)

Common Knowledge

Canonical name: Robinson, Spider
Legal name: Robinson, Paul (birth)
Other names: Wyatt, B. D.
Birthdate: 1948-11-24
Gender: male
Nationality: Canada (naturalized 2002)
USA (birth)
Country (for map): Canada
Birthplace: Bronx, New York, USA
Places of residence: Nova Scotia, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Bowen Island, British Columbia, Canada
Education: State University of New York at Stony Brook (BA|English)
Occupations: science fiction writer
Relationships: Robinson, Jeanne (spouse)
Organizations: H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (Writer-in-Residence)
Globe and Mail
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
SF Canada
Awards and honors: John W. Campbell Award (1974)
Locus Award (Best Critic, 1976)
E.E. Smith Memorial Award for Imaginative Fiction (1977)
Pat Terry Memorial Award for Humorous Writing (1977)
Hugo Awards (1977, 1978, 1983)
Nebula Award (1977) (show all 9)
Robert A. Heinlein Award (2008)
Los Angeles Science Fiction Society Forrest J. Ackerman Award for Lifetime Achievement (2015)
Inkpot Award 92001)
Agent: Eleanor Wood (Spectrum Literary Agency �� literary)
Kevin Cleary (Content House ∙ film/tv)
Josh Morris (Content House ∙ film/tv)
Disambiguation notice: Spider Robinson (b. 1948), American born science fiction author; resides in Canada; since 2002 he has had dual American and Canadian citizenship; has used the pen name B.D. Wyatt

Members

Discussions

sf short story / Thief saves suicide. in Name that Book (November 2011)

Reviews

Variable Star: A Novel (Tor Science Fiction) by Robert A. Heinlein

A great and unexpected pleasure. Spider Robinson has taken advantage of the opportunity to write a novel based on an incomplete outline left by Robert Heinlein. IT is a great story, very imaginative and filled with interesting science. IT is a love story and a story of interstellar travel. Three character development off very well done. There is plenty of room for the suspension of disbelief, and IT is a lot of fun. Robison’s not at the end is a great addition as well. I remember fondly Heinlein’s role in my youthful interest in science fiction. Off you enjoy either Science Fiction or Heinlein this is a great book.… (more)

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waldhaus1 | 42 other reviews | Sep 25, 2024 |

Callahan's Crosstime Saloon by Spider Robinson

The first book felt a little dated and had a few too many puns for me. Having said that there were some genuinely funny and touching moments. I will be reading the next book. When it was good for me, it was really good. I can put up with a few more puns.

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cdaley | 32 other reviews | Nov 2, 2023 |

Callahan's Secret (Callahan's Crosstime Saloon Series) by Spider Robinson

This will be it for me and Callahan. Some of the stories are great but not enough to keep going.

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cdaley | 5 other reviews | Nov 2, 2023 |

Off the Wall at Callahan's (Callahan's Series… by Spider Robinson

Recycling

The Callahan's family stories have been enormous fun... so much so they've attained FANdom (though hotel management has been unamused with events (possibly) related to Callahan's fans attendance at events like DragonCon).
That said, I have to regretfully recommend a pass on this book... it's a recap collection of the most memorable moments from the series? Well that's an oxymoron rather than a pun, which is likely how it slipped past ol Spidey.

Definitely read the other books though!… (more)

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acb13adm | 5 other reviews | Sep 13, 2023 |

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