This website aims to be the complete repository for information about one of science fiction's major practicioners, Robert Silverberg. And even outside the field of science fiction, his body of work is impressive, spanning nonfiction works on historical and scientific subjects, reflective and analytical pieces on a wide variety of topics, and fiction in other genres.
A note from Robert Silverberg:
I've asked Jon Davis to designate this site as the Quasi-Official Robert Silverberg Site, a term of my own devising. What I mean by it is that this is as close to an official site as I'm ever going to have, because I lack the technical skills to build a site of my own, as well as the time and, I suppose, the energy. And also my temperament is not inclined toward more self-promotion than is absolutely necessary for my professional well-being, and setting up a web site for oneself strikes me as a rather emphatic act of self-promotion. On the other hand, the site as Jon has constructed it contains everything that a proper author site should have, and nothing that it shouldn't. I was immensely pleased to discover it in my on-line wanderings and I continue to enjoy visiting it (as well as to make use of its bibliographical material for my own reference!).
In short, I'm delighted that Jon's enthusiasm for my work has led him to go to so much effort on my behalf. But — it remains a
quasi-officialsite because it continues to belong to Jon. I may be present as a guiding figure in the background, but he and he alone will decide what is to be included. He is free to run negative reviews of my work if the spirit so moves him, although I hope he doesn't feel the need to do it often. (I am about as casual about negative criticism as any professional writer ever was — usually a harsh review goes out of my mind within minutes — but I will admit to preferring praise.) I will undertake to keep Jon advised of interesting new developments in my career, and I will drop around from time to time to see what people are saying about me in the guestbook, and I may even reply to some of their comments. And perhaps I'll give Jon the opportunity to run a few extracts from some upcoming new book or story, if he wants to.Nevertheless, quasi-official though it may be, this is still Jon's Silverberg site, not Robert Silverberg's, and to him should go all applause for its comprehensiveness and elegance of design, as well as all responsibility for anything that I would just as soon not take responsibility for myself.
A note from Jon Davis, your host:
Robert Silverberg is a writer who constantly amazes me. Since the mid-1960s he has produced an incredible body of work. The quote on so many of his book covers (
Where Silverberg goes today, the rest of science fiction will go tomorrow!— Isaac Asimov) is a simple observation based on repeated forays against the edges of the genre. He's won piles of awards, and if he hasn't hit the bestseller lists very often, it's not from lack of quality in his work.If you're concerned about spoilers, fear not. I almost never give anything away. Of course, when I describe later works in a series, some of the earlier parts may be given away — can't really help that. I prefer to give hints as to what stories are about, with some analysis and commentary on general thematic issues. The in-depth analyses are another exception, and are usually marked with warnings if you prefer to wait until after you've read the work in question.