A diverse author of science fiction novels and serious works on history and archeology. He was repeatedly nominated for receiving awards for his works in the genre of science fiction. To date, about two hundred science fiction novels and popular science writings have been published.
Youth
Born in New York (Brooklyn) on January 15, 1935 in the family of Michael and Elena (Baim) Silverberg. Robert did not have siblings and books became his main friends from an early age. Especially the boy liked to read science fiction. At school age, he began to write science fiction stories that were published in magazines as early as 1949. Robert Silverberg wrote his first major work, The Uprising on Alpha-S, while studying at Columbia University. In 1956, it was published and Robert, as the best young author, received his first Hugo Award.
Commercial period of creativity
After graduating in 1956 with a degree in Comparative Literature, Robert worked hard as a freelance writer. He has written many fantastic and adventure stories for various magazines over several years. In the same period, Robert Silverberg married Barbara Brown. The young family needed money, and the science fiction genre in which the author worked began to lose reader interest. Therefore, the writer pays more attention to quantity, and writes in various genres from serious works to simple entertaining stories, fairy tales and light erotica. Later, the author admitted that during this time he became an enemy of himself, because he was so addicted to sales that he did not use his own talent. Creativity turned into hard work and the author had to write on topics that the market required. Robert Silverberg wrote many works during this commercial period that were published only once and were never reprinted again. The author decided to change this state of affairs and moved away from the sci-fi and entertainment genre.
Return to fiction
In the early sixties, Silverberg went on to write scientific works on archaeological and historical topics for children and gained national fame as a popularizer of such literature. At the same time, he receives an advantageous offer of cooperation from Frederick Paul - editor of several science fiction magazines. In the mid-sixties, the popularity of this genre began to grow, and good science fiction writers became more and more popular. Silverberg returns to writing science fiction works, but now the author’s works have a deeper meaning.
A new stage in creativity
After reviewing the commercial approach to creativity, the writer in his works no longer associates himself with the need to tell a heroic story with a happy ending. His themes often raise the problem of loneliness and isolation of personality, and the ending is often sad or ambiguous, however, not without hope. Allegorically, Robert Silverberg makes it clear to the reader that if a person’s life is filled with inevitable suffering, then there must be an alternative somewhere. A striking example of a renewal in creativity was the work “Open Sky” in 1967 and “Down to Earth” in 1969, published in the journal Galaxy by Frederick Paul. Acute problems of a person’s personality are also considered in the novel “Dying in oneself.” It refers to a person who has the gift to hear other people's thoughts. What's worse is living with that ability or losing it? Silverberg's novel Vertical World by critics is often called one of his best works. This is a gloomy and cynical view of the world of the future, people and human nature. Other main works of the author of this period: “Reside”, “Book of Skulls”, “Glass Tower”, “Down to Earth”, “Spikes”, “Sandes”, “Born with the Dead”, “Caliban”. Almost all of the author’s works from 1969 to 1974 are of a very high level. Therefore, it was during this period that Silverberg received many of his awards: Night Wings 1969 - Hugo Award, Time for Change 1971 - Nebula Award, Good News from the Vatican 1971 - Nebula Award.
Changes in creativity and personal life
By 1975, the author again decided to move away from the fiction genre. He stopped writing stories, published several more novels, and despite the entreaties of editors and fans, he publicly announced his departure from the genre, motivating this with fatigue. His creative leave lasted until 1978, and already in 1980 Silverberg triumphantly returned with the first novel, “Castle of Lord Valentine” from a series of books about Majipur. In the same eighties there are changes in the personal life of the writer. He divorces his first wife in 1986 and marries writer Karen Haber. This union has become fruitful for both authors. Robert and Karen are collaborating on a number of projects, in particular, Mutant Season. To date, the couple lives in Auckland, continues to delight the reader with his works of Robert Silverberg. The author’s books are still interesting and expected.