Bob Shaw Books In Order

Publication Order of Land and Overland Books

Publication Order of Orbitsville Books

Publication Order of Warren Peace Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Bob Shaw was born December 31, 1931 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, eldest son of three sons of a cop. He went to Belfast College of Technology. He died in Warrington, England at the age of 64 on February 11, 1996 after having cancer.

He once said that he wrote science fiction for those people that do not read a whole lot of science fiction. Shaw also considered himself an alcoholic at one point, after having been known as a drinker.

At the age of eleven, he learned about science fiction when he read a short story by A. E. van Vogt in an early edition of Astounding Science Fiction. The American troops passing through Ireland because of World War Two would leave their used SF magazines behind at the market, making them available to the locals. He would describe this experience as being more long-lasting and significant than taking LSD.

In the year 1950 he joined Irish Fandom, which included James White, another Northern Irish science fiction writer. The group met at the Walt Willis’ home on Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast. This group was very influential in the early history of science fiction fandom, and they produced fanzines Slant and Hyphen. Shaw contributed to both of these. It was during this time, Shaw obtained the nickname BoSh.

Shaw’s first professional science fiction story was published in the year 1954, and it was followed by many others.

Shaw wrote “Light of Other Days” in just four hours, after planning it for quite a few years. It is the story that introduced the concept of slow glass, through which it is possible to see the past. He sold the story to John W. Campbell, editor of Analog, who liked the story so much that Shaw wrote “Burden of Proof”, a sequel, for him.

Shaw gave up writing and went with Sadie, his first wife, and their two daughters and son to live in Canada from 1956 until the year 1958. The limitless grasslands in “Orbitsville” may have been influenced by this period of his life, and he set “Vertigo” in Alberta.

Shaw was originally trained as a structural engineer, and worked for Short and Harland as an aircraft designer. Then for The Belfast Telegraph as science correspondent from 1966 to 1969. Then he worked from 1973 until 1975 as a publicity officer for Vickers Shipbuilding before he began writing full time.

During the Troubles, he and his family moved to England, leaving Northern Ireland. It was here in England, that he produced the majority of his work. First to Ulverston, the to Grappenhall, located in Warrington.

Shaw was known for his wit, within the fan community. He was always a keen reader and contributor to fanzines. He would deliver a humorous speech at Eastercon, the British science fiction convention. It was usually part of his famous series known as “Serious Scientific Talks”, which were later called in “The Eastercon Speeches” and “A Load of Old Bosh”.

He almost lost his sight through illness, and would suffer from migraine-induced visual disturbances throughout his entire life. These, and references to vision and eyes, appear as a theme in his works.

After his first wife died in the year 1991, he was alone for a few years. In the year 1995, he married Nancy Tucker and they went to live in America with her, before going back to England during the last months of his life.

“Orbitsville” was nominated for Best Novel by John W Campbell Memorial Awards. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer two times, in 1979 and again in 1980. Shaw’s story “Light of Other Days” was a Hugo Award nominee in the year 1967, and so was “The Ragged Astronauts” in the year 1987. His work on the “Orbitsville” series won him the British Science Fiction Association Award in the year 1976.

He wrote the “Land and Overland” series, the “Orbitsville” series, and “Warren Peace” series.

“The Ragged Astronauts” is the first novel in the “Land and Overland” series, which was released in the year 1986. Land and Overland are twin worlds that are a few thousand miles apart from each other. On Land, humanity faces a threat to its own survival. It is a airborne species, called ptertha, and it has declared war on mankind, now it hunts for victims. The only hope it has lies in migration. Through space to Overland. But you have to use the balloon.

Shaw penned something absorbing, exciting, and entertaining with this book. There is a bunch of originality in it, too.

“The Wooden Spaceships” is the second novel in the “Land and Overland” series, which was released in the year 1988. The inhabitants of Overland left Land so they could escape the Plague, twenty-three years ago.

“The Fugitive Worlds” is the third novel in the “Land and Overland” series, which was released in the year 1989. The grandson of the first two books in the series has to find a reason why a crystalline disc grows between the world of Overland and Land. Then he has to stop it.

“Night Walk” is a stand alone novel, that was released in the year 1967. Because he ‘refused to co-operate’ the Emm Luther Special Police took out the eyes of Sam Tallon, an Earth agent and imprisoned him on some eerie and dark swamp that nobody has ever escaped from. Then Tallon came up with a way of seeing, one that is both agonizing and ludicrous, yet still a way to make escaping possible.

He saw through the eyes of a dog, a bird, a female guard, and later, he even saw himself through the eyes of the maddened Lutheran pursuers. Death and madness are constant companions while he fought and schemed to hang onto his life. Any other guy would have just given up, but then, Sam has got no choice. He was the unfortunate possessor of the one most important secret in the entire universe. It is a secret that has to be taken back to Earth, somehow.

2 Responses to “Bob Shaw”

1. Nigel Glastonbury: 3 years ago

   I would like to reread “light of other days” after a30 year gap, any idea where I can get a copy ?

   Reply
   • Graeme: 3 years ago

     Seems to be available to read at this website just remove the x: xhttp://baencd.freedoors.org/Discs/Baen%2013b/Vol%201%20Num%201/1932093001__17.htm

     Reply