Robert J. Sawyer Books In Order

Publication Order of Neanderthal Parallax Books

Publication Order of Quintaglio Ascension Books

Publication Order of WWW Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Author Robert J. Sawyer was born on April 29, 1960 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He was the child of a pair of university professors, and was raised in Toronto.

“Search” and “Star Trek”, two of Sawyer’s favorite shows, are two things that he credits for teaching him a few of the fundamentals of the science fiction genre. This is something that made him have a tendency to put references to pop culture in his books; his liking of “Planet of the Apes”, “Six Million Dollar Man”, and “Star Trek” (the original) is evident in the books.

He was obsessed with outer space when he was very young and he still remembers watching the Apollo missions on television. Sawyer says that he has watched Stanley Kubrick’s classic film “2001: A Space Odyssey” a total of 25 times.

His work is from the mystery and science fiction genres of fiction. He is one of the most successful Canadian authors and one of Canada’s best known writers.

Sawyer started writing science fiction in a club in high school that he co-founded, that was called Northview Academy Association of Science Fiction Addicts. He graduated from Ryerson University’s Radio and Television Arts Program, and would work there as a teacher.

Sawyer is the author of the “Neanderthal Parallax” series, the “WWW” series, and the Quintaglio Ascension” series.

Sawyer has won many awards in his career, some of which include: three Hugo awards (in 2003), a John W. Campbell Memorial Award (in 2006), and a Nebula Award (in 1995). “Hominids” won a Hugo, for best novel, in the year 2003, and he was nominated for the same award again, in 2001 for “Calculating God” and in 2010, for the novel “Wake”. He is one of only seven authors in the entire world, and the only Canadian to win these three major awards. His first published book, which were short stories he adapted that got published in Amazing Stories, won and Aurora Award for the best Canadian science fiction novel in English.

His novel “Flashforward” was adapted for television by David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga in the year 2009. It lasted for only one season.

“Hominids” is the first novel in the “Neanderthal Parallax” series and was released in the year 2002. On a parallel Earth, some Neanderthals have put together a very different civilization. Ponter Boddit (who is a Neanderthal physicist) travels on accident from the universe he is in, into an underground research facility in Canada.

Fortunately for him, a group of scientists are there to warmly receive and identify him. One of the members, is a paleo-anthropologist who is named Mary Vaughan. To get past the language barrier and a lot of other things, is a mini-computer (known as Companion) which is implanted in every Neanderthal.

A lot of things are hard to grasp for Ponter in this world. Things like rape, permanent sexuality, and the world being overpopulated. It cannot help the person he was living with and fellow scientist, named Adikor Huld, when he is charged with killing Ponter.

Some like the way that this book does not just set the readers up for the next books in the series or take a long time to get going. You get pulled right into the action, it stands on its own but does open the door for another story. Fans of the novel enjoyed the thought experiment that Sawyer gives the readers. The premise of parallel universes crossing is something that is very fun; the neanderthal’s world is described vividly and is way different from Earth’s. These differences are explored and fleshed out quite a bit, something that makes the book that much better.

“Humans” is the second novel in the “Neanderthal Parallax” series and was released in the year 2003. Cultural exchanges begin between the Neanderthal ran world and the Homo sapien controlled one. Ponter goes back to Mary in our world to continue their relationship.

The first time, he went through the opened portal by accident, but this time, does so on purpose.

The book is a great example of Sawyer’s writing; it is a book of pure fiction that is backed by what would appear to be sound science. That is just the outer shell of the plot the novel has. Fans of the novel found themselves so caught up in the story, they want to read everything by this author. It is more than a story that compels readers, it is a great forum for social commentary.

“Hybrids” is the third novel in the “Neanderthal Parallax” series and was released in the year 2003. Ponter and Mary, who are torn between their two worlds and are still trying to make their relationship work out. They use some banned Neanderthal technology to try to make the very first hybrid child. It will serve as a hope symbol, as they join their versions of reality.

An experiment is done that shows the religious faith that Mary has is a quirk found in Homo spaiens brains’ neurological wiring. Neanderthals are completely devoid of this religious faith, and the pair must figure out if they want their child to be exposed to belief or atheism. Mary’s version of Earth deals with the planetary magnetic field collapsing, Jock Krieger (Mary’s enigmatic boss) is starting to eye the Neanderthal world, which is a bit of an unspoiled paradise.

Fans of the novel enjoy the way Neanderthals do things are discussed and thought about throughout these books. It is all examined and picked apart, before all being put together again. It is all sophisticated and there are no simple or easy answers to be had. As always, you have to think things through (like decisions that people make and their motives) when you read one of Sawyer’s books.

“Calculating God”

Outside of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, an alien’s shuttle craft lands. An alien with two arms and six legs, says that he wants to see a paleontologist in perfect English.

It would look like Earth, the home planet of the alien and other alien species on the mother ship experienced the very same five disastrous events right around the same time. One of these would be the meteor that took out the dinosaurs. Both of the alien races think that this is proof of God’s existence; as in he is been messing with evolution of the life forms on each planet.

One Response to “Robert J. Sawyer”

1. Pat Gilbert: 5 months ago

   I have been enjoying your work for many, many years and have missed your marvelous, idea filled novels. Are you planning to resume writing novels?
   Pat

   Reply