Spider Robinson Books In Order

Publication Order of Callahan's Books

Publication Order of Lady Sally's Books

Publication Order of Lifehouse Trilogy Books

Publication Order of Russell Walker/Zandor Zudenigo/Nika Mandiç Mysteries Books

Publication Order of Stardance Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Author's Choice Monthly Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Author Spider Robinson was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York in the year 1948. He went to a Catholic high school, and spent his junior year in a seminary, and went to a Catholic college for two years.

Then, he went to State University of New York at Stony Brook for five years during the sixties, getting his Bachelors of Arts in English. During his time at Stony Brook, he gained a reputation for being a great entertainer at the coffeehouses on campus and different gatherings, playing his guitar and singing with his female partner.

During his twenties, he spent a few years living in the woods, trying desperately to live life without any technology.

His first published story, called “The Guy with The Eyes”, was written to get out of a night job guarding New York City sewers, which was published in 1972.

Before being called Spider, he was called Robbie (which is a contraction of his last name). He asked his friends to come up with a new one, as he felt that Robbie was a name he had outgrown, since he was in college at the time.

Robinson is married to Jeanne Robinson (a Soto Zen monk, a dancer, and choreographer), with whom he wrote the “Stardance” series of books. He married Jeanne in the year 1975, and the couple was married until her death in 2010. He has also written about “Callahan’s” series of linked stories.

Robinson has won a Nebula Award, three Hugo Awards, the John W. Campbell for Best New Writer, as well as countless other regional and international awards. He also won the Robert A. Heinlein Award for Lifetime Excellence in Literature.

He is also the only writer to collaborate with Robert A. Heinlein, the first GrandMaster of Science Fiction, finishing “Variable Star” after Heinlein’s death. The novel is based off of a seven page outline Heinlein wrote in 1955. He has always had a strong admiration for Heinlein, which he has made clear. A trip to the library changed his life when he was handed a book by Heinlein. After this, he read a bunch of Heinlein’s work, saying they were all great.

Heinlein also helped support Robinson during a tough period early in his career. This is something that Robinson was highly appreciative of, seeing as how Heinlein knew of Robinson’s opposition of the Vietnam war, which Heinlein supported.

Spider also loves the work of John D. MacDonald, naming a character of his (Lady Sally McGee) in honor of one of MacDonald’s (Travis McGee). Donald E. Westlake is another writer that is important to Robinson, as his Westlake’s character John Dortmunder.

“Stardance” is the first novel in the “Stardance” series, which was released in the year 1979. Shara Drummond was a brilliant choreographer and a talented dancer, but was unable to chase her dream of dancing on Earth. She went to space, and created a new form of art in three dimensions.

Then the aliens showed up, and there was just one way to show the human race deserved to survive but also to reach the stars. The only hope was with Shara and her stardance.

The book will touch you deeply, and the ending leaves you in tears by the end, it is that beautiful. Robinson is one of those authors that is able to change and move you, with his plots, themes, and characters. Some readers found that this impressed them back when they read this one in the seventies and when they reread it much more recently.

“Starseed” is the second novel in the “Stardance” series, which was released in the year 1991. Rain McLeod (a dancer from Earth) used to live for her art. Dancing was both her destiny and dream. Then nature betrayed her body, and ruined all hope that she would ever dance again. Her final chance was The Starseed Foundation.

She volunteered to train so she could take the ultimate step in the evolution of humankind: joining with a symbiotic lifeform that would provide all air, food, and water. It would allow humans to live in the vacuum of space and could turn someone mortal like Rain into one of the Stardancers, going beyond the laws of gravity. Each and every miracle has its price.

The main character in this is very likable, and this story feels like it is a complete story. This is a deep and complex read, yet it still moves along at a nice and crisp pace. The concept of humans going into symbiosis to live in space was well executed. Here is a book that has an ending that some were unable to see coming.

“Starmind” is the third novel in the “Stardance” series, which was released in the year 1995. The year is 2064, and Earth is enjoying an unprecedented era of prosperity and peace. It is all thanks to the benevolent and mysterious Starmind, which gave humanity the resources to get rid of war and exist in space.

Art in every form flourishes, and Rand Porter finds his compositional talents are in high demand. He is offered the prestigious title of Co-Artistic Director and Resident Shaper/ Composer at the Shimizu Hotel, which is the most luxurious and finest hotel in High Earth Orbit. Prestige can have a high price, though.

The Shimizu Hotel is all of a sudden a hive full of terrorism and treachery that is aimed at a sole purpose: destroying of the Starmind. Rand has to figure out a way to thwart this plot, or Earth is going to be destroyed. Humanity will cease to exist, and right when it is so close to its last evolutionary stage, too.

Robinson does an excellent job here of finishing off his excellent series. It has all the stuff that made the first two great, while eliminating any of the issues they had. This is a world that is fun to get lost in, and once readers finish the books, it is tough to be out of the world. The plots will intrigue and the characters grab at your heart.