Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Silverberg, Robert.
- Abstract:
- This collection contains the papers of American author and science fiction writer Robert Silverberg (born 1935). Includes manuscripts of a selection of Silverberg's literary works, mostly dating from 1973-1995, as well as correspondence, dating from 1954-1992, that chiefly concerns his professional dealings in relation to his writings and his business relationships with publishing companies.
- Extent:
- 113 linear feet (89 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
- Language:
- English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. Robert Silverberg papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The papers of Robert Silverberg consists of manuscripts (Boxes 1- 52), correspondence (Boxes 53-78), ephemera (Box 79), and oversize (Boxes 80-89, Oversize folder 1).
The Manuscripts series (Boxes 1-52, 80-89) is arranged alphabetically by author and title. The manuscripts include a selection of Silverberg's literary works, mostly dating from 1973-1995. Included in this series are: novels, anthologies, short stories, novellas, essays, articles, book reviews, interviews, pilot scripts, galley proofs, page proofs, and confirmation proofs. Most of the manuscripts in this series are typed and appear to be close too, if not, the final revision.
Some of Silverberg's works found within this series include: Born with the Dead,Capricorn Games,Galactic Dreamers,Gilgamesh the King,How they Pass the time in Pelpel, The Nebula Awards,New Dimensions 2,6,7, and 8,Nightwings,Revolt on Alpha C,Sundance and other science fiction stories, and Time Gate Volume Two: Dangerous Interfaces. This series also includes manuscripts by other authors, most notably Isaac Asimov, A.A. Attanasio, Gregory Benford, Orson Scott Card, C.J. Cherryh, Ellen Datlow, Tom DeHaven, Samuel R. Delany, Gordon R. Dickson, L. Ron Hubbard, Wolfgang Jeschke, Marc Laidlaw, H.P. Lovecraft, Janet Morris, Larry Niven, Kim Stanley Robinson, Charles Sheffield, S.P. Somtow, Bruce Sterling, Theodore Sturgeon, Harry Turtledove, Jack Vance, and Dave Wolverton. There is also a biography of Philip K. Dick and a copy of his last interview. Some of the manuscripts are too large to be stored with this series and have been placed in oversize boxes 80-89.
The correspondence series (Boxes 53-78) is arranged alphabetically by author and dates from 1954-1992. The series consists of letters regarding Silverberg's professional dealings in relation to his writings and his business relationships with publishing companies. Publishing Companies found within the series include the following: Arbor House Publishing Company, Ballantine Books (firm), Chilton Book Company, Crowell- Collier Press, Donald I. Fine, Doubleday, Doran and Company, Harper & Row Publishers, Macmillan Publishing Company, Random House (Firm), Scott Meredith Literacy Agency, and Thomas Y. Crowell.
Also found within this series are letters from fellow science fiction authors and editors including Isaac Asimov, Forrest J. Ackerman, Thomas D. Clareson, John Kilian Houston Brunner, Richard Curtis, Jack Dann, Gerry de la Ree, Judy-Lynn Del Rey, Howard DeVore, Phyllis Eisenstein, Alex Eisenstein, David Gerrold, Horace Leonard (H.L.) Gold, Martin H. Greenberg, James E. Gunn, Wolfgang Jeschke, Wallace Macfarlane, Steven E. McDonald, Sam Moskowitz, Frederik Pohl, Marta Randall, Charles C. Ryan, Ivan Terence Sanderson, Michael Conner, Susan Wood, Günther M. Schelwokat, S. P. Somtow, Bob Tucker, Bruce McAllister, George Slusser, Bud Webster, James W. Wiggins, and Sidney Zion. In addition, there is a small amount of fan mail.
The Ephemera series (Box 79) is arranged alphabetically and the materials in the series date from 1958-1984. Within the series are book covers from Silverberg's novels, a science fiction reading list for a course taught during the summer of 1976, indexes to science fiction and fantasy magazines, miscellaneous notes, programs from conventions, proofs of illustrations from Amazing Science Fiction, science fiction newsletters, and trade catalogs.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Robert Silverberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 15, 1935, to Michael and Helen Silverberg. He was an only child. At an early age Silverberg began writing, and by the time he entered his teenage years, he was submitting stories to science fiction magazines. His first published novel Revolt on Alpha C was released in 1955. In 1956, he won the Hugo Award for "Most Promising New Author." He was the youngest person ever to receive this award. Simultaneously, Silverberg attended Columbia University where he earned a degree in Comparative Literature in 1956. Upon graduation, Silverberg became a full time writer.
For a brief period of time, Silverberg took a break from writing science fiction and dabbled in other genres including nonfiction in the area of pre-history, archeology, and exploration for both adults and the young adult audience. In addition to writing nonfiction, he wrote a number of soft- core pornography novels under the pseudonym Don Elliot and Elliot.
By the mid-1960s, Silverberg returned to the science fiction scene when Frederik Pohl, the editor of Galaxy, convinced him that the science fiction audience had changed and a new more literate kind of story would sell. In order to help entice Silverberg, Pohl gave him complete freedom which allowed Silverberg's writing to evolve. His major works released during this time include Nightwings,Dying Inside,Tower of Glass,Thorns,Downward to the Earth,The Book of Skulls, and Shadrach in the Furnace. He also wrote a number of short stories which received much acclaim including Sundance, Born with the Dead,Caliban, and In Entropy's Jaws. All of these works are considered to be vastly different from his earlier ones and received the main concentration of his awards.
During Silverberg's career, he wrote over 60 novels, 10 books in the Majipoor series, 22 short story collections, 52 nonfiction works, and 16 anthologies. He has written under various pseudonyms: Walker Chapman; Ivar Jorgenson; Calvin M. Knox; David Osborne; Robert Randall; and Lee Sebastian. Silverberg has served as the President for the Science Fiction Writers of America and was the American guest of Honor at the 28th World Science Fiction Convention in Heidelberg, Germany in 1970. He has won the Hugo award three times: in 1956 for Most Promising New Author; in 1969 for the novella Nightwings; and in 1990 for best novelette Enter a Solider. He has also won the Nebula award five times: in 1969 for best short story Passengers; in 1971 for best novel A Time of Changes and best short story Good News from the Vatican; in 1974 for best novella Born with the Dead; and in 1985 for best novella Sailing to Byzantium; and the Prix Apollo in 1976 for Nightwings. In addition, he has won a Jupiter award and the Locus award nine times. Silverberg has written for various magazines and Ace Doubles. Since 2007, he has served as President of the Fantasy Amateur Press Association. Currently, Silverberg resides in San Francisco, California, with his wife, science fiction writer Karen Haber. In his spare time he likes to garden and raise fuchsias and cacti. He also enjoys traveling and is interested in contemporary literature and music, as well as, medieval geography.
- Acquisition information:
- Gifts of Robert Silverberg, 1980-1988.
- Arrangement:
-
The collection is arranged in the following series: Series 1. Manuscripts; Series 2. Correspondence; Series 3. Ephemera; Series 4. Oversize.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- Authors, American -- 20th century -- Archives
Authors, American -- California -- Archives
Publishers and publishing -- United States -- Correspondence
Science fiction, American
Science fiction, American -- Women authors
Articles -- United States.
Business letters -- United States.
Ephemera -- 20th century
Letters (correspondence) -- United States -- 20th century
Manuscripts for publication -- United States -- 20th century
Notes -- United States.
Personal Papers -- United States.
Professional papers -- United States - Names:
- Arbor House Publishing Company
Ballantine Books (Firm)
Bantam Books (Firm)
Charles Scribner's Sons
Chilton Book Company
Crowell-Collier Press
Donald I. Fine Books
Doubleday, Doran & Company
Harper & Row, Publishers
Literary Guild of America
Macmillan Publishing Company
New American Library
Random House (Firm)
Scott Meredith Literary Agency
Thomas Y. Crowell Company
Ackerman, Forrest J.
Asimov, Isaac, 1920-1992
Attanasio, A. A.
Benford, Gregory, 1941-
Brunner, John, 1934-1995
Card, Orson Scott
Cherryh, C. J.
Clareson, Thomas D.
Curtis, Richard
Dann, Jack.
Datlow, Ellen
De Haven, Tom
De la Ree, Gerry
De Rey, Judy-Lynn
Delany, Samuel R.
DeVore, Howard
Dick, Philip K.
Dickson, Gordon R.
Gerrold, David, 1944-
Gold, H. L. (Horace Leonard), 1914-1996
Greenberg, Martin Harry.
Gunn, James E., 1923-
Hubbard, L. Ron (La Fayette Ron), 1911-1986
Eisenstein, Alex.
Eisenstein, Phyllis, 1946-
Jeschke, Wolfgang
Laidlaw, Marc
Lovecraft, H. P. (Howard Phillips), 1890-1937
McDonald, Steven E.
Moskowitz, Sam
Morris, Janet, 1946-
Niven, Larry
Pohl, Frederik
Rickman, Gregg
Robinson, Kim Stanley
Ryan, Charles C.
Sanderson, Ivan Terence, 1911-1973
Sheffield, Charles
Somtow, S. P.
Sterling, Bruce
Sturgeon, Theodore
Tucker, Bob
Turtledove, Harry
Vance, Jack, 1916-
Wolverton, Dave
Webster, Bud
Wiggins, James W. (James Wilhelm), 1914-
Zion, Sidney
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.
- Terms of access:
-
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. Robert Silverberg papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
1151 Oxford RoadSan Marino, CA 91108, US
- Contact:
- (626) 405-2191