Keith Roberts

Keith John Kingston Roberts (20 September 1935 – 5 October 2000) was an English science fiction author. He began publishing with two stories in the September 1964 issue of Science Fantasy magazine, "Anita" (the first of a series of stories featuring a teenage modern witch and her eccentric granny) and "Escapism".[1][2]

For the American dancer, see Keith Roberts (dancer). For the New Zealand rugby league player, see Keith Roberts (rugby league). For the American academic, see Keith J. Roberts.

Keith Roberts
Born(1935-09-20)20 September 1935
Kettering, Northamptonshire
Died5 October 2000(2000-10-05) (aged 65)
Salisbury, Wiltshire, England
Pen nameAlistair Bevan, John Kingston, David Stringer
OccupationWriter, artist, graphic designer
NationalityBritish
GenreScience fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, thriller
Notable worksPavane

Several of his early stories were written using the pseudonym Alistair Bevan. His second novel Pavane, first published in 1968, which is a collection of linked stories, may be his most famous work: an alternate history novel in which the Catholic Church takes control of England following the assassination of Queen Elizabeth I.[3]

Roberts wrote numerous novels and short stories and worked as an illustrator. His artistic contributions include covers and interior artwork for New Worlds and Science Fantasy, later renamed Impulse. He also edited the last few issues of Impulse although the nominal editor was Harry Harrison.[3]

Roberts' first novel, The Furies, makes an appearance in the American TV series Bones in the third season's third episode "Death in the Saddle" (9 October 2007).

Roberts described himself as a political conservative and an anti-communist.[3]

In later life, Roberts lived in Salisbury. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1990, and died of its complications in October 2000. Obituaries recalled him as a talented but personally "difficult" author, with a history of disputes with publishers, editors and colleagues.[4][5][6]

Partial bibliography

Novels
  • The Furies (1966) – a traditional UK disaster tale. Adapted into a six-part thriller on BBC Radio 4 in May 1970.
  • Pavane (1968) – a collection of linked short stories
  • Anita (1970) – a collection of linked short stories
  • The Inner Wheel (1970) – a collection of linked short stories
  • The Boat of Fate (1971) – a historical novel set in Britain at the end of the Roman Empire's power
  • The Chalk Giants (1974) – a collection of linked short stories
  • Molly Zero (1980) – a novel set in a dystopian future
  • Kiteworld (1985) – originally published as linked short stories
  • Kaeti & Company (1986) – linked short fiction
  • Gráinne (1987) – slipstream fiction
  • The Road to Paradise (1989) – a thriller, without fantastic elements
  • Kaeti on Tour (1992) – linked short fiction
  • Drek Yarman (2000) - a novel set in Kiteworld, serialized in Spectrum SF[7][8]

Collections
  • Machines and Men (1973)
    • "Escapism" (1964)
    • "Therapy 2000" (1969)
    • "Manscarer" (1966)
    • "Boulter's Canaries" (1965)
    • "Sub-Lim" (1965)
    • "Synth" (1966)
    • "The Deeps" (1966)
    • "Breakdown" (1966)
    • "The Pace That Kills" (1966)
    • "Manipulation" (1965)
  • The Grain Kings (1976)
    • "Weihnachtsabend" (1972)
    • "The White Boat" (1966)
    • "The Passing of the Dragons" (1972)
    • "The Trustie Tree" (1973)
    • "The Lake of Tuonela" (1973)
    • "The Grain Kings" (1972)
    • "I Lose Medea" (1972)
  • The Passing of the Dragons (1977) - selected stories from Machines and Men and The Grain Kings
  • Ladies from Hell (1979)
    • "Our Lady of Desperation" (1979)
    • "The Shack at Great Cross Halt" (1977)
    • "The Ministry of Children" (1975)
    • "The Big Fans" (1977)
    • "Missa Privata" (1976)
  • The Lordly Ones (1986)
    • "The Lordly Ones" (1980)
    • "Ariadne Potts" (1978)
    • "Sphairistike" (1984)
    • "The Checkout" (1981)
    • "The Comfort Station" (1980)
    • "The Castle on the Hoop" (1986)
    • "Diva" (1986)
  • A Heron Caught in Weeds (1987) – poetry collection, edited by Jim Goddard
  • Winterwood and Other Hauntings (1989) – ghost story collection, with an introduction by Robert Holdstock
    • "Susan" (1965)
    • "The Scarlet Lady" (1966)
    • "The Eastern Windows" (1967)
    • "Winterwood" (1974)
    • "Mrs. Cibber" (1989)
    • "The Snake Princess" (1973)
    • "Everything in the Garden" (1973)

Other
  • The Natural History of the P.H. (1988) – short essay about the "Primitive Heroine"
  • Irish Encounters: A Short Travel (1989) – essays about a trip to Ireland in 1978
  • Lemady: Episodes of a Writer's Life (1997) – autobiography, with fictional elements

Awards and nominations

Awards
  • British Science Fiction Association Award 1982 – Short fiction: "Kitemaster" (Interzone, Spring 1982)[9]
  • British Science Fiction Association Award 1986 – Short fiction: "Kaeti and the Hangman" (Kaeti & Company)[9]
  • British Science Fiction Association Award 1986 – Artist: Keith Roberts[9]
  • British Science Fiction Association Award 1987 – Novel: Gráinne[9]

Nominations

References
  1. Clute, John; Nicholls, Peter (1993). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Orbit Books. pp. 1012–1013. ISBN 1-85723-124-4.
  2. Smith, Curtis C. (1981). Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers. Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 0-312-82420-3.
  3. Cox, F. Brett. "Keith Roberts". British fantasy and science-fiction writers since 1960. 261 (2002): 336.
  4. Holland, Steve (16 October 2000). "Obituary: Keith Roberts". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  5. David Langford – Keith Roberts, 1935–2000, Ansible #160 (November 2000)
  6. David Langford – A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs, SFX magazine #73 (January 2001)
  7. "The Worlds of Keith Roberts". Solaris Books. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  8. "Drek Yarman by Keith Roberts (Spectrum SF #1, February 2000 through #3, June 2000)". InfinityPlus.co.uk. InfinityPlus. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  9. "British Science Fiction Association Awards – Past Awards". British Science Fiction Association. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  10. "The Nebula Awards". www.literaryawards.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
  11. "1980 Award Winners & Nominees". icow.com, LLC. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
  12. "1981 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. Archived from the original on 7 May 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
  13. "1985 Award Winners & Nominees". icow.com, LLC. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
  14. "The John W. Campbell Memorial Award". Center for the Study of Science Fiction, Department of English, University of Kansas. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
  15. "The Arthur C. Clarke Award 1988". Science Fiction Awards Database. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
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