| Keith Roberts | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 September 1935 Kettering, Northamptonshire |
| Died | 5 October 2000 (aged 65) Salisbury, Wiltshire |
| Pen name | Alistair Bevan, John Kingston, David Stringer |
| Occupation | Novelist, Short story writer, Artist, Graphic designer |
| Genres | Science fiction, Fantasy, Historical fiction, Thriller |
| Notable work(s) | Pavane |
Keith John Kingston Roberts (20 September 1935 – 5 October 2000), was a British 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]
Several of his early stories were written using the pseudonym Alistair Bevan. His second novel, Pavane, which is really a collection of linked stories, may be his most famous work: an alternate history novel in which the Roman Catholic Church takes control of England following the assassination of Queen Elizabeth I.
Roberts wrote numerous novels and short stories, and also 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.
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.[2][3][4][5]
Partial bibliography
Novels
- The Furies (1966)
- Pavane (1968)
- Anita (1970) - linked short fiction
- The Inner Wheel (1970)
- The Boat of Fate (1971) - a historical novel set in Britain at the end of the Roman Empire's power
- The Chalk Giants (1975) - arguably also a collection of linked short stories
- Molly Zero (1980)
- Kiteworld (1985) - originally published as linked short stories
- Kaeti & Company (1986) - linked short fiction
- Gráinne (1987) - British Science Fiction Association Award winner, 1987; slipstream fiction
- The Road to Paradise (1988) - a thriller, without fantastic elements
- Kaeti On Tour (1992) - linked short fiction
Collections
- Machines and Men (1973)
- The Grain Kings (1976)
- The Passing of the Dragons (1977)
- Ladies from Hell (1979)
- The Lordly Ones (1986)
- A Heron Caught in Weeds (1987)
- Winterwood and Other Hauntings (1989)
Other
- Bruegel (1971)
- Degas (1976)
- Irish Encounters: A Short Travel (1988)
- Lemady: Episodes of a Writer's Life (1997) - autobiography, with fictional elements
References
- ^ Smith, Curtis C. (1981). Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers. Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 0-312-82420-3.
- ^ Obituary - The Guardian (16 October 2000)
- ^ Obituary - The Independent (17 October 2000)
- ^ David Langford - Keith Roberts, 1935-2000 Ansible #160 (November 2000)
- ^ David Langford - A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs SFX magazine #73 (January 2001)
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
