Difference between revisions of "Bob Shaw"

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[[File:Bob Shaw. Drawing by Doug Chaffee.jpg|thumb|right|Bob Shaw. Drawing by Doug Chaffee. From the DSC 50 PB, courtesy Guy Lillian III.]]
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''(You probably weren't looking for the [[Fake Bob Shaw]] or some other bosh, but see [[Bosh (Disambiguation)]] just in case....)''
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(You probably weren't looking for the [[Fake Bob Shaw]] or some other bosh in fandom: [[Bosh (Disambiguation)]] but just in case....)
 
  
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(December 31, 1931 - February 11, 1996)
 
  
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'''Bob Shaw''', often called '''BoSh''', was a [[fan]], [[fan writer]], [[fan artist]], novelist, structural engineer, aircraft designer, and journalist from [[Northern Ireland]], noted for his originality and wit. He was one of the [[Wheels of IF]] and a great and influential fan.
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[[File:Bob Shaw. Drawing by Doug Chaffee.jpg|thumb|left|upright=.5|'''Bob Shaw'''.<br>''Drawing by [[Doug Chaffee]], from the [[DSC 50]] [[PB]], courtesy [[Guy Lillian III]]''.]](December 31, 1931 – February 11, 1996)
  
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He won the [[Hugo Award]] for [[Best Fan Writer]] in 1979 and 1980. His short story "Light of Other Days" was a [[Hugo Award nominee]] in 1967, as was his novel ''The Ragged Astronauts'' in 1987. Professionally, he published his first story in 1951, and is best known for "Light of Other Days" (''[[ASF]]'', Aug 1966), the story that introduced the concept of slow glass. ''Orbitsville'' and its two sequels deal with the discovery of a habitable shell completely surrounding a star, and the consequences for humanity. The first in this trilogy won him the 1976 [[British SF Association Award]].
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'''Robert Shaw''', often called '''BoSh''', was a [[fan]], [[fan writer]], [[fan artist]], [[novel]]ist, structural engineer, aircraft designer, and journalist from [[Northern Ireland]], noted for his originality and wit. He was one of the [[Wheels of IF]] and a great and influential fan. He won the [[Hugo Award]] for [[Best Fan Writer]] in 1979 and 1980.  
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=Pro =
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Professionally, he published his first story in 1954 in ''[[Nebula Science Fiction]]'', and is best known for "Light of Other Days" (''[[ASF]]'', August 1966), the story that introduced the concept of slow glass. It was a [[1967 Best Short Story Hugo|Hugo Award nominee]] in 1967. ''Orbitsville'' and its two sequels deal with the discovery of a habitable shell completely surrounding a star, and the consequences for humanity. The first in this trilogy won him the 1976 [[British SF Association Award]]. His novel ''The Ragged Astronauts'' was a [[1987 Best Novel Hugo]] nominee.  
  
 
He was introduced to [[science fiction]] as a pre-teen by reading an [[A. E. van Vogt]] short story in ''[[Astounding]]''. He later described the experience as being more significant and long-lasting than taking LSD.  
 
He was introduced to [[science fiction]] as a pre-teen by reading an [[A. E. van Vogt]] short story in ''[[Astounding]]''. He later described the experience as being more significant and long-lasting than taking LSD.  
  
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In 1950 he joined the group [[Irish Fandom]] which met at [[James White]]'s house. The group was very influential in [[fandom]] and produced the [[fanzines]] ''[[Slant]]'' (to which he contributed a large part of the artwork and "The [[Fansmanship]] Lectures") and its successor ''[[Hyphen]]'' (which besides other Shaw fanwriting ran 30 instalments of his column "[[The Glass Bushel]]").
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His work was the subject of a book by Richard Howard: ''[https://journal.finfar.org/articles/book-review-space-for-peace-fragments-of-the-irish-troubles-in-the-science-fiction-of-bob-shaw-and-james-white/ Space for Peace]: Fragments of the Irish Troubles in the Science Fiction of Bob Shaw and [[James White]]'' (Liverpool UP, 2021).
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=Fan=
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In 1950, he joined the group [[Irish Fandom]] that met at [[James White]]'s house. The group was very influential in [[fandom]] and produced the [[fanzines]] ''[[Slant]]'' (to which Shaw contributed a large part of the [[art]]work and "The [[Fansmanship]] Lectures", starting with #5, Spring 1951; #6, Winter 1951/2, contained his short story) and its successor, ''[[Hyphen]]'' (which besides other Shaw [[fanwriting]] ran 30 installments of his [[column]] "[[The Glass Bushel]]"). He acquired the nickname "BoSh" during this period. Following his early membership of Irish Fandom, he formed the [[Belfast Triangle]], living in [[Oblique House]] with [[Walt Willis]] and [[James White]] and in 1951 he attended [[Festivention]] with the other Irish fans. When he was leaving for London in 1952, they and [[Vince Clarke]] produced ''[[Bob Shaw Appreciation Magazine]]''.
  
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He acquired the nickname "BoSh" during this period.  He also was one of the [[editor]]s on the [[one-shot]] ''[['Our 'Zine]]''. He was a world-champion [[Ghoodminton]] player, always ranking in the top 3-4 worldwide.   
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He was the world's greatest practitioner of [[Fansmanship]] and did the drafting for the design of the [[Tucker Hotel]]. He received the [[Doc Weir Award]] in 1980 and three [[FAAn Awards]] for Best Fan Writer. He was a world-champion [[Ghoodminton]] player, always ranking in the top 3-4 worldwide.   
  
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He and his wife, [[Sadie Shaw|Sadie]], lived in [[Canada]] from 1956–58.  
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He was well-loved and sought after, wearing both his [[fan]] and [[pro]] hats.  The [[BoSh Fund]] was created to bring him to [[Noreascon]] and [[The Shaw Fund]] to bring him to [[Aussiecon 2]].
  
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A selection of his fan [[writing]] up to 1979 was collected by [[Rob Jackson]] in ''[[The Complete BoSh]]'' in two volumes: ''[[The Eastercon Speeches]]'' (of which more below) and ''[[The Best of the Bushel]]'', a selection of Glass Bushel columns much later expanded as ''[[The Full Glass Bushel]]'' ([[Ansible Editions]], 2020), which contains all the columns plus additional articles from ''[[Hyphen]]''. Almost all the previously uncollected fanwriting has since been brought together as ''[[Slow Pint Glass]]'' ([[Ansible Editions]], 2020).
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==Fanwriting and Speeches ==
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Shaw always remained a keen reader of and contributor to [[fanzines]]. With [[Walt Willis]], Shaw co-wrote ''[[The Enchanted Duplicator]]'', arguably the most revered piece of fanwriting ever, in 1954.
  
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Following his early membership of [[Irish Fandom]], he formed the [[Belfast Triangle]], living in [[Oblique House]] with [[Walt Willis]], and [[James White]]; he always remained a keen reader of and contributor to [[fanzines]]. For many years, at [[Eastercon]], he would deliver a humorous speech (often one of his [[Serious Scientific Talks]] (which weren't)); these were eventually collected in ''[[The Eastercon Speeches]]'' (1979 as above), ''[[A Load of Old Bosh]]'' (1995) -- which included a similar talk from the [[1979 Worldcon]] in Brighton -- and ''[[The Serious Scientific Talks]]'' (2019), an [[Ansible Editions]] ebook containing all ten previously collected talks plus four more.  (''[[Serious Science]]'' was a smaller collection of three talks published in 1984 by [[Eve Harvey]] and [[Marc Ortleib]].)
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===The Glass Bushel===
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“The Glass Bushel” was Shaw’s regular [[column]] in ''[[Hyphen]]''. He said modestly that a glass bushel was the only sort he was prepared to hide his light under.  There were 30 instalments in all. The column was revived under the same title in 1984 for [[Richard E. Geis]]'s ''[[Science Fiction Review (Geis)]]'', which published two installments in that year.
  
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With [[Walt Willis]], Bob Shaw co-wrote ''[[The Enchanted Duplicator]]'' in 1954. He was the world's greatest practitioner of [[Fansmanship]] and did the drafting for the design of the [[Tucker Hotel]]. He received the [[Doc Weir Award]] in 1980 and three [[FAAn Awards]] for Best Fan Writer.
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Thirteen columns were collected by [[Rob Jackson]] in 1979 as ''The Best of the Bushel'' (see ''[[The Complete BoSh]]''), with a new introduction by [[Walt Willis]] and an introductory note to each column by Shaw. A different selection of fourteen Bushel columns (with some overlap) was published by [[Bruce Pelz]] in 1995 as ''[[14 Bob the Bushel]]''. ''The Full Glass Bushel'' ([[Ansible Editions]], 2020) contains all the columns plus additional articles from ''[[Hyphen]]'' (see ''[[The Complete BoSh]]'').
  
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Other [[fanzines]] were the 1950s [[one-shot]] comic strip ''[[Return of the Space Boggle]]'', a contribution to the multi-authored one-shot ''[['Our 'Zine]]'' (1952), and -- late in life -- ''[[Perspex Parrot]]'' (mid-1990).
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===Eastercon Speeches ===
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From 1974–90, at [[Eastercon]], Shaw would deliver a [[humor]]ous speech, often one of his '''Serious Scientific Talks''' (which weren't), such as "The Bermondsey Triangle Mystery."
  
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He was well-loved and sought after wearing both his [[fan]] and [[pro]] hats.  The [[BoSh Fund]] was created to bring him to [[Noreascon]] and [[The Shaw Fund]] to bring him to [[Aussiecon 2]].  See also ''[[Bob Shaw Appreciation Magazine]]''.
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Five early examples were collected as ''The Eastercon Speeches'' (1979) edited by [[Rob Jackson]] (see ''[[The Complete BoSh]]''); three more as ''[[Serious Science]]'' (published in 1984 by [[Eve Harvey]] and [[Marc Ortleib]]); ten, including the entire contents of the earlier collections, as ''[[A Load of Old BoSh]]'' (1995); and fourteen -- including all those previously collected -- as ''[[The Serious Scientific Talks]]'' (2019), an [[Ansible Editions]] ebook. At least one more talk, delivered in 1995, remains untraced and uncollected.
  
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Originally trained as a structural engineer, Shaw worked as an aircraft designer for Short and Harland, then as science correspondent for ''The Belfast Telegraph'' and then as publicity officer for Vickers Shipbuilding before starting to write full-time. During the Troubles, Shaw and his family moved from Northern Ireland to [[England]], where he produced the majority of his work. His wife first wife, [[Sadie Shaw|Sadie]], died suddenly in 1991.
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===Other Collections===
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Almost all Shaw’s previously uncollected fanwriting has since been brought together as ''[[The Complete BoSh|Slow Pint Glass]]'' ([[Ansible Editions]], 2020).
  
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He nearly lost his sight through illness and suffered migraine-induced visual disturbances throughout his life. He married [[Nancy Tucker]] in 1995 and went to the [[US]] to live with her, then returned to England in the last months of his life. Shaw died of cancer on 11 February 1996.
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=Personal Life =
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Shaw was born and raised in Belfast, the eldest of three sons of a policeman, Robert William Shaw, and his wife Elizabeth (née Megaw). He attended Belfast College of Technology. Originally trained as a structural engineer, Shaw worked as an aircraft designer for Short and Harland, then as science correspondent for ''The Belfast Telegraph'' and then as publicity officer for Vickers Shipbuilding before starting to write full-time.  
  
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* {{SFE|name=shaw_bob}}
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Shaw nearly lost his sight through illness and suffered migraine-induced visual disturbances throughout his life. He and his first wife, [[Sadie Shaw|Sadie]] (née Sarah Gourley, m. 1954), and their son and two daughters, lived in [[Canada]] from 1956–58. In April 1973, during the Troubles, they moved from Northern Ireland to [[England]], where he produced the majority of his work. Sadie died suddenly in 1991.
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Shaw died of cancer. He was already ill when he married longtime [[American]] fan [[Nancy Tucker]] in December 1995 and went to the [[US]] to live with her. They returned to England for medical care in February 1996, and he died a few days later.
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* {{SFE|name=shaw_bob}}.
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* [https://www.dib.ie/biography/shaw-bob-robert-a7999 Entry in the Dictionary of Irish Biography. ]
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* [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-bob-shaw-1319392.html Obituary in the ''Independent''] February 17, 1996 by [[David V. Barrett]]
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{{fanzines}}
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* ''[[14 Bob the Bushel]]'' ([[Bruce Pelz]], ed.) [1995]
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* ''[[The Complete BoSh]]''<br>(Five volumes, [[Rob Jackson]] and [[Dave Langford]], eds.):
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**''The Best of the Bushel'' [1979]
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**''The Eastercon Speeches'' [1979] 
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**''[[The Serious Scientific Talks]]'' [2019]
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**''The Full Glass Bushel'' [2020]
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** ''Slow Pint Glass'' [2020]
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* ''[[A Load of Old BoSh]]'' ([[Beccon Publications]]) [1995]
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* ''[['Our 'Zine]]'' (with others) [1952]
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* ''[[Perspex Parrot]]'' [mid-1990]
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* ''[[Return of the Space Boggle]]'' [1950s]
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* ''[[Serious Science]]'' ([[Eve Harvey]] and [[Marc Ortleib]], eds.) [1984]
  
 
{{recognition}}
 
{{recognition}}
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* 1971 -- [[BoSh Fund]]
 
* 1974 -- [[Tynecon 74]]
 
* 1974 -- [[Tynecon 74]]
 
* 1976 -- [[SfanCon 7]], [[British SF Association Award]]
 
* 1976 -- [[SfanCon 7]], [[British SF Association Award]]
 
* 1977 -- [[SfanCon 8]], [[FAAn Award]] for Best Fan Writer
 
* 1977 -- [[SfanCon 8]], [[FAAn Award]] for Best Fan Writer
 
* 1978 -- [[Windycon V]], [[FAAn Award]] for Best Fan Writer
 
* 1978 -- [[Windycon V]], [[FAAn Award]] for Best Fan Writer
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* 1979 -- [[Novacon 9 West]], [[toastmaster]] at [[Seacon '79]] (the 1979 [[Worldcon]]), [[FAAn Award]] for Best Fan Writer
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* 1979 -- '''[[1979 Best Fan Writer Hugo]]''', [[Novacon 9 West]], [[toastmaster]] at [[Seacon '79]] (the 1979 [[Worldcon]]), [[FAAn Award]] for Best Fan Writer
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* 1980 -- [[Unicon (UK) 80]], [[Doc Weir Award]]
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* 1980 -- '''[[1980 Best Fan Writer Hugo]]''', [[Unicon (UK) 80]], [[Doc Weir Award]]
 
* 1981 -- [[Novacon 11]], [[DeepSouthCon 19]]
 
* 1981 -- [[Novacon 11]], [[DeepSouthCon 19]]
 
* 1982 -- [[Norwescon V]], [[Plergbcon]], [[Shoestringcon 4]]
 
* 1982 -- [[Norwescon V]], [[Plergbcon]], [[Shoestringcon 4]]
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* 1985 -- [[The Shaw Fund]]
 
* 1986 -- [[Not-Anokon 8]], [[toastmaster]] for [[Confederation]] (the 1986 [[Worldcon]]), [[Nicon 87]]
 
* 1986 -- [[Not-Anokon 8]], [[toastmaster]] for [[Confederation]] (the 1986 [[Worldcon]]), [[Nicon 87]]
 
* 1987 -- [[Rivercon XII]]
 
* 1987 -- [[Rivercon XII]]
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* 1995 -- [[Confabulation (Eastercon)]], [[Novacon 25]], [[Loscon 22]]
 
* 1995 -- [[Confabulation (Eastercon)]], [[Novacon 25]], [[Loscon 22]]
 
* 1996 -- [[Past president of the FWA]], [[Nova Award]] for Best Fan
 
* 1996 -- [[Past president of the FWA]], [[Nova Award]] for Best Fan
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{{person | born=1931 | died=1996}}
 
{{person | born=1931 | died=1996}}
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[[Category:pro]]
 
[[Category:pro]]
 
[[Category:UK]]
 
[[Category:UK]]
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[[Category:canada]] [[Category:US]] [[Category:artist]]

Latest revision as of 10:56, 22 September 2024

(You probably weren't looking for the Fake Bob Shaw or some other bosh, but see Bosh (Disambiguation) just in case....)


Bob Shaw.
Drawing by Doug Chaffee, from the DSC 50 PB, courtesy Guy Lillian III.

(December 31, 1931 – February 11, 1996)

Robert Shaw, often called BoSh, was a fan, fan writer, fan artist, novelist, structural engineer, aircraft designer, and journalist from Northern Ireland, noted for his originality and wit. He was one of the Wheels of IF and a great and influential fan. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980.


Pro[edit]

Professionally, he published his first story in 1954 in Nebula Science Fiction, and is best known for "Light of Other Days" (ASF, August 1966), the story that introduced the concept of slow glass. It was a Hugo Award nominee in 1967. Orbitsville and its two sequels deal with the discovery of a habitable shell completely surrounding a star, and the consequences for humanity. The first in this trilogy won him the 1976 British SF Association Award. His novel The Ragged Astronauts was a 1987 Best Novel Hugo nominee.

He was introduced to science fiction as a pre-teen by reading an A. E. van Vogt short story in Astounding. He later described the experience as being more significant and long-lasting than taking LSD.

His work was the subject of a book by Richard Howard: Space for Peace: Fragments of the Irish Troubles in the Science Fiction of Bob Shaw and James White (Liverpool UP, 2021).

Fan[edit]

In 1950, he joined the group Irish Fandom that met at James White's house. The group was very influential in fandom and produced the fanzines Slant (to which Shaw contributed a large part of the artwork and "The Fansmanship Lectures", starting with #5, Spring 1951; #6, Winter 1951/2, contained his short story) and its successor, Hyphen (which besides other Shaw fanwriting ran 30 installments of his column "The Glass Bushel"). He acquired the nickname "BoSh" during this period. Following his early membership of Irish Fandom, he formed the Belfast Triangle, living in Oblique House with Walt Willis and James White and in 1951 he attended Festivention with the other Irish fans. When he was leaving for London in 1952, they and Vin¢ Clarke produced Bob Shaw Appreciation Magazine.

He was the world's greatest practitioner of Fansmanship and did the drafting for the design of the Tucker Hotel. He received the Doc Weir Award in 1980 and three FAAn Awards for Best Fan Writer. He was a world-champion Ghoodminton player, always ranking in the top 3-4 worldwide.

He was well-loved and sought after, wearing both his fan and pro hats. The BoSh Fund was created to bring him to Noreascon and The Shaw Fund to bring him to Aussiecon 2.

Fanwriting and Speeches[edit]

Shaw always remained a keen reader of and contributor to fanzines. With Walt Willis, Shaw co-wrote The Enchanted Duplicator, arguably the most revered piece of fanwriting ever, in 1954.

The Glass Bushel[edit]

“The Glass Bushel” was Shaw’s regular column in Hyphen. He said modestly that a glass bushel was the only sort he was prepared to hide his light under. There were 30 instalments in all. The column was revived under the same title in 1984 for Richard E. Geis's Science Fiction Review, which published two installments in that year.

Thirteen columns were collected by Rob Jackson in 1979 as The Best of the Bushel (see The Complete BoSh), with a new introduction by Walt Willis and an introductory note to each column by Shaw. A different selection of fourteen Bushel columns (with some overlap) was published by Bruce Pelz in 1995 as 14 Bob the Bushel. The Full Glass Bushel (Ansible Editions, 2020) contains all the columns plus additional articles from Hyphen (see The Complete BoSh).

Eastercon Speeches[edit]

From 1974–90, at Eastercon, Shaw would deliver a humorous speech, often one of his Serious Scientific Talks (which weren't), such as "The Bermondsey Triangle Mystery."

Five early examples were collected as The Eastercon Speeches (1979) edited by Rob Jackson (see The Complete BoSh); three more as Serious Science (published in 1984 by Eve Harvey and Marc Ortleib); ten, including the entire contents of the earlier collections, as A Load of Old BoSh (1995); and fourteen -- including all those previously collected -- as The Serious Scientific Talks (2019), an Ansible Editions ebook. At least one more talk, delivered in 1995, remains untraced and uncollected.

Other Collections[edit]

Almost all Shaw’s previously uncollected fanwriting has since been brought together as Slow Pint Glass (Ansible Editions, 2020).

Personal Life[edit]

Shaw was born and raised in Belfast, the eldest of three sons of a policeman, Robert William Shaw, and his wife Elizabeth (née Megaw). He attended Belfast College of Technology. Originally trained as a structural engineer, Shaw worked as an aircraft designer for Short and Harland, then as science correspondent for The Belfast Telegraph and then as publicity officer for Vickers Shipbuilding before starting to write full-time.

Shaw nearly lost his sight through illness and suffered migraine-induced visual disturbances throughout his life. He and his first wife, Sadie (née Sarah Gourley, m. 1954), and their son and two daughters, lived in Canada from 1956–58. In April 1973, during the Troubles, they moved from Northern Ireland to England, where he produced the majority of his work. Sadie died suddenly in 1991.

Shaw died of cancer. He was already ill when he married longtime American fan Nancy Tucker in December 1995 and went to the United States to live with her. They returned to England for medical care in February 1996, and he died a few days later.

Fanzines and Apazines:

Awards, Honors and GoHships:


Person 1931—1996
This is a biography page. Please extend it by adding more information about the person, such as fanzines and apazines published, awards, clubs, conventions worked on, GoHships, impact on fandom, external links, anecdotes, etc. See Standards for People and The Naming of Names.

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