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". Several of his early stories were written using the pseudonyms Alistair Bevan and David Stringer.
Also recorded as Keith John Kingston Roberts · Alistair Bevan · John Kingston · David Stringer
Keith Roberts
- Born
- 1935. · Kettering.
- Died
- 2000. · Salisbury.
- Nationality
- United Kingdom.
- Occupation
- painter, graphic designer, illustrator and writer.
- Education
- Kettering Grammar School.
- Known for
- Pavane.
- Honours
- BSFA Award for Best Novel and BSFA Award for Best Short Fiction.
- Languages
- English.
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q1379856 · wikipedia · Keith Roberts
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
The documentary record
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Institutions cited
Bibliothèque nationale de France · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Complete reading chain (JSON)In this article
Novels
Novels
His second novel Pavane, first published in 1968, which is a collection of linked stories, may be his most famous work: an alternative history novel in which the Catholic Church takes control of England following the assassination of Queen Elizabeth I. 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. 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. In later life, Roberts lived in Salisbury. Obituaries recalled him as a talented but personally "difficult" author, with a history of disputes with publishers, editors and colleagues.
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
Documentary record
Keith Roberts appears in the authority records of the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek as a science fiction author, writer and illustrator (20 September 1935 – 5 October 2000).
Other
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
Nominations
Nominations
Nebula Award 1971 – Best Novella: "The God House" (New Worlds Quarterly No. 1, 1971) British Science Fiction Association Award 1980 – Novel: Molly Zero Hugo Award 1981 – Best Novelette: "The Lordly Ones" (Fantasy & Science Fiction, March 1980) British Science Fiction Association Award 1985 – Novel: Kiteworld John W. Campbell Memorial Award 1986 (Joint 3rd place): Kiteworld Nebula Award 1987 – Best Novella: "The Tiger Sweater" (Fantasy & Science Fiction, October 1987) Arthur C. Clarke Award 1988: Gráinne
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1935
Keith Roberts was born on 20 September 1935.
2000
Keith Roberts died on 5 October 2000.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Kettering.
Birth place
Salisbury.
Death place
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)
Documentary record
Keith Roberts was born on 20 September 1935 in Kettering and died on 5 October 2000 in Salisbury.
Awards
British Science Fiction Association Award 1982 – Short fiction: "Kitemaster" (Interzone, Spring 1982) British Science Fiction Association Award 1986 – Short fiction: "Kaeti and the Hangman" (Kaeti & Company) British Science Fiction Association Award 1986 – Artist: Keith Roberts British Science Fiction Association Award 1987 – Novel: Gráinne
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Keith Roberts, revision 1371955042 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Clute, John. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Orbit Books. 1012–1013. 1993. 1-85723-124-4.
- 2.Smith, Curtis C. Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers. Macmillan Publishers. 1981. 0-312-82420-3.
- 3.Cox, F. Brett. "Keith Roberts". British fantasy and science-fiction writers since 1960. 261 (2002): 336.
- 4.Holland, Steve. Obituary: Keith Roberts. The Guardian. 16 October 2000.
- 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.BBC Programme Index. genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 20 May 1970.
- 8.Solaris Books. The Worlds of Keith Roberts.
- 9.InfinityPlus. Drek Yarman by Keith Roberts (Spectrum SF #1, February 2000 through #3, June 2000). InfinityPlus.co.uk.
- 10.British Science Fiction Association. British Science Fiction Association Awards – Past Awards.
- 11.www.literaryawards.co.uk. The Nebula Awards.
- 12.icow.com, LLC. 1980 Award Winners & Nominees.
- 13.World Science Fiction Society. 1981 Hugo Awards.
- 14.icow.com, LLC. 1985 Award Winners & Nominees.
- 15.Center for the Study of Science Fiction, Department of English, University of Kansas. The John W. Campbell Memorial Award.
- 16.Science Fiction Awards Database. The Arthur C. Clarke Award 1988.
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q1379856: Keith RobertsWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Illustration
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