Robert Jerzy Szmidt, born 26 July 1962 in Wrocław, Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

, is a Polish science fiction and fantasy writer, translator and journalist. He was the founder of the Science Fiction magazine

Science Fiction (magazine)

Science Fiction is a Polish speculative fiction monthly magazine. It was established in 2001 under the name Science Fiction by Robert J. Szmidt, who was also the first editor...

 and Nautilus Award

Nautilus Award

Nautilus Award is a Polish science fiction and fantasy award created by Robert J. Szmidt of the Science Fiction magazine. The award is named after the cephalopods of that name ....

, and author of three novels and 12 short stories as well as several translations.

Szmidt is currently a publisher and editor in chief of the Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror monthly magazine. Szmidt has lived in Katowice

Katowice

Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...

, Poland, since 1986.

Early career

Szmidt trained as a sailor, however he never worked as one. In the late 80s and early 90s he was a sales representative for Amber Publishing House, and worked in video and bookselling business. He was also the owner of one of the first legal video rentals in Poland. In late 80s he founded two magazines: Video Business and Video Premiery. Afterwards he moved into video games publishing (PlayStation Plus and Player Station Plus magazines) and as a translator.

Novels

• Toy Land, "Science Fiction" No. 11 / 2002, Fabryka Słów, Lublin
  Lublin
  Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
  
   2008
• Revelation by Lord John (Apokalipsa według Pana Jana), D.W. Ares, Katowice 2003; Fabryka Słów, Lublin
  Lublin
  Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
  
   2008
• Whisperer (Zaklinacz), D.W. Ares, Katowice 2003
• Unicorn Chronicles: Hunting (Kroniki Jednorożca: Polowanie), Fabryka Słów, Lublin 2007

Books translated

• Campbell, Jack; Lost fleet: Fearless, Fabryka Słów, Lublin 2008
• Campbell, Jack; Lost fleet: Fearless, Fabryka Słów, Lublin 2008
• Church, James; Death in the Koryo, Książnica, Katowice 2008
• Gibson, William; Spook Country, Książnica, Katowice 2008

Awards

Robert Szmidt joined the Polish Science Fiction fandom in the early 80s and soon founded the Sphinx (Polish: Sfinks) Award, which later was renamed the Zajdel Award.

In 1985 he was awarded the Śląkwa Prize as The Fan Of The Year.

He founded the Science Fiction magazine

Science Fiction (magazine)

Science Fiction is a Polish speculative fiction monthly magazine. It was established in 2001 under the name Science Fiction by Robert J. Szmidt, who was also the first editor...

 (2000) and Nautilus Award

Nautilus Award

Nautilus Award is a Polish science fiction and fantasy award created by Robert J. Szmidt of the Science Fiction magazine. The award is named after the cephalopods of that name ....

(2004).