Steven H Silver
Encyclopedia
Steven H Silver is an American
science fiction
fan
and bibliographer
, publisher, and editor. He has been nominated for the Hugo Award
for Best Fan Writer
ten times and Best Fanzine
three times without winning.
In 2003, he co-edited three anthologies with Martin H. Greenberg
, Wondrous Beginnings, Magical Beginnings, and Horrible Beginnings, which reprinted the first published stories of authors in the science fiction
, fantasy
, and horror
genres. In 2004, he became the publisher of ISFiC Press
.
Silver published his first short story, "Les Lettres de Paston", in the final issue of Helix SF
. Silver had earlier written a column on alternate history for the magazine.
In 2009 and 2010, he edited the two volume Selected Stories of Lester del Rey
for NESFA Press
. The first volume is entitled War and Space and appeared in August, 2009. The second volume, Robots and Magic was published in February 2010.
and has served as a judge ever since. He was on the short story jury for the Nebula Award
in 2002, and on the novel jury for the Nebula Award in 2003, 2006, and chaired the novel jury in 2008. In 2005, Silver was one of the co-ordinators of the Nebula weekend in Chicago
.
s, as well as publishing his own annual 'zine Argentus
, which was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Fanzine
in 2008, 2009, and 2010, and won the Chronic Rift Roundtable Award for Best Fanzine in 2009 and the monthly APA
-zine Plata.
s. He has chaired Windycon
twice, founded Midfan and chaired the first Midwest Construction, and ran programming for Chicon 2000
, the Worldcon
. From 1998 through 2006 and again from 2008, he sat on the board of directors for ISFiC
.
winning two days and coming in second on his third day. He won $15,000.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
fan
Science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or "fandom" of people actively interested in science fiction and fantasy and in contact with one another based upon that interest...
and bibliographer
Bibliography
Bibliography , as a practice, is the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology...
, publisher, and editor. He has been nominated for the Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
for Best Fan Writer
Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer
The Hugo Awards are presented every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
ten times and Best Fanzine
Hugo Award for Best Fanzine
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
three times without winning.
Editor, publisher, and writer
Silver is a longtime contributing editor to SF Site and has written that site's news page since its inception.In 2003, he co-edited three anthologies with Martin H. Greenberg
Martin H. Greenberg
Martin Harry Greenberg was an American speculative fiction anthologist and writer.-Biography:Dr. Martin H. Greenberg was born March 1, 1941, to Max and Mae Greenberg in South Miami Beach, Florida...
, Wondrous Beginnings, Magical Beginnings, and Horrible Beginnings, which reprinted the first published stories of authors in the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, and horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
genres. In 2004, he became the publisher of ISFiC Press
ISFiC Press
ISFiC Press is the small press publishing arm of ISFiC. It often produces books by the Author Guest of Honor at Windycon, an annual Chicago science fiction convention, launching the appropriate title at the convention....
.
Silver published his first short story, "Les Lettres de Paston", in the final issue of Helix SF
Helix SF
Helix SF was a quarterly American speculative fiction online magazine edited by William Sanders and Lawrence Watt-Evans. The poetry editor was Bud Webster....
. Silver had earlier written a column on alternate history for the magazine.
In 2009 and 2010, he edited the two volume Selected Stories of Lester del Rey
Lester del Rey
Lester del Rey was an American science fiction author and editor. Del Rey was the author of many of the Winston Science Fiction juvenile SF series, and the editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and science fiction branch of Ballantine Books, along with his fourth wife Judy-Lynn del Rey.-Birth...
for NESFA Press
NESFA Press
NESFA Press is the publishing arm of the New England Science Fiction Association, Inc. The NESFA Press primarily produces three types of books:...
. The first volume is entitled War and Space and appeared in August, 2009. The second volume, Robots and Magic was published in February 2010.
Sidewise and Nebula Awards
In 1995, he founded the Sidewise Award for Alternate HistorySidewise Award for Alternate History
The Sidewise Awards for Alternate History were established in 1995 to recognize the best alternate history stories and novels of the year.The awards take their name from the 1934 short story "Sidewise in Time" by Murray Leinster, in which a strange storm causes portions of Earth to swap places with...
and has served as a judge ever since. He was on the short story jury for the Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
in 2002, and on the novel jury for the Nebula Award in 2003, 2006, and chaired the novel jury in 2008. In 2005, Silver was one of the co-ordinators of the Nebula weekend in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Fanzines
Silver is known as an on-line reviewer and has written several articles for science fiction fanzineScience fiction fanzine
A science fiction fanzine is an amateur or semi-professional magazine published by members of science fiction fandom, from the 1930s to the present day...
s, as well as publishing his own annual 'zine Argentus
Argentus
Argentus is a science fiction fanzine edited by Steven H Silver. It won the Chronic Rift Roundtable Award for Best Fanzine in 2009 and has been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Fanzine three times ....
, which was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Fanzine
Hugo Award for Best Fanzine
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
in 2008, 2009, and 2010, and won the Chronic Rift Roundtable Award for Best Fanzine in 2009 and the monthly APA
Amateur press association
An amateur press association is a group of people who produce individual pages or magazines that are sent to a Central Mailer for collation and distribution to all members of the group.-Organisation:...
-zine Plata.
Conventions
In addition to his writing and editing activities, Silver is involved in running science fiction conventionScience fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
s. He has chaired Windycon
Windycon
Windycon is a science fiction convention currently held in Lombard, Illinois, on the weekend closest to Veterans Day.ISFiC, the parent corporation that runs Windycon, was founded in 1973 in Chicago. The first Windycon was held the following year and has been held annually ever since either in...
twice, founded Midfan and chaired the first Midwest Construction, and ran programming for Chicon 2000
58th World Science Fiction Convention
The 58th World Science Fiction Convention was Chicon 2000, which was held in Chicago, USA August 31- September 4, 2000. The venues for 58th Worldcon were Hyatt Regency Chicago, Sofitel Hotel and Fairmont Hotel...
, the Worldcon
Worldcon
Worldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention held each year since 1939 . It is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society...
. From 1998 through 2006 and again from 2008, he sat on the board of directors for ISFiC
ISFiC
ISFiC, or "Illinois Science Fiction in Chicago" is a non-profit organization best known for running the Windycon science fiction convention.ISFiC was formed in 1973 as a coalition of the various science fiction clubs in Chicago, Illinois, United States...
.
Personal background
In 2000, Silver appeared on Jeopardy!Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
winning two days and coming in second on his third day. He won $15,000.