Robert J. Sawyer
@robertjsawyer
Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Canadian science-fiction writer;
Winners in Las Vegas! Yesterday, at ST:LV, my dear friend Chase Masterson received The Fleet’s Star Cross Founder Award for her spectacular charity work with the Pop Culture Hero Coalition, and today I won Canada's Aurora Award for Best Novel of the Year for THE DOWNLOADED 2: GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE.
My programming schedule for LAcon V, the World Science Fiction Convention ("Worldcon") in Los Angeles:
Today's TORONTO STAR on SAWYER ON SCIENCE FICTION: A wonderful anthology. Sawyer has all the qualities you could want in a guide, being well read, perceptive and a keen and generous critical writer. You can dip into this book at any point and come away with some insight that will stick.
Want to get SAWYER ON SCIENCE FICTION from me in person? There are three launch events: WHEN WORDS COLLIDE in Calgary on Saturday, August 15, at 1:00 p.m. WORLDCON in Los Angeles on Saturday, August 29, at 10:30 a.m. BAKKA-PHOENIX BOOKS in Toronto on Saturday, September 12, at 3:00 p.m.
TOS trivia time! Many people were suprised in STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE that the ENTERPRISE suddenly had an "Executive Officer" or "Exec." Actually, though, that role aboard starships WAS established in The Original Series — but by whom and in what episode?
Want an autographed copy of SAWYER ON SCIENCE FICTION? We have stock on hand! sfwriter.com/autograp.htm
Pleased to see SAWYER ON SCIENCE FICTION as the "#1 New Release" in "Literary History & Criticism Reference" on Amazon.com just now: www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5TD3H5J
This is the Coalsack nebula. Trivia time: it's mentioned twice in STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES — by whom and in which episodes?
Lovely new review of THE DOWNLOADED 2: GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE, a finalist for the Aurora Award for best novel of the year, at Audible.com: “What a refreshing story! I thoroughly enjoyed book 1 but book 2 was chef’s kiss! The actors and storyline were absolutely amazing. Ugh….so good! A must read.”
Tomorrow (Sunday, July 5), I'll be on BOOKENDS, CBC Radio One's program about books hosted by Mattea Roach, talking about THE DOWNLOADED 2: GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE. It'll air on all CBC Radio One stations across Canada at 1:00 p.m. AT, ET, CT, MT; 1:30 p.m. NT; and 3:00 p.m. PT.
Received today! My author's copies of the DUTCH edition of THE OPPENHEIMER ALTERNATIVE, titled HET OPPENHEIMER ALTERNATIEF:
It's a bouncing baby book! UPS just delivered my authors copies, straight from the printer. We're on track for the official release on August 4. Pre-order links (pre-orders really help!): sfwriter.com/buylinks.htm...
Delighted to be the 2026 Writer-in-Residence at the Alexandria Writers' Centre Society in Calgary. I'll be doing in-person and online critiquing sessions, hosting workshops, and more during September, October, and November. AWCS puts on Calgary's annual multi-genre When Words Collide convention.
Cover of the Italian edition of my THE DOWNLOADED 2: GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE — cover art by the great Franco Brambilla
Had a fabulous four days at the STAR TREK set tour in Ticonderoga, including dinner with old pal David Gerrold! (And, yes, SFWRITER is my license plate.)
Coming August 4 in print and ebook: SAWYER ON SCIENCE FICTION, a 225,000-word career-capstone collection of my speeches, columns, articles, and more about the genre I've devoted my life to. “Rob is the real deal.” —David Brin Pre-order links (pre-orders help a lot!): sfwriter.com/buylinks.htm...
Coming to When Words Collide in Calgary? Sign up for my master class on turning your novel into a screenplay — and vice versa. Friday, August 14, from 3:00 to 5:45 p.m.; Cdn$40 (If you just want to write screenplays, you'll learn a lot, too.) www.alexandrawriters.org/store/p1048/...
Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of pioneering Canadian science-fiction writer Phyllis Gotlieb, born on this day in Toronto in 1926. I had the privilege of publishing her final novel, BIRTHSTONES, under my Robert J. Sawyer Books imprint.
Full-page interview with me about THE DOWNLOADED 2: GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE by Eric Volmers in newspapers across Canada today including Ottawa Citizen (shown), Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Vancouver Sun, Regina Leader Post, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, and others. Photo by Warren Shepherd.
TOMORROW — Saturday, May 23, at 2:00 pm — is the launch party for THE DOWNLOADED 2: GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE in TORONTO at the Prehistoria Museum, 333 Yonge St. #2 (one-half block north of Dundas on the west side of Yonge on the second floor). Join me and the T. rex for a fun event!
Just five days to the official release date for the print and ebook editions of THE DOWNLOADED 2: GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE. Pre-order links: sfwriter.com/buylinks.htm...
Beautiful new edition of my best novel, THE OPPENHEIMER ALTERNATIVE. Buying links: sfwriter.com/buylinks.htm... “You can call this alternate history or alternate astrophysics (or both). Whatever term you choose, it’s a terrific story.” —Eric Flint
Kitchener / Waterloo peeps! Come see me Thursday, May 28, at 7:00 p.m. at Kitchener Public Library Central Branch, 85 Queen St N, where I'll be reading and signing THE DOWNLOADED 2: GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE — and be interviewed on-stage by Marcel Gagné!
WINNIPEG peeps! Come see me Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at McNally Robinson (Grant Park), 1120 Grant Ave., where I'll be reading from and signing THE DOWNLOADED 2: GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE.
EDMONTON peeps! Come see me Tuesday, May 26, at 7:00 p.m. at Audreys Books, 10702 Jasper Ave., where I'll be reading from and signing THE DOWNLOADED 2: GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE. sfwriter.com/lnappear.htm
TORONTO book launch for THE DOWNLOADED 2: GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE on Saturday, May 23, at 2:00 p.m. at Prehistoria Museum & SkullStore Oddity Shop — with a T. rex! 333 Yonge St #2 (second floor), just north of Dundas subway station
Today is the Anne McCaffrey centenary. Annie was born 100 years ago today, on April 1, 1926. Rest in peace, dear friend.
Aurora Award nominating closes on Sunday, April 5. A polite reminder that my THE DOWNLOADED 2: GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE is eligible in the Best Novel category (because the Audible Originals version was published in 2025). That's me and Brendan Fraser during the recording session: