Bob Shaw
A Northern Irish writer who combined ingenious scientific concepts with wry humor, most famously imagining 'slow glass' that delays light for years.
1931–1996 (age 65)·Science fiction author from Northern Ireland·Birthday: December 31·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bob Shaw was a Belfast man who poured the sensibility of his homeland—practical, witty, and fond of a good story—into the cosmos of science fiction. While working as an aerospace engineer, he began writing stories that were less about galactic empires and more about clever, human-scale ideas. His masterpiece was the concept of 'slow glass,' introduced in the 1966 story 'Light of Other Days.' This material slowed light's passage to a crawl, allowing windows to show scenes from the past. It was a perfect Shaw notion: scientifically evocative, philosophically rich, and instantly memorable. Beyond that, he was a beloved figure in fandom, a hilarious and warm presence at conventions whose fan writing won Hugo Awards. His later 'Ragged Astronauts' series blended planetary romance with a gritty, survivalist edge. Shaw's legacy is that of a thinker's writer, one who prized a brilliant conceit and a well-turned joke as much as any spectacle.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bob was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1996Died at 65
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
Key Achievements
- Won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980 for his fanzine writing.
- His short story 'Light of Other Days' was a finalist for the 1967 Hugo Award.
- His novel 'The Ragged Astronauts' was a finalist for the 1987 Arthur C. Clarke Award.
- Served as President of the Irish Science Fiction Association.
Did You Know?
He invented the term 'slow glass' and the concept is still frequently referenced in science fiction discussions.
Shaw worked as a journalist for the Belfast Telegraph early in his career.
He was known for his long, entertaining after-dinner speeches at science fiction conventions.
“The universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we *can* imagine.”
