Robert J. Sawyer
A master of the philosophical 'what if,' his scientifically rigorous novels have made him one of Canada's most decorated and popular science fiction authors.
Born 1960 (age 66)·Canadian science fiction writer·Birthday: April 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Robert J. Sawyer has built a career on the bedrock of a big idea. Hailing from Ontario, he became a central figure in science fiction by crafting novels that are as much about the human consequences of technological change as they are about the change itself. His 'Neanderthal Parallax' trilogy, which imagines a parallel world where Neanderthals became the dominant hominid, is a hallmark of his method: start with a solid scientific premise and explore its societal and ethical ripples. Sawyer's work has earned him the field's highest honors, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Campbell Memorial awards, a rare trifecta. He is also a vocal and articulate advocate for the genre, frequently appearing in media and teaching workshops, championing science fiction as a vital tool for understanding our own rapidly evolving world. His stories are thoughtful, accessible, and persistently engaged with the question of what it means to be human at the edge of tomorrow.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Robert was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Robert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Robert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
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
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2003 for 'Hominids,' the first book in his Neanderthal Parallax trilogy.
- Won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1995 for 'The Terminal Experiment.'
- Received the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel in 2006 for 'Mindscan.'
- Awarded the Robert A. Heinlein Award in 2017 for his body of work.
- Has won multiple Aurora Awards, Canada's top prize for science fiction and fantasy.
Did You Know?
He was the first Canadian to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel.
Sawyer's novel 'FlashForward' was the basis for the 2009-2010 ABC television series of the same name.
He has served as a writer-in-residence at the Richmond Hill Public Library and the Toronto Public Library.
Sawyer is a frequent guest on the Canadian news and talk show 'The Agenda with Steve Paikin.'
“Science fiction is the literature of intriguing possibilities.”
