Bud Sparhawk
Encyclopedia
John C. "Bud" Sparhawk is an American
science fiction
author. He is best known for the strong scientific basis for his work, and also his humorous science fiction, in particular his Sam Boone series of short fiction.
. He has a BS degree in Mathematics from the University of Maryland
and an MBA in Finance from Oklahoma City University
. After fifteen years in the Air Force he worked for a variety of commercial companies before retiring from the role of Vice President at Macfadden, a Federal Government
contractor. Sparhawk is also a member and the web master for SIGMA
, a think tank of speculative writers that advises the government on issues of national interest.
Sparhawk started writing seriously in 1974 and made his first sale to Analog
, followed quickly by his second, just when he entered his second year of graduate school, and just before taking a thirteen year hiatus from SF. His work is most associated with his short fiction in Analog
but it has also appeared in various other magazines and anthologies. He is a three-time nominee for the Nebula Award for Best Novella
in 1997, 2002, and 2005, and his stories have appeared in several Year's Best SF
anthologies. His most recent novel, titled Vixen, was released in 2008 from Cosmos Books. He also serves on the Board of Directors in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
as the Eastern Regional Director.
Sparhawk occasionally attends science fiction and fantasy conventions, including Balticon
, Confluence
, and CapClave in the mid-Atlantic
region of the US. He has also appeared as a guest author in interviews sponsored by the Second Life
community.When not writing, he spends his spare time sailing on Chesapeake Bay
.
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...
author. He is best known for the strong scientific basis for his work, and also his humorous science fiction, in particular his Sam Boone series of short fiction.
Biography
Bud Sparhawk was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and lives in AnnapolisAnnapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
. He has a BS degree in Mathematics from the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
and an MBA in Finance from Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
. After fifteen years in the Air Force he worked for a variety of commercial companies before retiring from the role of Vice President at Macfadden, a Federal Government
Federal government
The federal government is the common government of a federation. The structure of federal governments varies from institution to institution. Based on a broad definition of a basic federal political system, there are two or more levels of government that exist within an established territory and...
contractor. Sparhawk is also a member and the web master for SIGMA
Sigma
Sigma is the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet, and carries the 'S' sound. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 200. When used at the end of a word, and the word is not all upper case, the final form is used, e.g...
, a think tank of speculative writers that advises the government on issues of national interest.
Sparhawk started writing seriously in 1974 and made his first sale to Analog
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
, followed quickly by his second, just when he entered his second year of graduate school, and just before taking a thirteen year hiatus from SF. His work is most associated with his short fiction in Analog
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
but it has also appeared in various other magazines and anthologies. He is a three-time nominee for the Nebula Award for Best Novella
Nebula Award for Best Novella
Winners of the Nebula Award for Best Novella. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year.-Winners and other nominees:-External links:**...
in 1997, 2002, and 2005, and his stories have appeared in several Year's Best SF
Year's Best SF
Year's Best SF is a science fiction anthology series edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer. Hartwell started the series in 1996, and has been co-editing it with Cramer since 2002. It is published by HarperCollins under the Eos imprint...
anthologies. His most recent novel, titled Vixen, was released in 2008 from Cosmos Books. He also serves on the Board of Directors in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, or SFWA is a nonprofit association of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. It was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight under the name Science Fiction Writers of America, Inc. and it retains the acronym SFWA after a very brief use of the SFFWA...
as the Eastern Regional Director.
Sparhawk occasionally attends science fiction and fantasy conventions, including Balticon
Balticon
Balticon is the Maryland Regional science fiction convention, sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society . It has been held annually since 1966...
, Confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
, and CapClave in the mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
region of the US. He has also appeared as a guest author in interviews sponsored by the Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
community.When not writing, he spends his spare time sailing on Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
.
Analog Publications
- The Old Man's Best (May 2011)
- Astronomical Distance, Geologic Time (March 2011)
- Encounter in a Yellow Wood (March 2010)
- The Late Sam Boone (June 2008)
- The Suit (November 2007)
- Chandra's Pup (July/August 2005)
- Clay's Pride (July/August 2004)
- Nebula AwardNebula AwardThe 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...
Finalist
- Nebula Award
- Sam Boone's Super Fantastic, Intragalactic, Ass-Kicking, Body-Slammin', Foot Stomping, Rasslin' Extravaganza (May 2002)
- Magic's Price (March 2001)
- Nebula AwardNebula AwardThe 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...
Finalist
- Nebula Award
- The Debt (May 2000)
- The Emperor's Dark Matters (July/August 2000)
- Evolution (October 2000)
- Olympus Mons (February, 1998)
- The Ice Dragon's Song (July/August, 1998)
- Sam Boone's Teacup Conundrum (August 1998)
- High Flight (December 1998)
- Sam Boone's Dry Run (July, 1997)
- Primrose Rescue (May 1997)
- Sam Boone's Rational Choice (March 1997)
- Sam Boone's Appeal to Common Scents (July 1996)
- Primrose and Thorn (May, 1996)
- Anlab Award Winner (AnalogAnalog Science Fiction and FactAnalog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
Reader’s Poll) - Nebula AwardNebula AwardThe 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...
Finalist - Years' Best Science Fiction, 14th Edition
- Anlab Award Winner (Analog
- The Bill (February 1996)
- Resurrection (January, 1996)
- Sam Boone and the Thermal Couples (October 1995)
- Persistence (May 1994)
- Iridium Dreams (April 1994)
- Jake's Gift (September 1993)
- R-TRNRD (Mid-December, 1993)
- Dad (June,1993)
- Childish Things (December, 1994)
- Hurricane! (September, 1994)
- Mary's Present (July 1994)
- Alba Krystal (January 1977)
- The Tompkins Battery Case (August 1976)
Other short fiction in magazines
- Ten Winks to Forever (Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, June 2010)
- Tortuous Path (Abyss and Apex, April 2010)
- No Cord Nor Cable (Abyss and Apex, April 2009)
- Winds of Mars (Jim Baen's UniverseJim Baen's UniverseJim Baen's Universe was a bimonthly online fantasy and science fiction magazine created by Jim Baen . It is recognized by the SFWA as a Qualifying Short Fiction Venue. JBU began soliciting materials in January 2006 and launched in June 2006...
, April 2009) - Pumpkin Jim Baen's UniverseJim Baen's UniverseJim Baen's Universe was a bimonthly online fantasy and science fiction magazine created by Jim Baen . It is recognized by the SFWA as a Qualifying Short Fiction Venue. JBU began soliciting materials in January 2006 and launched in June 2006...
, January 2009) - The Super (Jim Baen's UniverseJim Baen's UniverseJim Baen's Universe was a bimonthly online fantasy and science fiction magazine created by Jim Baen . It is recognized by the SFWA as a Qualifying Short Fiction Venue. JBU began soliciting materials in January 2006 and launched in June 2006...
, August 2008) - Connection (Darker Matter, June 2007)
- Frost (Darker Matter, March 2007)
- An Affliction of Wyrms (iFiction, February 2006)
- Bright Red Star (Asimov's August 2004)
- Year's Best SFYear's Best SFYear's Best SF is a science fiction anthology series edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer. Hartwell started the series in 1996, and has been co-editing it with Cramer since 2002. It is published by HarperCollins under the Eos imprint...
, Number 11
- Year's Best SF
- Handful of Stars (Frequency *5, Fall 2003)
- Rate of Change (Frequency, *2, January 2001)
- Mercenary (Absolute MagnitudeAbsolute magnitudeAbsolute magnitude is the measure of a celestial object's intrinsic brightness. it is also the apparent magnitude a star would have if it were 32.6 light years away from Earth...
, Summer, 1998) - Beryl's Run (Absolute MagnitudeAbsolute magnitudeAbsolute magnitude is the measure of a celestial object's intrinsic brightness. it is also the apparent magnitude a star would have if it were 32.6 light years away from Earth...
, Winter 1999) - Etiquette (Radius, April 1995)
- Rate of Change (Radius, November 1995)
- Eve of Feast (Radius, December 1994)
Short fiction in anthologies
- Cybermarine (Defending the Future, December 2010)
- The Glass Box (So It Begins, March 2009)
- Broadside (Breach the Hull, November 2007)
- Alliances (Breach the Hull, November 2007)
- Dancing with Dragons (Wildside PressWildside PressWildside Press is an independent publishing company located in Maryland, USA. It was founded in 1989 by John Gregory and Kim Betancourt. While the press was originally conceived as a publisher of speculative fiction in both trade and limited editions, it has broadened out somewhat since then, both...
)- Short story collection
- Sam Boone - Front to Back (FoxAcre Press)
- Collection of the Sam Boone stories
- Bright Red Star (Year's Best SFYear's Best SFYear's Best SF is a science fiction anthology series edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer. Hartwell started the series in 1996, and has been co-editing it with Cramer since 2002. It is published by HarperCollins under the Eos imprint...
, Number 11, 2004) - Seduction (Through a Glass Darkly, Lite Circle Books, 2003)
- Pumpkin (Dancing with Dragons, Wildside PressWildside PressWildside Press is an independent publishing company located in Maryland, USA. It was founded in 1989 by John Gregory and Kim Betancourt. While the press was originally conceived as a publisher of speculative fiction in both trade and limited editions, it has broadened out somewhat since then, both...
) - Fierce Embrace (Return of the Dinosaurs, DAW BooksDAW BooksDAW Books is an American science fiction and fantasy publisher, founded by Donald A. Wollheim following his departure from Ace Books in 1971. The company therefore claims to be "the first publishing company ever devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy." The first DAW Book published was...
,1997)
Nonfiction
- Laugh Lines (How to Write Science Fiction, Dragon Moon PressDragon Moon PressDragon Moon Press is an independent publishing company, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, dark fantasy and cross-genre novels. It was founded in 1993 by Gwen Gades, and released its first book in 1998....
, 2007) - Your Literary Legacy (The SFWASFWASFWA may refer to:*Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America*Scottish Football Writers' Association...
Bulletin, Winter 2006) - Cold Trophies (Artemis, Fall 2003)
- Ms Management (SpeculationsSpeculationsSpeculations was a resource for writers within the science fiction, fantasy, and other speculative fiction subgenres. Started in 1994 as a print magazine, Speculations moved online in 1999, then ceased operations in 2008. Speculations was a Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine nominee seven times...
, Issue Twenty-One, June 1999) - Love's Labor. Lost! (SpeculationsSpeculationsSpeculations was a resource for writers within the science fiction, fantasy, and other speculative fiction subgenres. Started in 1994 as a print magazine, Speculations moved online in 1999, then ceased operations in 2008. Speculations was a Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine nominee seven times...
, Issue Twenty, April 1998) - The Last Great Man (SpeculationsSpeculationsSpeculations was a resource for writers within the science fiction, fantasy, and other speculative fiction subgenres. Started in 1994 as a print magazine, Speculations moved online in 1999, then ceased operations in 2008. Speculations was a Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine nominee seven times...
, March 1995) - The Hat and the Dragon (Chesapeake Bay MagazineChesapeake Bay Magazine]Chesapeake Bay Magazine is a monthly publication focusing on boating, leisure, and lifestyle on the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding areas. Articles include such topics as Cruise of the Month and boating destinations. Fishing, water sports, and sailing are also highlighted...
, October, 1992) - Hugo and Me (Chesapeake Bay MagazineChesapeake Bay Magazine]Chesapeake Bay Magazine is a monthly publication focusing on boating, leisure, and lifestyle on the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding areas. Articles include such topics as Cruise of the Month and boating destinations. Fishing, water sports, and sailing are also highlighted...
, April 1992)
External links
- Bud Sparhawk's website
- PBS Television interview on the program Fast Forward
- Interview at milscifi.com