Charles Sheffield
Charles Sheffield was a prominent mathematician and physicist born in 1935 in Hull, England. He pursued his education at St. John's College, Cambridge, and later earned a doctorate from American University in 1965. Sheffield's career in physics included roles as chief scientist and board member of the Earth Satellite Corporation, as well as consulting work for NASA. Following the tragic death of his wife in 1977, he began writing fiction, leading to the publication of his first novel, "Sight of Proteus," in 1978, which explored complex themes surrounding the morality of science in a futuristic context.
Sheffield's writing is characterized as "hard" science fiction, firmly grounded in scientific principles, and he produced numerous acclaimed novels and short stories, including works in the Behrooz Wolf and Heritage Universe series. His collection "Erasmus Magister" presented historical fantasy narratives driven by scientific reasoning. Additionally, he authored nonfiction works that featured photographs from space, showcasing his expertise in both science and storytelling. Throughout his career, Sheffield received several distinguished awards, including the Hugo and Nebula Awards. He passed away from brain cancer on November 2, 2002, leaving behind a legacy as a significant figure in both physics and science fiction literature.
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Charles Sheffield
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- Born: June 25, 1935
- Birthplace: Hull, England
- Died: November 2, 2002
- Place of death: Rockville, Maryland
Biography
Mathematician and physicist Charles Sheffield was born in 1935 in Hull, England. Sheffield received his education at St. John’s College in Cambridge, where he earned his master’s degree in 1961. He then came to the United States and earned his doctorate at American University in 1965. Sheffield wrote hundreds of technical documents and monographs about nuclear physics, gravitational field analysis, and general relativity. His career as a physicist led him to become chief scientist and board member of the Earth Satellite Corporation beginning in 1971. He also was a consultant to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The sudden death of Sheffield’s wife in 1977 left him despondent for much of his remaining years. To help him cope with her death, he began to write down the stories that were in his head. His first novel, Sight of Proteus, published in 1978, examines the morality of science in a futuristic Earth where human beings have learned to change their shape through genetic research and plastic surgery. Sheffield’s stories were “hard” science fiction, meaning they were all based on scientific fact.
Some of Sheffield’s many novels explore interplanetary or interspecies conflict. His short-story collection Erasmus Magister (1982) tackles the genre of historical fantasy. In these stories, the hero, Charles Darwin’s grandfather, solves mysteries using scientific principles and deductive reasoning in ways similar to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s character Sherlock Holmes. Sheffield’s numerous short stories have been praised by critics as “fascinating, informed, plausible and imaginative.”
He ventured into the realm of nonfiction with books about space. Two of his books, Earthwatch: A Survey of the World from Space (1981) and Man on Earth: How Civilization and Technology Changed the Face of the World (1983) feature photographs taken from space and computer-processed by Sheffield’s company, Earth Satellite Corporation. In addition to his stand-alone novels, Sheffield wrote novels in the Behrooz Wolf and Heritage Universe series and the young adult Jupiter series.
While reviewers faulted Sheffield for being too talky at times, he managed to win over his readers with spectacular visions and compelling stories. He was compared to fellow science writer Arthur C. Clarke. Sheffield won several important science- fiction awards, including the John W. Campbell Award in 1992 and the Hugo and Nebula Awards in 1994. Sheffield lived the last five years of his life with his third wife, Nancy Kress, a fellow science-fiction writer. He died of brain cancer on November 2, 2002.