Robert Stallman
Robert Stallman was an American author recognized for his contributions to science fiction and fantasy literature, particularly through his posthumously published works. Born on January 6, 1930, in Illinois, Stallman was an academic who pursued literature, earning degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Oregon. His notable academic focus included the works of 20th-century novelist D. H. Lawrence and the Victorian writer William Morris, whose influence can be seen in his own foray into fantasy fiction. Stallman's first and only novel, *The Orphan*, was published in 1980 shortly before his untimely death at the age of 50, and it garnered attention for its exploration of adolescent themes through the lens of werewolf mythology. This novel was the first in a trilogy, followed by *The Captive* and *The Beast*, which were released posthumously. The trilogy, known as the Beast series, delves into the psychological struggles of its young protagonist, addressing the challenges of growth and identity amidst fantastical elements. Stallman's work is recognized for its literary quality and thematic depth, contributing to the landscape of modern fantasy literature. His legacy, although cut short, remains a point of interest for both science fiction and fantasy enthusiasts.
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Robert Stallman
Writer
- Born: January 6, 1930
- Birthplace: Illinois
- Died: August 1, 1980
- Place of death:
Biography
When Robert Stallman’s first novel, The Orphan, was published in 1980, it immediately garnered him recognition as a major voice in American science fiction. Unfortunately, Stallman died later that same year, not knowing that his novel would be nominated by his fellow science-fiction writers for the prestigious Nebula Award.
Robert Lester Stallman was born January 6, 1930, in Illinois. Like many science-fiction fans, Stallman found in the popular genre an entry into the world of literature, and for most of his adult life he pursued belletristic, academic literature, and most of his writing was scholarly rather than creative. After an undergraduate education at the University of Chicago, Stallman pursued graduate study at the University of New Mexico, where he received an M.S. in Literature in 1961, writing a thesis on twentieth century novelist D. H. Lawrence. Continuing west, he went on to the University of Oregon, where he completed a Ph.D. in 1966, with a dissertation titled The Quest of William Morris.
Stallman’s interest in Morris, which continued throughout his career as a professor of literature, may be a clue to his emergence at the end of his life in the field of fantasy literature. Many twenty-first century studies of fantasy literature, such as Douglas Anderson’s Tales Before Tolkien (2005), have seen William Morris, the Victorian who used both Arthurian and Norse mythology to weave new tales in older forms, as a precursor of modern fantasy literature. Morris was, as Anderson’s title suggests, influential on J. R. R. Tolkien. When Stallman broke into fantasy fiction in 1980, then, he was not straying too far from his more academic interests.
Upon completing his doctorate, Stallman was hired as an assistant professor at the University of Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, where he taught until his untimely death at the age of fifty in August of 1980—shortly after signing a three-book deal with the science-fiction division of Pocket Books, Inc. The books, a trilogy of novels about a young werewolf, were already written, and so Pocket Books released them posthumously in three successive years: The Orphan, The Captive, and The Beast.
In The Orphan, Stallman was able to capture the adolescent psychology which many popular culture writers have suggested drives the appeal of werewolf stories to young audiences. The young protagonist (to whom Stallman gives his own name, Robert) is frustrated by the lack of control of the beast within him, which is precisely how adolescents often view their own bodily changes in puberty. Similarly, the sequel, The Captive expresses the feelings of young adults as they learn to master emotions recently driven by hormones and seemingly external forces, as they assimilate into the adult world. Finally, in The Beast, the protagonist (now inhabiting the body of a married adult man, Barry), learns how to separate the beast portion of a werewolf’s duality, and send it to another dimension, allowing him to live a fully human life. The high quality of this trilogy, known to fantasy fans as the Beast series, is cause to lament the early death and untapped potential of Robert Stallman.