Robert Silverberg is one of the best known science fiction writers in the world today. He has won the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, and more of his work has been nominated for awards than that of any other science fiction writer. In Masters of Science Fiction, Brian M. Stableford describes Silverberg as "the most prolific science fiction writer of the past two decades." What is even more impressive is the fact that Silverberg's science fiction writing makes up only a small percentage of his work; nevertheless, he is renowned for his work in the genre.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1935, Silverberg developed an early interest in science fiction. He had an inquisitive mind as a youngster, and often explored the American Museum of Natural History, where he visited the dinosaur exhibits. "From dinosaurs and other such fantastic fossils to science fiction was only a short journey...