Edgar Allan Poe Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 0 (2002) Winner
Robert B. Parker
ロバート・ビー・パーカー
robert-b-parker
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1932-09-17 （Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.）
- Died
- 2010-01-18 （Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.） age 77
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Springfield, Massachusetts → Waterville, Maine (Colby College period) → Area near Harvard Square (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Writer
- Active Years
- 1974-2010
- Influenced By
- Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald
- Influenced
- Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, Dennis Lehane, Ace Atkins (continuation author)
- Nominations
- 1990 nomination for Best Television Episode (B.L. Stryker, shared nomination)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colby College | — | English Literature | B.A. | — | United States |
| Boston University | — | English Literature | M.A. | 1955–1957 | United States |
| Boston University | — | English Literature | Ph.D. | 1967–1971 | United States |
Colby College
English Literature
Degree:
B.A.
Country:
United States
Boston University
English Literature
Degree:
M.A.
Period:
1955–1957
Year of Graduation:
1957
Country:
United States
Master's degree
Boston University
English Literature
Degree:
Ph.D.
Period:
1967–1971
Year of Graduation:
1971
Country:
United States
Dissertation titled "The Violent Hero, Wilderness Heritage, and Urban Reality"
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Edgar Award (Best Novel) | Promised Land | Best Novel | Mystery Writers of America | 受賞 |
| 1983 | Maltese Falcon Award | Early Autumn | — | Maltese Falcon Award (Japan) | 受賞 |
| 2002 | Edgar Award, Grand Master | — | — | Mystery Writers of America | 受賞（生涯功労） |
| 2002 | Joseph E. Connor Memorial Award | — | — | Phi Alpha Tau (Emerson College) | 受賞 |
| 2008 | Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award | — | — | Gumshoe Awards | 受賞 |
Edgar Award (Best Novel)
1977
Work:
Promised Land
Category:
Best Novel
Organization:
Mystery Writers of America
Result:
受賞
Maltese Falcon Award
1983
Work:
Early Autumn
Organization:
Maltese Falcon Award (Japan)
Result:
受賞
Edgar Award, Grand Master
2002
Organization:
Mystery Writers of America
Result:
受賞（生涯功労）
Joseph E. Connor Memorial Award
2002
Organization:
Phi Alpha Tau (Emerson College)
Result:
受賞
Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award
2008
Organization:
Gumshoe Awards
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Anthony Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 21 (2006) Special Award
Works
Major Works
The Godwulf Manuscript
1973 Detective fiction (private investigator)The first Spenser novel introducing private detective Spenser. A Boston-set, hard-boiled style mystery.
urban ethicsfriendship and loyaltyBoston setting
Promised Land
1976 Detective fictionThe fourth Spenser novel. Follows investigation and character relationships while touching on social issues.
justice and revengenuances of personal relationships
Early Autumn
1980 Detective fictionA Spenser novel dealing with family issues and confronting past crimes. Winner of Japan's Maltese Falcon Award.
family and the pastatonement
Appaloosa
2005 Western fictionThe first book in the Cole & Hitch series. A Western about law, order and friendship; later adapted into a film directed by and starring Ed Harris.
justicecamaraderiewestern ethics
Adaptations
- [Film] Appaloosa / Ed Harris (2008)
Bibliography
- The Godwulf Manuscript (1973)
- God Save the Child (1974)
- Mortal Stakes (1975)
- Promised Land (1976)
- Early Autumn (1980)
- Appaloosa (2005)
- Sixkill (2011, posthumous)
Adaptations
- TV series 'Spenser: For Hire'
- Tom Selleck starring TV movie series 'Jesse Stone'
- Film 'Appaloosa' (2008, directed by and starring Ed Harris)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Concise, conversational proseBlend of hard-boiled tradition with a modern sensibilityNarration that incorporates ethical judgment
- Recurring Motifs
- Boston setting and local detailfriendship and loyaltymoral dilemmasdogs (Pearl)
Health
-
heart attack2010-01Sudden death from an acute heart attack at home (occurred while working)
Legacy
Robert B. Parker is regarded as a major influence on modern detective fiction through the Spenser series. His urban detail and deep character work influenced many writers, and his series have been continued posthumously by other authors.
Academic Societies
- Phi Alpha Tau (honorary member / award recipient)
In Popular Culture
- Presence in popular culture through the TV series 'Spenser: For Hire' and Tom Selleck's 'Jesse Stone' TV movies
Quotes
-
Don't know, don't care.
Source: Interview (quoted in The Boston Globe)
Trivia
- His wife Joan inspired the character Susan Silverman in the Spenser novels.
- He loved dogs (Pearl) and included dogs named Pearl in his books.
- He continued writing until his death; he died suddenly at home while working on a novel.
- After his death, family and publishers authorized continuation novels in the Spenser, Jesse Stone and other series by other authors.