author

Robert S. (Robert Shirley) Richardson

1902–1981

Best known for blending real astronomy with imaginative storytelling, this American writer and astronomer published science fiction under the pen name Philip Latham. His work carried the authority of someone who spent years studying the sky professionally.

1 Audiobook

Disturbing Sun

Disturbing Sun

by Robert S. (Robert Shirley) Richardson

About the author

Born in Kokomo, Indiana, in 1902, Robert Shirley Richardson built a career as both an astronomer and a writer. Reliable sources agree that he worked at Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories, and that he used Philip Latham as his science-fiction byline.

His fiction began appearing in magazines in the 1940s, and reference sources note that many of his stories drew directly on astronomical ideas. That mix of scientific knowledge and narrative adventure also connects him with projects beyond print, including screen credits associated with mid-century science-fiction television and film.

Richardson died in 1981. For readers, his appeal lies in the way he brought a working astronomer’s eye to popular science and speculative fiction alike, making far-off worlds feel a little more believable.