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Wilson Tucker (writer)

November 05, 2023

Arthur Wilson "Bob" Tucker (November 23, 1914 – October 6, 2006) was an American author who became well known as a writer of mystery, action adventure, and science fiction under the name Wilson Tucker.

Wilson Tucker
BornArthur Wilson Tucker
(1914-11-23)November 23, 1914
Deer Creek, Illinois, U.S.
DiedOctober 6, 2006(2006-10-06) (aged 91)
St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
Pen nameBob Tucker, Hoy Ping Pong
OccupationWriter
Period1932–2006 (as fan)
GenreScience fiction, mystery
Notable works
Tucker's "The Princess of Detroit" was the cover story for the June 1942 issue of Future.

Tucker was also a prominent member of science fiction fandom, who wrote extensively for fanzines under the name Bob Tucker, a family nickname bestowed in childhood (his own mispronunciation of the nickname "Bub"). He became a prominent analyst and critic of the field, as well as the coiner of such terms as "space opera".

Life edit

Born in Deer Creek, Illinois, for most of his life Tucker made his home in Bloomington, Illinois. He was married twice. In 1937, he wed Mary Joesting; they had a son and a daughter before the marriage dissolved in 1942. His second marriage, to Fern Delores Brooks in 1953, lasted 52 years, until her death in 2006; they had three sons.

Fandom edit

Tucker became involved in science fiction fandom in 1932, publishing a fanzine, The Planetoid. From 1938 to 2001, he published the fanzine Le Zombie, which lasted for more than 60 issues and was later revived as a webzine. (The title arising from the fact that on multiple occasions fallacious reports of his death were made within fandom.[1])

He also published the Bloomington News Letter, which dealt with news within the professional science fiction writing field. Active in letter-writing as well, Tucker was a popular fan during more than six decades, coining many words and phrases familiar in science fiction fandom and to literary criticism of the field. In addition to "Bob Tucker", he was also known to write under the pseudonym "Hoy Ping Pong" (generally reserved for humorous pieces.)[2] During a 41-year period, 1955 to 1996, Tucker created and edited eight separate editions of The Neo-Fan's Guide To Science Fiction Fandom, an historical overview of the first five decades of science fiction fandom, with important events and trends in fandom noted. Each edition also carried a lexicon of fan terminology in use throughout fandom at the time. The eighth and final edition remains in print from the Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society.

Tucker's fanzine writing has been described as "unfailingly incisive", and Tucker as "the most intelligent and articulate and sophisticated fan the American science-fiction community is ever likely to boast of".[3] He helped pioneer criticism of the genre, coining along the way terms like "space opera" in common use today.[4]

He was fan guest of honor, professional guest of honor, toastmaster, or master of ceremonies at so many science fiction conventions over nearly seven decades that no one has managed to compile a comprehensive list. Notable are his appearances as guest of honor at Torcon I (the 1948 Worldcon) and NyCon3 (the 1967 Worldcon), a perennial stint as toastmaster of the long-running Midwestcon and LibertyCon, and as toastmaster at MidAmeriCon, the 1976 Worldcon.

In 1940, he served on the committee of the Worldcon in Chicago. In 2001, he co-hosted the joint Ditto/FanHistoriCon held in his hometown of Bloomington, Illinois.

Tucker won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1970 and the 1954 Retro-Hugo for the same category in 2004. His Science Fiction Newsletter (a.k.a. Bloomington News Letter) won the Retro-Hugo Award for Best Fanzine for 1951. His fanzine Le Zombie also won the 1943 Retro Hugo for Best Fanzine at Worldcon 76 in San Jose, CA.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted Tucker in 2003, its eighth class of two deceased and two living writers.[5] Other honors included the 1986 Skylark (annual Edward E. Smith Memorial Award for Imaginative Fiction),[6] the 1996 Author Emeritus of the Science Fiction Writers of America,[6] and the First Fandom Hall of Fame Award.

Tuckercon, the 2007 NASFiC (North American Science Fiction Convention) in Collinsville, Illinois, was dedicated to Tucker.

Career edit

Although he sold more than 20 novels, Tucker made his principal living as a movie projectionist and theater electrician, starting as a prop man at the Majestic Theater in Bloomington, Illinois. He served as President of Local 193 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), and retired as a projectionist in 1972.

Professional writing edit

In 1941, Tucker's first professional short story, "Interstellar Way Station", was published by Frederik Pohl in the May issue of Super Science Stories. Between 1941 and 1979, primarily in the early 1940s and early 1950s, he produced about two dozen more.[7] He also turned his attention to writing novels, with 11 mystery novels and a dozen science fiction novels to his credit.

His most famous novel may be The Year of the Quiet Sun (1970). It was runner-up for the Locus Award for Best Novel and a finalist for the Hugo and the Nebula Award. In 1976 it won a special retrospective John W. Campbell Memorial Award (established 1973 for 1972 novels).[6]

Other notable novels include The Lincoln Hunters (1958), in which time-travelers from an oppressive future society seek to record Abraham Lincoln's "lost speech" of May 19, 1856. It contains a vivid description of Lincoln and his time, seen through the eyes of a future American who feels that Lincoln and his time compare very favorably with the traveler's own.

The Long Loud Silence (1952) is a post-apocalypse story in which the eastern third of the United States is quarantined as the result of an atomic and bacteriological attack. Damon Knight[8] called it "a phenomenally good book; in its own terms, it comes as near perfection as makes no difference."

Much of Tucker's short fiction was collected in The Best of Wilson Tucker (Timescape, 1982; ISBN 0-671-83243-3).[7]

Tucker's habit of using the names of friends for minor characters in his fiction led to the literary term "tuckerization" or "tuckerism(s)".[9][10] For example, Tucker named a character after Lee Hoffman in his novel The Long Loud Silence, after Robert Bloch in The Lincoln Hunters, and after Walt Willis in Wild Talent.[11]

Selected works edit

Novels edit

  • Charles Home mysteries (five, 1946 to 1951)
  • The Chinese Doll (1946)
  • The City in the Sea (1951)
  • The Long Loud Silence (1952)
  • The Time Masters (1953, revised 1971)
  • Wild Talent (1954) (aka Man from Tomorrow, 1955 )
  • Time: X (1955)
  • Time Bomb (1955) (aka Tomorrow Plus X)
  • The Lincoln Hunters (1958)
  • To the Tombaugh Station (1960)
  • A Procession of the Damned (1965)
  • The Year of the Quiet Sun (1970)
  • This Witch (1971)
  • Ice and Iron (1974)
  • Resurrection Days (1981)

Stories edit

  • The Princess of Detroit, Future Science Fiction (June 1942)
  • The Planet King (1959)
  • The Best of Wilson Tucker (Timescape, 1982) (collection)

Nonfiction edit

  • The Neo-Fan's Guide To Science Fiction Fandom (eight editions, 1955 to 1996)

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Katz, Arnie. "Philosophical Theory of Fanhistory" in Fan History Archive January 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ^ Robert Bloch. "Wilson Tucker – The Smo-o-oth Operator" in Bloch's Out of My Head, Cambridge MA: NESFA Press, 1986.
  3. ^ Clute, John
  4. ^ Browning, T.G. "Stanley G. Weinbaum: SF Flare". Retrieved September 6, 2006.
  5. ^ "Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame". Mid American Science Fiction and Fantasy Conventions, Inc. Retrieved March 26, 2013. This was the official website of the hall of fame to 2004.
  6. ^ a b c "Tucker, Wilson" April 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. The Locus Index to SF Awards: Index of Literary Nominees. Locus Publications. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Wilson Tucker at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB). Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  8. ^ Knight, Damon (1967). In Search of Wonder. Chicago: Advent.
  9. ^ Prucher, Jeff (2007). Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction. Oxford University Press. pp. 342. ISBN 978-0-19-530567-8.
  10. ^ Baen, Jim. . Jim Baen's Universe. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
  11. ^ Langford, David. "Tuckerisms". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Gollancz. Retrieved December 3, 2014.

External links edit

November 05, 2023
wilson, tucker, writer, arthur, wilson, tucker, november, 1914, october, 2006, american, author, became, well, known, writer, mystery, action, adventure, science, fiction, under, name, wilson, tucker, wilson, tuckerbornarthur, wilson, tucker, 1914, november, 1. Arthur Wilson Bob Tucker November 23 1914 October 6 2006 was an American author who became well known as a writer of mystery action adventure and science fiction under the name Wilson Tucker Wilson TuckerBornArthur Wilson Tucker 1914 11 23 November 23 1914Deer Creek Illinois U S DiedOctober 6 2006 2006 10 06 aged 91 St Petersburg Florida U S Pen nameBob Tucker Hoy Ping PongOccupationWriterPeriod1932 2006 as fan GenreScience fiction mysteryNotable worksThe Year of the Quiet Sun The Lincoln HuntersTucker s The Princess of Detroit was the cover story for the June 1942 issue of Future Tucker was also a prominent member of science fiction fandom who wrote extensively for fanzines under the name Bob Tucker a family nickname bestowed in childhood his own mispronunciation of the nickname Bub He became a prominent analyst and critic of the field as well as the coiner of such terms as space opera Contents 1 Life 2 Fandom 3 Career 3 1 Professional writing 4 Selected works 4 1 Novels 4 2 Stories 4 3 Nonfiction 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksLife editBorn in Deer Creek Illinois for most of his life Tucker made his home in Bloomington Illinois He was married twice In 1937 he wed Mary Joesting they had a son and a daughter before the marriage dissolved in 1942 His second marriage to Fern Delores Brooks in 1953 lasted 52 years until her death in 2006 they had three sons Fandom editTucker became involved in science fiction fandom in 1932 publishing a fanzine The Planetoid From 1938 to 2001 he published the fanzine Le Zombie which lasted for more than 60 issues and was later revived as a webzine The title arising from the fact that on multiple occasions fallacious reports of his death were made within fandom 1 He also published the Bloomington News Letter which dealt with news within the professional science fiction writing field Active in letter writing as well Tucker was a popular fan during more than six decades coining many words and phrases familiar in science fiction fandom and to literary criticism of the field In addition to Bob Tucker he was also known to write under the pseudonym Hoy Ping Pong generally reserved for humorous pieces 2 During a 41 year period 1955 to 1996 Tucker created and edited eight separate editions of The Neo Fan s Guide To Science Fiction Fandom an historical overview of the first five decades of science fiction fandom with important events and trends in fandom noted Each edition also carried a lexicon of fan terminology in use throughout fandom at the time The eighth and final edition remains in print from the Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society Tucker s fanzine writing has been described as unfailingly incisive and Tucker as the most intelligent and articulate and sophisticated fan the American science fiction community is ever likely to boast of 3 He helped pioneer criticism of the genre coining along the way terms like space opera in common use today 4 He was fan guest of honor professional guest of honor toastmaster or master of ceremonies at so many science fiction conventions over nearly seven decades that no one has managed to compile a comprehensive list Notable are his appearances as guest of honor at Torcon I the 1948 Worldcon and NyCon3 the 1967 Worldcon a perennial stint as toastmaster of the long running Midwestcon and LibertyCon and as toastmaster at MidAmeriCon the 1976 Worldcon In 1940 he served on the committee of the Worldcon in Chicago In 2001 he co hosted the joint Ditto FanHistoriCon held in his hometown of Bloomington Illinois Tucker won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1970 and the 1954 Retro Hugo for the same category in 2004 His Science Fiction Newsletter a k a Bloomington News Letter won the Retro Hugo Award for Best Fanzine for 1951 His fanzine Le Zombie also won the 1943 Retro Hugo for Best Fanzine at Worldcon 76 in San Jose CA The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted Tucker in 2003 its eighth class of two deceased and two living writers 5 Other honors included the 1986 Skylark annual Edward E Smith Memorial Award for Imaginative Fiction 6 the 1996 Author Emeritus of the Science Fiction Writers of America 6 and the First Fandom Hall of Fame Award Tuckercon the 2007 NASFiC North American Science Fiction Convention in Collinsville Illinois was dedicated to Tucker Career editAlthough he sold more than 20 novels Tucker made his principal living as a movie projectionist and theater electrician starting as a prop man at the Majestic Theater in Bloomington Illinois He served as President of Local 193 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees IATSE and retired as a projectionist in 1972 Professional writing edit In 1941 Tucker s first professional short story Interstellar Way Station was published by Frederik Pohl in the May issue of Super Science Stories Between 1941 and 1979 primarily in the early 1940s and early 1950s he produced about two dozen more 7 He also turned his attention to writing novels with 11 mystery novels and a dozen science fiction novels to his credit His most famous novel may be The Year of the Quiet Sun 1970 It was runner up for the Locus Award for Best Novel and a finalist for the Hugo and the Nebula Award In 1976 it won a special retrospective John W Campbell Memorial Award established 1973 for 1972 novels 6 Other notable novels include The Lincoln Hunters 1958 in which time travelers from an oppressive future society seek to record Abraham Lincoln s lost speech of May 19 1856 It contains a vivid description of Lincoln and his time seen through the eyes of a future American who feels that Lincoln and his time compare very favorably with the traveler s own The Long Loud Silence 1952 is a post apocalypse story in which the eastern third of the United States is quarantined as the result of an atomic and bacteriological attack Damon Knight 8 called it a phenomenally good book in its own terms it comes as near perfection as makes no difference Much of Tucker s short fiction was collected in The Best of Wilson Tucker Timescape 1982 ISBN 0 671 83243 3 7 Tucker s habit of using the names of friends for minor characters in his fiction led to the literary term tuckerization or tuckerism s 9 10 For example Tucker named a character after Lee Hoffman in his novel The Long Loud Silence after Robert Bloch in The Lincoln Hunters and after Walt Willis in Wild Talent 11 Selected works editNovels edit Charles Home mysteries five 1946 to 1951 The Chinese Doll 1946 The City in the Sea 1951 The Long Loud Silence 1952 The Time Masters 1953 revised 1971 Wild Talent 1954 aka Man from Tomorrow 1955 Time X 1955 Time Bomb 1955 aka Tomorrow Plus X The Lincoln Hunters 1958 To the Tombaugh Station 1960 A Procession of the Damned 1965 The Year of the Quiet Sun 1970 This Witch 1971 Ice and Iron 1974 Resurrection Days 1981 Stories edit The Princess of Detroit Future Science Fiction June 1942 The Planet King 1959 The Best of Wilson Tucker Timescape 1982 collection Nonfiction edit The Neo Fan s Guide To Science Fiction Fandom eight editions 1955 to 1996 See also editTuckerizationPortal nbsp Science fictionReferences edit Katz Arnie Philosophical Theory of Fanhistory in Fan History Archive Archived January 8 2009 at the Wayback Machine Robert Bloch Wilson Tucker The Smo o oth Operator in Bloch s Out of My Head Cambridge MA NESFA Press 1986 Clute John Wilson Tucker Writer of bleak science fiction The Independent 12 Oct 2006 Browning T G Stanley G Weinbaum SF Flare Retrieved September 6 2006 Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame Mid American Science Fiction and Fantasy Conventions Inc Retrieved March 26 2013 This was the official website of the hall of fame to 2004 a b c Tucker Wilson Archived April 26 2012 at the Wayback Machine The Locus Index to SF Awards Index of Literary Nominees Locus Publications Retrieved March 26 2013 a b Wilson Tucker at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database ISFDB Retrieved April 18 2013 Knight Damon 1967 In Search of Wonder Chicago Advent Prucher Jeff 2007 Brave New Words The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction Oxford University Press pp 342 ISBN 978 0 19 530567 8 Baen Jim The Tucker Circle Jim Baen s Universe Archived from the original on May 12 2013 Retrieved January 8 2012 Langford David Tuckerisms The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Gollancz Retrieved December 3 2014 External links editWilson Tucker home page Wilson Bob Tucker Author and Fan with photo gallery of Tucker and page images of Tucker s fanzine Le Zombie Obituary by John Clute in The Independent Obituary at Science Fiction Writers of America Wilson Tucker at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database Wilson Tucker biography Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame Wilson Tucker at Library of Congress Authorities with 25 catalog records Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wilson Tucker writer amp oldid 1103892157, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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