Wilson Tucker
Encyclopedia
Arthur Wilson "Bob" Tucker (November 23, 1914 – October 6, 2006) was an American
mystery
, action adventure, and science fiction
writer, who wrote professionally as Wilson Tucker.
He 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 pronunciation corruption as a child of the actual nickname "Bub"). He became a prominent analyst and critic
of the field, as well as the coiner of such terms as "space opera
".
, which lasted for more than 60 issues and later was revived as a webzine. (The title arising from the curious fact that on multiple occasions fallacious reports of his death were made within fandom.)
He also published the Bloomington News Letter, which dealt with news in the 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.) During a 31-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". He helped pioneer criticism of the genre, coining along the way terms like "space opera
" in common use today.
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
, 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 same category in 2004. His Science Fiction Newsletter (a.k.a. Bloomington News Letter) won the Retro-Hugo Award for Best Fanzine
in 1951. Other honors included the First Fandom
Hall of Fame Award and the E. E. Smith Memorial Award.
Tuckercon
, the 2007 NASFiC (North American Science Fiction Convention
) in Collinsville, Illinois
, was dedicated to Tucker.
His most famous novel may be The Year of the Quiet Sun
(1970), which won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award and was nominated for the Nebula Award
.
In 1996, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA
) made Tucker its second Author Emeritus
. In 2003, Tucker was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, which was later renamed the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame.
Other notable books include The Lincoln Hunters
, in which time-travellers 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
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 (1982).
Tucker was noted for using the names of friends in his fiction, to the point where the literary term for doing so is tuckerization
.
, for most of his life Tucker made his home in Bloomington, Illinois
. Although he sold more than 20 novels, he 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 Employes
(IATSE), and retired as a projectionist in 1972.
Tucker 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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
, action adventure, and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
writer, who wrote professionally as Wilson Tucker.
He was also a prominent member of science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or "fandom" of people actively interested in science fiction and fantasy and in contact with one another based upon that interest...
, who wrote extensively for fanzines
Science fiction fanzine
A science fiction fanzine is an amateur or semi-professional magazine published by members of science fiction fandom, from the 1930s to the present day...
under the name Bob Tucker, a family nickname bestowed in childhood (his pronunciation corruption as a child of the actual nickname "Bub"). He became a prominent analyst and critic
Literary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
of the field, as well as the coiner of such terms as "space opera
Space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing advanced technologies and abilities. The term has no relation to music and it is analogous to "soap...
".
Fandom
Tucker became involved in science fiction fandom in 1932, publishing a fanzine, The Planetoid. From 1938 to 2001, he published the fanzine Le ZombieLe Zombie
Le Zombie was an intermittent science fiction fanzine, of which 72 issues were published by science fiction fan and author Bob Tucker from December of 1938 to August of 2001. The first issue was a single, crudely mimeographed sheet; the last printed issue was published in December 1975 by...
, which lasted for more than 60 issues and later was revived as a webzine. (The title arising from the curious fact that on multiple occasions fallacious reports of his death were made within fandom.)
He also published the Bloomington News Letter, which dealt with news in the 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.) During a 31-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". He helped pioneer criticism of the genre, coining along the way terms like "space opera
Space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing advanced technologies and abilities. The term has no relation to music and it is analogous to "soap...
" in common use today.
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
6th World Science Fiction Convention
The 6th World Science Fiction Convention, also known as Torcon, was held July 3–5, 1948, at RAI Purdy Studios in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was the first time the convention was held outside the United States....
I (the 1948 Worldcon
Worldcon
Worldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention held each year since 1939 . It is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society...
) and NyCon3 (the 1967 Worldcon), a perennial stint as toastmaster of the long-running Midwestcon
Midwestcon
Midwestcon is a science fiction convention held annually in the Cincinnati, Ohio area by the Cincinnati Fantasy Group.Midwestcon is an informal type of convention known as a "relaxacon," which means that it has no programming...
, LibertyCon and as toastmaster at MidAmeriCon (the 1976 Worldcon).
In 1940, he served on the committee of the Worldcon
2nd World Science Fiction Convention
2nd World Science Fiction Convention was Chicon I, which was held September 1-2, 1940, at the Hotel Chicagoan in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The event had 128 participants....
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
Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer
The Hugo Awards are presented every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
in 1970 and the 1954 Retro-Hugo for same category in 2004. His Science Fiction Newsletter (a.k.a. Bloomington News Letter) won the Retro-Hugo Award for Best Fanzine
Hugo Award for Best Fanzine
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
in 1951. Other honors included the First Fandom
First Fandom
First Fandom is an association of experienced science fiction fans.In 1958 a number of fans at Midwestcon realized amid table-talk that they all had been active in fandom for more than 20 years. This inspired the creation of an organization for longstanding fans under the initial chairmanship of...
Hall of Fame Award and the E. E. Smith Memorial Award.
Tuckercon
Tuckercon
Tuckercon, also known as Archon31, was the ninth North American Science Fiction Convention, held in Collinsville, Illinois, on August 2–5, 2007, at the Gateway Center and Collinsville Holiday Inn. Collinsville is just across the Mississippi River from St Louis, Missouri...
, the 2007 NASFiC (North American Science Fiction Convention
North American Science Fiction Convention
NASFiC, a.k.a. the North American Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention scheduled only during years where the Worldcon is being held outside of the North American continent. NASFiC bids voted on by the Worldcon membership the year after a non-North American Worldcon site has...
) in Collinsville, Illinois
Collinsville, Illinois
Collinsville is a city located mainly in Madison County, and partially in St. Clair County, both in Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 26,016. Collinsville is approximately 12 miles from St. Louis, Missouri and is considered part of that city's Metro-East area...
, was dedicated to Tucker.
Career
In 1941, Tucker published his first professional short story, "Interstellar Way Station." Between 1941 and 1979, he produced 25 science fiction short stories. 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
The Year of the Quiet Sun (novel)
The Year of the Quiet Sun is a 1970 science fiction novel by Wilson Tucker about the use of forward time travel to ascertain future political and social events. It won a retrospective John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1976...
(1970), which won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award and was nominated for the Nebula Award
Nebula Award for Best Novel
Winners of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year.- Winners and other nominees :...
.
In 1996, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA
SFWA
SFWA may refer to:*Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America*Scottish Football Writers' Association...
) made Tucker its second Author Emeritus
Author Emeritus
Author Emeritus award is an honorary title bestowed by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. It was created "as a way to recognize and appreciate senior writers in the genres of science fiction and fantasy who have made significant contributions to our field but who are no longer...
. In 2003, Tucker was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, which was later renamed the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame.
Other notable books include The Lincoln Hunters
The Lincoln Hunters
The Lincoln Hunters is a 1958 novel by Wilson Tucker. The novel, set in the year 2578, details the story of a historian from the oppressive society of that year, who travels back in time to record Abraham Lincoln's Lost Speech of May 19, 1856 in Bloomington, Illinois.It contains a vivid description...
, in which time-travellers from an oppressive future society seek to record Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
'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
The Long Loud Silence
The Long Loud Silence is a science fiction novel written by Wilson A. Tucker. It was first published in hardback edition by Rinehart & Co. in 1952, followed by Dell paperback editions in 1952 and 1954....
(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
Damon Knight
Damon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, critic and fan. His forte was short stories and he is widely acknowledged as having been a master of the genre.-Biography:...
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 (1982).
Tucker was noted for using the names of friends in his fiction, to the point where the literary term for doing so is tuckerization
Tuckerization
Tuckerization is the act of using a person's name in an original story as an in-joke. The term is derived from Wilson Tucker, a pioneering American science fiction writer and fanzine editor, who made a practice of using his friends' names for minor characters in his stories...
.
Selected bibliography
- The Dove (1948)
- The City in the Sea (1951)
- The Long Loud SilenceThe Long Loud SilenceThe Long Loud Silence is a science fiction novel written by Wilson A. Tucker. It was first published in hardback edition by Rinehart & Co. in 1952, followed by Dell paperback editions in 1952 and 1954....
(1952) - The Time Masters (1953, revised 1971)
- Wild Talent (1954)
- The Lincoln Hunters (1958)
- The Year of the Quiet SunThe Year of the Quiet Sun (novel)The Year of the Quiet Sun is a 1970 science fiction novel by Wilson Tucker about the use of forward time travel to ascertain future political and social events. It won a retrospective John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1976...
(1970) - This Witch (1971)
- Ice and Iron (1974)
- The Neo-Fan's Guide To Science Fiction Fandom (Eight editions, 1955–1996)
Personal life
Born in Deer Creek, IllinoisDeer Creek, Illinois
Deer Creek is a village in Tazewell and Woodford Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 605 at the 2000 census. Deer Creek is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, for most of his life Tucker made his home in Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
. Although he sold more than 20 novels, he made his principal living as a movie projectionist
Projectionist
A Projectionist is a person who operates a movie projector. In the strict sense of the term this means any movie projector and therefore could include someone who operates the projector in a home video show or school. In common usage the term is generally understood to describe a paid employee of...
and theater electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
, starting as a prop man
Theatrical property
A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
at the Majestic Theater in Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
. He served as President of Local
Local union
A local union, often shortened to local, in North America, or a union branch in the United Kingdom and other countries is a locally-based trade union organization which forms part of a larger, usually national, union.Local branches are organized to represent the union's members from a particular...
193 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or I.A.T.S.E., is a labor union representing technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live theatre, motion...
(IATSE), and retired as a projectionist in 1972.
Tucker 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.
External links
- Wilson Tucker Home Page
- Wilson Bob Tucker - Author and Fan with photo gallery of Tucker and page images of Tucker's fanzine Le Zombie
- Tucker obituary by John CluteJohn CluteJohn Frederick Clute is a Canadian born author and critic who has lived in Britain since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part of science fiction's history."...
in The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily... - SFWA Tucker obituary