Andrew I. Porter
Encyclopedia
Andrew Ian Porter, is an American
editor, publisher and active science fiction
fan
.
in 1960. He had been calling science fiction writers in the Bronx and Manhattan
telephone books to discuss science fiction, and Donald Wollheim put him in touch with local science fiction fandom in New York City
. He became active in fan groups including the Lunarians, FISTFA (the Fannish Insurgent, Scientifiction Association) and the Fanoclasts, then hosted by Ted White
. In 1960 he had his first news-related column on upcoming paperbacks, printed in James V. Taurasi's Science Fiction Times.
He published many different fanzines, beginning with Algol
, including the newszine S.F.Weekly from 1966–68. He started his semiprozine Science Fiction Chronicle in 1979. He has attended hundreds of science fiction conventions and nearly 40 World Science Fiction Conventions
(Worldcons) since his first in 1963. He worked on conventions in the US, Canada and overseas, and was on the central committee of the 1967 Worldcon, NYCon 3. With John Bangsund
, he was responsible for Australia
hosting its first Worldcon. He was Fan Guest of Honor at several conventions, most notably the 1990 Worldcon, ConFiction. He won the fanzine Hugo
in 1974 for his fanzine/semiprozine Algol (later renamed Starship), and the semiprozine Hugo
in 1993 and 1994 for Science Fiction Chronicle. He has a total of twenty-three additional nominations for Best Fanzine or Best Semipro Zine. In 1991, he received a Special Committee Award at the Worldcon, for Distinguished Semiprozine Work; in 1992 he received a Special British Fantasy Award
. He sold Science Fiction Chronicle to DNA Publications
in May 2000 and was fired in 2002. In 2006, he was diagnosed with liver bile duct cancer, for which he was operated on successfully in 2007, followed by five months of chemotherapy. He is now cancer free. At the 2009 Worldcon in Montreal, Anticipation
, he received the Big Heart Award. In 2010, he finally realized his dream of going to an Australia
n WorldCon, AussieCon IV
.
from 1966–74, associate editor at the paperback publisher Lancer Books
in the late 1960s, and was a trade magazine editor and advertising production manager on such titles as Rudder, Quick Frozen Foods (under editor Sam Moskowitz
), QFF International, Construction Equipment, and Electro-Procurement. He was editor/designer/publisher of The Book of Ellison, a hardcover/trade paperback published to honor Harlan Ellison
’s 1978 stint as Worldcon Pro Guest of Honor. His other publications, under the Algol Press imprint, are Dreams Must Explain Themselves by Ursula K. Le Guin
, Exploring Cordwainer Smith, Experiment Perilous: The Art and Science of Anguish In Science Fiction (with essays by Marion Zimmer Bradley
, Alfred Bester
and Norman Spinrad
), and The Fiction of James Tiptree, Jr. by Gardner Dozois
. He has sold articles and photos to Publishers Weekly
, Omni
, and The New York Times
. He is a New York City
resident.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
editor, publisher and active 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...
fan
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...
.
Background
Born Andrew Ian Silverberg on March 24, 1946 in Detroit, Michigan, he moved to New York City with his mother and brother in 1956 upon the death of his father the previous year. His name was legally changed in 1964 when his mother remarried.Fandom
Porter entered science fiction fandomScience 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...
in 1960. He had been calling science fiction writers in the Bronx and Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
telephone books to discuss science fiction, and Donald Wollheim put him in touch with local science fiction fandom in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He became active in fan groups including the Lunarians, FISTFA (the Fannish Insurgent, Scientifiction Association) and the Fanoclasts, then hosted by Ted White
Ted White (author)
Ted White is a Hugo Award-winning American writer, known as a science fiction author and editor and fan, as well as a music critic...
. In 1960 he had his first news-related column on upcoming paperbacks, printed in James V. Taurasi's Science Fiction Times.
He published many different fanzines, beginning with Algol
Algol (fanzine)
Algol: The Magazine About Science Fiction was published from 1963-1984 by Andrew Porter. The name was changed to Starship in 1979.It won a Hugo Award for Best Fanzine in 1974, in a tie with Richard E. Geis' Science Fiction Review; and received five other nominations for the Hugo ....
, including the newszine S.F.Weekly from 1966–68. He started his semiprozine Science Fiction Chronicle in 1979. He has attended hundreds of science fiction conventions and nearly 40 World Science Fiction Conventions
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...
(Worldcons) since his first in 1963. He worked on conventions in the US, Canada and overseas, and was on the central committee of the 1967 Worldcon, NYCon 3. With John Bangsund
John Bangsund
John Bangsund was a prominent Australian science fiction fan in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He was a major force, with Andrew I. Porter behind Australia winning the right to host the 1975 Aussiecon, and he was Toastmaster at the Hugo Award ceremony at that convention.He was an influential and...
, he was responsible for Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
hosting its first Worldcon. He was Fan Guest of Honor at several conventions, most notably the 1990 Worldcon, ConFiction. He won the fanzine Hugo
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 1974 for his fanzine/semiprozine Algol (later renamed Starship), and the semiprozine Hugo
Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine
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 1993 and 1994 for Science Fiction Chronicle. He has a total of twenty-three additional nominations for Best Fanzine or Best Semipro Zine. In 1991, he received a Special Committee Award at the Worldcon, for Distinguished Semiprozine Work; in 1992 he received a Special British Fantasy Award
British Fantasy Award
The British Fantasy Awards are administered annually by the British Fantasy Society and were first awarded in 1971. The membership of the BFS vote to determine recommendations, short-lists and winners of the awards...
. He sold Science Fiction Chronicle to DNA Publications
DNA Publications
DNA Publications was an American publishing company which existed from 1993 to 2007 and was run by the husband-and wife team of Warren Lapine and Angela Kessler, who met at science fiction convention in Virginia. Although initially founded in Massachusetts by Lapine, the company later relocated to...
in May 2000 and was fired in 2002. In 2006, he was diagnosed with liver bile duct cancer, for which he was operated on successfully in 2007, followed by five months of chemotherapy. He is now cancer free. At the 2009 Worldcon in Montreal, Anticipation
67th World Science Fiction Convention
The 67th World Science Fiction Convention , also known as Anticipation, was hosted in Montréal, Québec, Canada, on 6–10 August 2009, at the Palais des congrès de Montréal...
, he received the Big Heart Award. In 2010, he finally realized his dream of going to an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n WorldCon, AussieCon IV
68th World Science Fiction Convention
The 68th World Science Fiction Convention , Aussiecon Four, was held 2-6 September 2010, in the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, the location selected by the members of Denvention 3....
.
Professional work
In publishing, he was a proofreader and copy editor, was assistant editor on The Magazine of Fantasy & Science FictionThe Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
from 1966–74, associate editor at the paperback publisher Lancer Books
Lancer Books
Lancer Books was a series of paperback books published from 1961 through 1973 by Irwin Stein and Walter Zacharius. While it published stories of a number of genres, it was noted most for its science fiction and fantasy, particularly its series of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian tales, the...
in the late 1960s, and was a trade magazine editor and advertising production manager on such titles as Rudder, Quick Frozen Foods (under editor Sam Moskowitz
Sam Moskowitz
Sam Moskowitz was an early fan and organizer of interest in science fiction and, later, a writer, critic, and historian of the field.-Biography:...
), QFF International, Construction Equipment, and Electro-Procurement. He was editor/designer/publisher of The Book of Ellison, a hardcover/trade paperback published to honor Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
’s 1978 stint as Worldcon Pro Guest of Honor. His other publications, under the Algol Press imprint, are Dreams Must Explain Themselves by Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
, Exploring Cordwainer Smith, Experiment Perilous: The Art and Science of Anguish In Science Fiction (with essays by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series. Many critics have noted a feminist perspective in her writing. Her first child, David R...
, Alfred Bester
Alfred Bester
Alfred Bester was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books...
and Norman Spinrad
Norman Spinrad
Norman Richard Spinrad is an American science fiction author.Born in New York City, Spinrad is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science. In 1957 he entered City College of New York and graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science degree as a pre-law major. In 1966 he moved to San Francisco,...
), and The Fiction of James Tiptree, Jr. by Gardner Dozois
Gardner Dozois
Gardner Raymond Dozois is an American science fiction author and editor. He was editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine from 1984 to 2004...
. He has sold articles and photos to Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
, Omni
Omni (magazine)
OMNI was a science and science fiction magazine published in the US and the UK. It contained articles on science fact and short works of science fiction...
, and The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. He is a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
resident.