George H. Scithers
Encyclopedia
George H. Scithers was a science fiction fan
, author, and Hugo Award
winning editor.
A long-time member of the World Science Fiction Society, he published a fanzine
starting in the '50s, wrote short stories, and moved on to edit several prominent science fiction magazines, as well as a number of anthologies. As editor emeritus of Weird Tales
, he lectured at the Library of Congress
in 2008. Wildside Press
published his most recent book, Cat Tales: Fantastic Feline Fiction, in 2008.
Yandro
. Two years later, he began publishing the Hugo Award
-winning fanzine
Amra. The term Swords and sorcery
first appeared there, and Amra became a leading proponent of the sub-genre. Several of the articles originally published in Amra were later re-printed as part of two volumes about Conan the Barbarian
which Scithers co-edited with L. Sprague de Camp
.
In 1963, Scithers chaired Discon I
, the 21st Worldcon
, held in Washington, D.C.
. He was a regular parliamentarian
for business meetings of the World Science Fiction Society and authored a guide to running science fiction convention
s, The Con-Committee Chairman's Guide.
In 1973, Scithers founded Owlswick Press, a small independent publishing company. In 1976, Owlswick published Scithers' book (under the pseudonym Karl Würf), To Serve Man: A Cookbook for People (including recipes for "Boiled Leg of Man," "Texas Chili with Cowboy," and "Person Kebabs."
In 1977, he was named the first editor for Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine (IASFM)
. He remained in that position until 1982 and won two more Hugo Awards
for his work there. After leaving IASFM, Scithers took the helm at Amazing Stories
, and edited that magazine until 1986.
In 1988, he worked with John Gregory Betancourt
and Darrell Schweitzer
to re-establish Weird Tales
, the magazine that had introduced one of his earliest interests, Conan the Barbarian
, to the world . In 1992, he and Schweitzer won a World Fantasy Award for their work on Weird Tales.
Scithers was the fan guest of honor at the Worldcon in 2001, Millennium Philcon
.
At the 2002 World Fantasy Convention in Minneapolis, both Scithers and Forrest J Ackerman
won the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Awards.
He was a member of the all-male literary banqueting club the Trap Door Spiders
, which served as the basis of Isaac Asimov
's fictional group of mystery solvers the Black Widowers
. He was also very fond of owls and trains. He resided in Rockville, Maryland
.
Scithers died April 19, 2010, two days after suffering a heart attack.
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...
, author, and Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually 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 officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
winning editor.
A long-time member of the World Science Fiction Society, he published a fanzine
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...
starting in the '50s, wrote short stories, and moved on to edit several prominent science fiction magazines, as well as a number of anthologies. As editor emeritus of Weird Tales
Weird Tales
Weird Tales is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine first published in March 1923. It ceased its original run in September 1954, after 279 issues, but has since been revived. The magazine was set up in Chicago by J. C. Henneberger, an ex-journalist with a taste for the macabre....
, he lectured at the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
in 2008. Wildside Press
Wildside Press
Wildside Press is an independent publishing company located in Maryland, USA. It was founded in 1989 by John Gregory and Kim Betancourt. While the press was originally conceived as a publisher of speculative fiction in both trade and limited editions, it has broadened out somewhat since then, both...
published his most recent book, Cat Tales: Fantastic Feline Fiction, in 2008.
Biography
Scithers' first published fiction, the story "Faithful Messenger," appeared in If magazine in 1969. His involvement in the field, however, dates back to 1957, when he began submitting to the fanzineScience 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...
Yandro
Yandro
Yandro was an influential science fiction fanzine published from 1953-1986 by Buck and Juanita Coulson. Over that period, they published 259 issues, the final issue not being distributed until 1991. Yandros content covered a broad spectrum of topics...
. Two years later, he began publishing the Hugo Award
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...
-winning fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
Amra. The term Swords and sorcery
Swords and Sorcery
Swords and Sorcery is a 1963 anthology of fantasy short stories in the sword and sorcery subgenre, edited by L. Sprague de Camp and illustrated by Virgil Finlay. It was first published in paperback by Pyramid Books...
first appeared there, and Amra became a leading proponent of the sub-genre. Several of the articles originally published in Amra were later re-printed as part of two volumes about Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
which Scithers co-edited with L. Sprague de Camp
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
.
In 1963, Scithers chaired Discon I
21st World Science Fiction Convention
The 21st World Science Fiction Convention, also known as Discon I, was held August 31–September 2, 1963, at the Statler-Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., USA....
, the 21st 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...
, held in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. He was a regular parliamentarian
Parliamentarian (consultant)
A parliamentarian is an expert on parliamentary procedure who advises organizations and deliberative assemblies. This sense of the term "parliamentarian" is distinct from the usage of the same term to mean a member of Parliament....
for business meetings of the World Science Fiction Society and authored a guide to running science fiction convention
Science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
s, The Con-Committee Chairman's Guide.
In 1973, Scithers founded Owlswick Press, a small independent publishing company. In 1976, Owlswick published Scithers' book (under the pseudonym Karl Würf), To Serve Man: A Cookbook for People (including recipes for "Boiled Leg of Man," "Texas Chili with Cowboy," and "Person Kebabs."
In 1977, he was named the first editor for Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine (IASFM)
Asimov's Science Fiction
Asimov's Science Fiction is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy and perpetuates the name of author and biochemist Isaac Asimov...
. He remained in that position until 1982 and won two more Hugo Awards
Hugo Award for Best Professional Editor
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...
for his work there. After leaving IASFM, Scithers took the helm at Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
, and edited that magazine until 1986.
In 1988, he worked with John Gregory Betancourt
John Gregory Betancourt
John Gregory Betancourt is a writer of science fiction, fantasy and mystery novels as well as short stories. He has worked as an assistant editor at Amazing Stories and editor of Horror: The Newsmagazine of the Horror Field, the revived Weird Tales magazine, the first issue of H. P...
and Darrell Schweitzer
Darrell Schweitzer
Darrell Charles Schweitzer is an American writer, editor, and essayist in the field of speculative fiction. Much of his focus has been on dark fantasy and horror, although he does also work in science fiction and fantasy...
to re-establish Weird Tales
Weird Tales
Weird Tales is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine first published in March 1923. It ceased its original run in September 1954, after 279 issues, but has since been revived. The magazine was set up in Chicago by J. C. Henneberger, an ex-journalist with a taste for the macabre....
, the magazine that had introduced one of his earliest interests, Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
, to the world . In 1992, he and Schweitzer won a World Fantasy Award for their work on Weird Tales.
Scithers was the fan guest of honor at the Worldcon in 2001, Millennium Philcon
59th World Science Fiction Convention
The Millennium Philcon was the 59th World Science Fiction Convention, held from August 30 to September 3, 2001 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center & Philadelphia Marriott Hotel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA....
.
At the 2002 World Fantasy Convention in Minneapolis, both Scithers and Forrest J Ackerman
Forrest J Ackerman
Forrest J Ackerman was an American collector of science fiction books and movie memorabilia and a science fiction fan...
won the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Awards.
He was a member of the all-male literary banqueting club the Trap Door Spiders
Trap Door Spiders
The Trap Door Spiders are a literary male-only eating, drinking, and arguing society in New York City, with a membership historically composed of notable science fiction personalities...
, which served as the basis of Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
's fictional group of mystery solvers the Black Widowers
Black Widowers
The Black Widowers is a fictional men-only dining club created by Isaac Asimov for a series of sixty-six mystery stories which he started writing in 1971...
. He was also very fond of owls and trains. He resided in Rockville, Maryland
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
.
Scithers died April 19, 2010, two days after suffering a heart attack.
Anthologies
- Astronauts and Androids: Asimov's Choice (1977)
- Black Holes and Bug-eyed Monsters: Asimov's Choice (1977)
- Comets and Computers: Asimov's Choice (1978)
- Dark Stars and Dragons: Asimov's Choice (1978)
- Extraterrestrials and Eclipses: Asimov's Choice (1978)
- Isaac Asimov's Masters of Science Fiction (1978) with Isaac AsimovIsaac AsimovIsaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
- Isaac Asimov's Adventures of Science Fiction (1980) with Isaac AsimovIsaac AsimovIsaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
- Isaac Asimov's Marvels of Science Fiction (1979)
- Isaac Asimov's Worlds of Science Fiction (1980)
- Isaac Asimov's Near Futures and Far (1981)
- Tales from the Spaceport Bar (1986) with Darrell SchweitzerDarrell SchweitzerDarrell Charles Schweitzer is an American writer, editor, and essayist in the field of speculative fiction. Much of his focus has been on dark fantasy and horror, although he does also work in science fiction and fantasy...
- Another Round at the Spaceport Bar (1989) with Darrell SchweitzerDarrell SchweitzerDarrell Charles Schweitzer is an American writer, editor, and essayist in the field of speculative fiction. Much of his focus has been on dark fantasy and horror, although he does also work in science fiction and fantasy...
- Cat Tales #1 (2007)
- Cat Tales: Fantastic Feline Fiction (2008)
Non-Fiction
- Con-Committee Chairman's Guide (1965)
- The Conan Swordbook (1969) with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
- The Conan Grimoire (1972) with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
- To Serve Man: A Cookbook for People (1976)
- On Writing Science Fiction (The Editors Strike Back!) (1981) with Darrell SchweitzerDarrell SchweitzerDarrell Charles Schweitzer is an American writer, editor, and essayist in the field of speculative fiction. Much of his focus has been on dark fantasy and horror, although he does also work in science fiction and fantasy...
and John M. FordJohn M. FordJohn Milo "Mike" Ford was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, game designer, and poet.Ford was regarded as an extraordinarily intelligent, erudite and witty man. He was a popular contributor to several online discussions...
External links
- George H. Scithers at the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, 3rd edition (draft)
- About George Scithers by Darrell SchweitzerDarrell SchweitzerDarrell Charles Schweitzer is an American writer, editor, and essayist in the field of speculative fiction. Much of his focus has been on dark fantasy and horror, although he does also work in science fiction and fantasy...
, for 2001 World Science Fiction Convention