Ken Slater

Ken Slater (1917 - 2008) was a British science fiction fan and bookseller. [ [http://file770.com/?p=49 Obituary - File 770] ] [ [http://members.aol.com/nebulasf/kenslater.htm 'Something to read' by Ken Slater] ] [ [http://www.sfwa.org/news/2008/kslater.htm Obituary - SFWA] ] In 1947, while serving in the British Army of the Rhine, he started "Operation Fantast", a network of science fiction fans which had 800 members around the world by 1950 though it folded a few years later. Through "Operation Fantast", he was the major importer of American science fiction books and magazines into Britain - an activity which he continued, after its collapse, through his company "Fantast (Medway)" up to the time of his death. He was a founder member of the British Science Fiction Association in 1958.

Awards and Honours

He was Guest of Honour at "Brumcon", the 1959 Eastercon [ [http://efanzines.com/Prolapse/Prolapse04.pdf Slater at Brumcon by Peter Weston ] ] and at Conspiracy '87, the 1987 Worldcon, jointly with his wife Joyce. He received the Doc Weir Award in 1966 and the Big Heart Award in 1995. [ [http://www.sfawardswatch.com/?page_id=615 Science Fiction Awards Watch » About the Big Heart Award ] ] At the first Hugo Award ceremony in Philadelphia in 1953, Forrest J Ackerman won the trophy for #1 Fan Personality, and said at the time that the award should have gone to Ken. [ [http://www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa/website/news.aspx?newsid=89 Obituary - British Science Fiction Association] ]

References