Dennis Tucker
(November 24, 1925 –)
Dennis Tucker was a UK fan from London and later High Wycombe, 35 miles to its west. He discovered sf in the late 1930s, first through H. G. Wells, then the largely factual Modern Wonder magazine which also published The Space Machine by John Beynon, and finally in 1939 Thrilling Wonder, Tales of Wonder and Fantasy. He had a letter published in the December 1940 issue of Astounding and this brought him to the attention of J. Michael Rosenblum. He was sent a copy of Futurian War Digest but he had moved before it was received. In the meantime, Tucker had contacted Jack Gibson after seeing his address in an issue of Tales of Wonder and Gibson referred him to Rosenblum.
Tucker's name first appears in Futurian War Digest #8 in May 1941 and Interplanetary News, his first fanzine which he later described as 'puerile', appeared as one of its litter from June. Delirium Tremens was a more successful and long-lasting successor and Tucker is also credited with duplicating the final issue of J. Edward Rennison Cosmos in 1942. He was member #10 of what was initially the British Fantasy Fan Federation and later became the 1940s British Fantasy Society and he was appointed to its board in 1943. Also in 1943 he was reported as being 'prepared to do the donkey work' for a a Who's Who of British fandom (FIDO #28) although in couldn't complete the task and handed it on to Rosenblum in October 1944. He was also a member of the Cosmos Club and edited a late issue of its journal Cosmic Cuts. He attended the 1944 Eastercon.
In Ron Bennett's Ploy #7 he wrote an article 'The Upstairs Basement' lamenting the way modern conventions had turned away from sf and deploring the behaviour of those attending them. He was (again) member #10 on the first membership list of the BSFA in 1958 and remained an occasional correspondent to its journal Vector into the 1980s.
In a profile piece in FIDO #32 (December 1943) he said:
As to myself, personally:- Secondary School Education broken in little pieces by the (CENSORED) war, hence I have a personal grudge against Hitler. Particularly interested in Chemistry (which, but for the war, I should have taken through to a degree). Physics, Astronomy, and Astronautics. Am amused by Fort and bored by politics (maybe I'll learn better!!) thrilled by Kinnison and astounded by Hamilton. Collect science-fiction. (YES!!) Weaknesses:- Eyesight, Tommy Handley, Jonny Weismuller, bread-and-butter pudding, Dr. Fu Manchu and Boris Karloff... That's all!!
- Cosmic Cuts (at least one issue, possibly the last)
- Interplanetary News [1941] (nicknamed IMP, in Futurian War Digest)
- Delirium Tremens [1942-44] (in Futurian War Digest)
| Person | 1925— |
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