Ken Bulmer
(January 14, 1921 – December 16, 2005)
Henry Kenneth Bulmer, a British BNF, was TAFF delegate in 1955, attending the Clevention. His trip report, TAFF Tales was published by Ella Parker in Orion between February 1959 and April 1961, with an earlier article published in the Christmas 1955 issue of Vin¢ Clarke's Science Fantasy News. He married Ron Buckmaster’s sister, Pam, on March 7, 1953; they had three children and divorced in 1981.
In December 1941, reporting that Bulmer would be joining the army, J. Michael Rosenblum wrote in Futurian War Digest #15 that:
Ken himself is a comparatively new and young fan, although he has been reading science fiction for quite a while. Actually he came into the wondrous circle of Anglofandom about a year ago, the sad result of receiving a sample copy of Fido. In that short time he has rapidly worked to the fore as a competent all-rounder – publisher, writer, artist and literateur – of proved ability. He has suffered one of the greatest possible, of all blows under which a stfan can stagger when his entire collection – together with his home – was blown to bits during one of the blitzes. Recovering gallantly, Ken plunged into the whirl of active fandom, and all will be sorry to see him go for a while.
His fanzines included Steam, Star Parade, Fantasy Post (with Arthur Williams), Nirvana, Wappoted (with Walt Willis), and Ziz (for OMPA with Pamela Bulmer).
He was on the committee for Loncon I and the Eastercons, Festivention and Galactic Fair 1969. In 1972 he was made the first (honorary) president of the British Fantasy Society.
A prodigiously prolific author, Bulmer used numerous pseudonyms over the course of his career, including Alan Burt Akers and Manning Norvil. His 53-book long Dray Prescott series was originally published as by Akers and later under the protagonist's name. In addition to science fiction, Bulmer also wrote westerns and historical adventures.
- Entry in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.
- BECCON '83 produced a 52-page booklet about him.
- Bibliography at ISFDB.
- Obituary, The Guardian, December 22, 2005.
- Steam
- Star Parade
- Fantasy Post (with Arthur Williams)
- Nirvana
- Vignette [1954] (for OMPA)
- Wappoted (with Walt Willis)
- Ziz (for OMPA with Pamela Bulmer)
Awards, Honors and GoHships:
- 1955 – TAFF
- 1965 – Knight of St. Fantony
- 1968 – Thirdmancon
- 1973 – Novacon 3
- 1974 – SfanCon 5
- 1976 – MC of Fantasycon II
- 1977 – MC of Fantasycon 3
- 1979 – Shoestringcon 1
- 1983 – BECCON '83, MC of Fantasycon VIII
- 1984 – Cymrucon 1984
| Person | 1921—2005 |
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