View source for Alan H. Miles

(July 22, 1922 – )

'''Alan H. Miles'''  was a [[UK]] [[fan]] from [[Bristol]] active in the 1940s and 1950s. He was  was a member of the [[British Fantasy Society]] (BFS). Some sources give his first name as '''Allan''' but the single-l version is more widely used.

Profiled in ''[[Futurian War Digest]]'' #35, he said:

 Lived in [[Cardiff]] for 10 years & now residing in Bristol. Was employed as a civil servant in Bristol – when I found my first [[S.F.]] [[prozine|mag]]. My interest had been stimulated in this sphere by the unfortunate ''[[Scoops]]'' and the films ''The Tunnel'' and ''Things to Come'', although I had been an admirer of [[H. G. Wells]] since school days. The idle picking up of a ''[[TWS]]'' started me on the downward path, into which I helped drag [[B. H. Edwards]] of Testbury, another member. Was not aware of British [[fandom]], even though buying books from [[Ted Carnell]]'s S.F. Service. Looking through a copy of ''TWS'' I found a review of ''New Worlds'' & contacted Ted Carnell who advised me to get in touch with [[J. Michael Rosenblum|Michael Rosenblum]]. This was in '42 sometime. Soon after I was posted overseas to Canada for training in the RAF. Altogether I managed to wangle 5 weeks in USA on leave & wasted little time in sending a subscription to ''[[Astounding]]''.
 
 For many & varied reasons (chiefly an amorous one) I was unable to visit fans over there, most of my time being spent in the state of Montana. Being then only recently introduced to fandom I was not in any way capable of being termed a representative of English fandom, It was good being able to buy current mags off the stands though, & I made the most of it. I became engaged to a Montana girl before leaving & am returning at the first opportunity. I received a commission & returned to England where I am now serving on operations in Bomber Command as a Bomb Aimer. I have made several trips into the Third Reich & hope to make many more. My hobbies include collecting classical recordings, oil colouring photographs, general photography & motor cycling. I have met [[Edwin Macdonald]] at his home & am a frequent visitor to the Rosenblum household of which I have enjoyed the hospitality many times, & am in fact writing this autobiography there now. Good reading, fans.

He was already in the RAF when he was first mentioned in ''Futurian War Digest'' seeking correspondents. He was posted to [[Canada]] and then the [[US]], returning in August 1943 'with as many opera records and stf prozines as he could carry'. He was also the first British fan to acquire ''The Pocket Book of Science Fiction'' edited by [[Donald A. Wollheim]].

He was at one point reported as selling his prozines, perhaps in anticipation of the promised move. However he was still in Bristol in [[Ron Bennett]]'s 1955 ''[[Directory of Science Fiction Fandom]]'' and again in 1956 although he'd dropped out by 1957. So perhaps he did go to Montana eventually.

{{person | born=1922 | Locale=Bristol|}}
[[Category:fan]]
[[Category:UK]]