James V. Taurasi

(8 December 1917 -- 11 April 1991)

One of the creators of fandom as we know it. In the late 30s, James Vincent Taurasi -- Jimmy Taurasi -- was one of the Triumvirs and part of the leadership of the First Worldcon, one of the originators of New Fandom, founding member of the QSFL and the GNYSFL. He was generally on the opposite side of fan feuds from the Futurians. (At one point, John Michel called Turasi "il Duce of Flushing Flats".)

He was an avid reader following the prozines closely. He had many letters and essays published in SF prozines, including Astounding, Amazing, Startling Stories, Famous Fantastic Mysteries, Comet, and Super Science Stories.

In the 40s through the 60s, he was editor of Fantasy Times and Science Fiction Times an important newszine which was the Locus of its day (in fact, Locus was started to fill the vacuum left by the ending of Science Fiction Times). It which received the 1955 Best Fanzine Hugo, the 1957 Best Fanzine Hugo and nominations for the 1956 Best Fanzine Hugo, the 1959 Best Fanzine Hugo and the 1960 Best Fanzine Hugo under his editorship).

He was part of the Scientifilmakers, an early fannish attempt to create a true SF (or, rather, stf) movie. He was involved in the following publishing houses: Taurasi-Thompson Publications, United Publications, and Cosmic Publications. He was one of the leaders of the Fanvets. He was a member of ESFA, the Lunarians, FAPA and the Silvercon committee, attended the 1938 Philadelphia Conference, and received the Big Heart Award in 1963.

He was active in fandom from the mid-30s to the mid-60s.

He was fond of using pennames, including Herman Von Tok.

For an early short biography, see Who's Who in Fandom 1940, page 13.

Fanzines and Apazines:

• Cosmic Tales [1937-41]
• Fantasy-Comics [1964]
• Fantasy-Letter [1939]
• Fantasy-Scout [1939]
• Masked Spaceman [1938]
• Monster-Times [1960s and 70s]
• Original Science Fiction Stories [1961-63]
• The Planeteer [1939] (final issue only)
• Queer Tales [1938]
• Science-Fiction Age [1960]
• Science Fiction Scout [1938] (with Alex Osheroff)
• Science Fiction Yearbook [1957] (with Ray Van Houten and Frank R. Prieto, Jr.)
• Solor [1938]
• Space [1938]
• Space Lines Inc [1938]
• Tales of Science [1938]
• Tinplate Railroading [1962]
• Weird and Fantasy Fiction [1938]
• Wonder Fiction Annual [1938]

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Person

1917—1991

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