Samuel D. Russell

(March 1, 1919 – July 14, 1975)

Samuel Davenport Russell, a fan who became active in the late 1930s, joined MFS in Minneapolis in the early ’40s and then was very active in LASFS in Los Angeles during the War.

He was deeply interested in H. P. Lovecraft and was co-editor with Francis Towner Laney of The Acolyte in the 40s and published Haunted in the 60s. He published Have at Thee Knanves as part of the War of the Knanves. He was a member of FAPA from September 1942 to August 1948 and again (briefly, as he did not contribute and was dropped for inactivity) in 1969–70.

During and after the war, Russell was an undercover FBI agent who, among other things, investigated many LASFS members who were members of the Communist Party. He testified about them — blowing his cover — during the McCarthy era (with no untoward consequences), but later reconciled with some of them. He gafiated for a number of years, but became revenant in 1963. He moved to England in 1972 where he died.

Fanzines and Apazines:

• The Acolyte (some issues), a 1946 Best Fanzine Retro Hugo nominee
• Decimal Classification of Fantastic Fiction (for FAPA)
• Eight Pages (for FAPA)
• Fantasite (associated editor)
• Fantasy Critic (for FAPA)
• Have at Thee Knanves (for FAPA)
• Haunted
• Science-Fiction Goo (for FAPA)

Detailed history by Rob Hansen

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Person

1919—1975

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