Speer cover

NESFA Press

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ISBN: 1-886778-56-6
Page count: 192
Book Size: 5-1/2" x 8-1/2"
Published: September 2004

Trade paperback

Edited by Fred Lerner
Cover by Charles Williams
Cover design by Alice N.S. Lewis

NESFA Press
PO Box 809
Framingham, MA 01701
fax: 617-776-3243
email: sales@nesfa.org

Table of Contents

On His Folly
Introduction, by Art Widner
About Science Fiction
Brachiation.
Decimal Classification of Fantasy Fiction
Fantasy Fiction Decimal Classification
The Far Future of Science-Fiction
Missing the Issue
On Time
A Good Year for Time
Though with Rule and Line
Resilient Time
Edith Keeler Need Not Die
Fan History
The Phanerofanish Eon.
Blitzkrieg
Speer in Los Angeles
What Transpired at the Michiconference
Personal History
Trip to Moon
1934: The Making of a Fan
The Eofannish Era in Comanche
My Proterofannish Period .
"—When a Telephone Pole Got in the Way—"
Fiction
High Policy
Ramac in the Sky
Scoring
Or Age from Avarice
Words Words Words
Wasted Words
Minced Profanity
Cryptic Communication for the Cognoscenti
The Ancient Cry
Issues
Seeking What Is Not
Use Your Clone for Spare Parts?
Book Wanted
It's Up To Us
L'envoi
Novus Ordo Fandorum.

Jack Speer

Jack Speer was one of the "founding dinosaurs" of fandom. He was one of those who defined our history because he not only helped shape it, he was the first to write it. Jack wrote "Up to Now", the first real history of SF fandom in 1939. A few years later he codified our "fanspeak" along with a lot more history when he wrote the first Fancyclopedia in 1944. Jack's influential articles created the idea of "numbered fandoms" by identifying key traits and changes in various generations of fandom. He investigated and reported on feuds, the Cosmic Circle and other contretemps as well.

The Noreascon Four Committee is saddened that Jack passed away the morning of June 28, 2008. Please see the excerpts from the Noreascon Four Souvenir Book.

"I'm very sorry to hear this, and I'm very grateful that we had a chance to honor Jack at Noreascon Four. He was an amazing, gentle, frighteningly bright, wonderful man, and he was a great guest."
—Deb Geisler, Chairman, Noreascon Four.