SCITHERS, GEORGE H
(1929-2010) US writer, editor, publisher and
military engineer (with the US Army 1946-1973, retiring with the rank of Colonel). He began publishing
fiction of genre interest with "Faithful Messenger" for IF in 1969, and wrote a spoof cookery book (suggested by Damon KNIGHT's famous 1950 GALAXY story), To Serve Man: A Cookbook for People (1976)
as Karl Würf; but his main sf activities were as an editor and
publisher. He began his active involvement with sf and fantasy
in 1959 as editor of the famous FANZINE Amra (1959-1982), which specialized in SWORD AND SORCERY, particularly the work of Robert E HOWARD; it won HUGOS in 1964 and 1968. Scithers published two MIRAGE PRESS anthologies drawn from it: The Conan Swordbook: 27 Examinations of Heroic Fantasy (anth 1969) and The Conan Grimoire (anth 1972), both with L Sprague de CAMP, cofounder with him of the Hyborean Legion, a group devoted to Howard
studies; earlier, De Camp alone had been responsible for the
Amra-derived The Conan Reader (anth 1968). In 1973 Scithers founded the Owlswick Press (> SMALL PRESSES AND LIMITED EDITIONS), which continued intermittently to publish sf and other material of quality until 1993.
Scithers became the founding editor of ISAAC ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINE
in 1977; it was the first sf magazine since the beginning of the 1950s
to establish itself as a dominant force; he continued as editor until
the beginning of 1982, also editing several anthologies drawn from it
(see Checklist below) and winning HUGOS for Best Professional Editor in
1979 and 1980. He then edited the troubled AMAZING STORIES from late 1982 until 1986; more recently, with John Gregory BETANCOURT (until 1990) and Darrell SCHWEITZER, who had been assistant editor of both ASIMOV'S and AMAZING during Scithers's tenures, he restarted WEIRD TALES, which had been variously (but unfruitfully) revived more than once
since ceasing regular publication in 1954; the new series (the
numbering has been continuous over all incarnations) began with #290 in 1987,
with all but the most recent edited by all three (each
taking the lead role in turn); #300 was edited by Schweitzer alone; see
Checklist for those "issues" marketed as anthologies. Also with
Schweitzer, Scithers edited two anthologies of CLUB STORIES: Tales from the Spaceport Bar (anth 1987) and Another Round at the Spaceport Bar (anth 1989).
In
all his projects, which were very various, Scithers managed to
combine
energy-efficient verve with a transparent love of fantasy and sf. He
was given a WORLD FANTASY AWARD for Life Achievement in 2002. [JC]
see also: WORLDCON.
George Harry Scithers
born Washington, DC: 14 May 1929
died Rockville, Maryland: 19 April 2010
works
works as editor
series
Asimov's Choice
- Asimov's Choice: Astronauts & Androids (New York: Davis Publications, 1977) edited anonymously [anth: ANDROIDS: Asimov's Choice: pb/Kelly FREAS]
- Asimov's Choice: Black Holes & Bug-Eyed Monsters (New York: Dale Books, 1977) [anth: BLACK HOLES, BUG-EYED MONSTERS: Asimov's Choice: pb/Kelly FREAS]
- Asimov's Choice: Dark Stars & Dragons (New York: Dale Books, 1978) [anth: Asimov's Choice: pb/Jim Starlin]
- Asimov's Choice: Comets and Computers (New York: Dale Books, 1978) [anth: COMPUTERS: Asimov's Choice: pb/Greg Theakston]
- Asimov's Choice: Extraterrestrials & Eclipses (New York: Dale Books, 1978) [anth: ALIENS: Asimov's Choice: pb/Greg Theakston]
Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthologies
- Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthology, Volume 1 (New York: Davis Publications, 1976) edited anonymously [anth: Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthologies: pb/]
- Isaac Asimov's Masters of Science Fiction (New York: The Dial Press/Davis Publications, 1978) edited anonymously [anth: vt of the above: Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthologies: hb/]
- Isaac Asimov's Marvels of Science Fiction (New York: The Dial Press/Davis Publications, 1979) [anth: Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthologies: hb/]
- Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthology, Volume 3 (New York: Davis Publications, 1979) [anth: Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthologies: pb/]
- Isaac Asimov's Adventures of Science Fiction (New York: The Dial Press/Davis Publications, 1980) [anth: vt of the above: Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthologies: hb/]
- Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthology, Volume 4 (New York: Davis Publications, 1980) [anth: Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthologies: pb/]
- Isaac Asimov's Worlds of Science Fiction (New York: The Dial Press/Davis Publications, 1980) [anth: vt of the above: Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthologies: hb/]
- Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthology, Volume 5 (New York: Davis Publications, 1981) [anth: Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthologies: pb/]
- Isaac Asimov's Near Futures and Far (New York: The Dial Press/Davis Publications, 1981) [anth: vt of the above: Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthologies: hb/]
Spaceport Bar
- Tales from the Spaceport Bar (New York: Avon Books, 1987) with Darrell SCHWEITZER [anth: Spaceport Bar: pb/]
- Another Round at the Spaceport Bar (New York: Avon Books, 1989) with Darrell SCHWEITZER [anth: Spaceport Bar: pb/Doug beekman]
Weird Tales (quasi-journals here and elsewhere listed as anthologies)
- Weird Tales: Spring 1988 (Terminus, 1988) with John Gregory BETANCOURT and Darrell SCHWEITZER [anth: Weird Tales: hb/]
- Weird Tales Number 291 (Weird Tales, 1988) with John Gregory BETANCOURT [anth: Weird Tales: hb/]
- Weird Tales Number 292 (Weird Tales, 1988) with Darrell SCHWEITZER [anth: Weird Tales: hb/]
- Weird Tales 317-320 (Fall 1999-Summer 2000) (Holicong, Pennsylvania: Wildside Press, 2003) with Darrell SCHWEITZER [anth: pod: Weird Tales: pb/Jill Bauman]
individual titles
- Cat Tales: Fantastic Feline Fiction (Holicong, Pennsylvania: Wildside Press, 2008) [anth: pod: pb/]
nonfiction
Conan
- The Conan Swordbook: 27 Examinations of Heroic Fantasy (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1969) with L Sprague De CAMP [nonfiction: anth: Conan: pb/George BARR]
- The Conan Grimoire (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1972) with L Sprague De CAMP [nonfiction: anth: Conan: pb/]
individual titles
- To Serve Man: A Cookbook for People (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Owlswick Press, 1976)
as Karl Würf [nonfiction: spoof cookbook: hb/Roy G KRENKEL]
- On Writing Science Fiction (The Editors Strike Back!) (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Owlswick Press, 1981)
with John M FORD and Darrell SCHWEITZER [nonfiction: coll: hb/]
- Constructing Scientifiction & Fantasy (Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: TSR Hobbies, 1982) with John Ashmead and Darrell SCHWEITZER [nonfiction: coll: chap: pb/]
links