Harry Warner, Jr. - Biography - Science Fiction Fandom

Science Fiction Fandom

Warner became active in science fiction fandom in 1936, although he was extremely reclusive, earning the nickname "The Hermit of Hagerstown" by the 1950s. He rigidly kept his professional life in Hagerstown and his science fiction world separate, and few people in his hometown knew of his science fiction activities until after his death. He hated to travel, and almost never attended science fiction conventions. Although in the 1930s he welcomed such visitors as Frederik Pohl, Jack Speer, Wilson "Bob" Tucker, Milt Rothman and Russ Chauvenet, ultimately, he discouraged the visits from other fans.

In 1938, he published the first issue of Spaceways, one of the most important science fiction fanzines of its period, and beginning in 1939, supplemented it with Horizons, which was for decades a mainstay of the Fantasy Amateur Press Association. Horizons had its first issue in October 1939 and its 252nd and final issue in February 2003. He also wrote prolifically for other zines. He won Hugo Awards for Best Fan Writer in 1969 and 1972.

Fanzine fans revered him for his letter writing. His home at 423 Summit Avenue, Hagerstown, became the most famous mailing address in fandom. Using a manual typewriter, Warner wrote literally tens of thousands of letters commenting on fanzines. His reputation became such that nearly every fanzine publisher in the country sent him free copies of every issue as a matter of course. Almost without fail, Warner would reply with a thoughtful, two-page letter. Editors have described getting their first letter from Warner as a rite of passage.

Film critic and one-time fan Roger Ebert wrote: "Locs (letters of comment) were the currency of payment for fanzine contributors; you wrote, and in the next issue got to read about what you had written. Today I can see my name on a full-page ad for a movie with disinterest, but what Harry Warner or Buck Coulson had to say about me — well, that was important."

Warner was associate editor of the professional science fiction magazine Odd Tales in the 1940s. In the 1950s, he tried his hand at science fiction itself, publishing a few short stories in various magazines throughout the decade.

He was the fan guest of honor at the 1971 World Science Fiction Convention, a tribute he accepted with reluctance.

In 1995, Warner received the First Fandom Hall of Fame award. He remained active in fanzine fandom until the end of his life.