Science Fiction
Finder, nicknamed "The Wombat," has been a frequent guest of honor at science fiction conventions, including Honored Guest at ConFrancisco (the 1993 Worldcon). He has also been Fan Guest of Honor at BYOB-Con 8 (1978), Lastcon 1 (1981, Albany NY), LepreCon 8 (1982), Genericon 1 (1985), NotJustAnotherCon 4 (1988) and Arisia 12 (2001). He was a co-founder of Albacon.
He has been the chairperson of several science fiction conventions not specifically dedicated to the writings of Tolkien. He was chair of Albacon in 1996 and of the Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA) 32 in Schenectady, New York in 2001.
Well known in fannish circles, Finder was editor of the fanzine, The Spang Blah. He was, until 2011, "scribe" (secretary) of the Latham-Albany-Schenectady-Troy Science Fiction Association.
The Wombat has been a frequent masquerade judge, costumer charity auctioneer, and participant in panel discussions, from Arisia and Albacon in the Northeast United States to Worldcons and Lunacon 2007. He has mentored other prospective con chairs.
Finder writes in the short story genre, and his short fiction writing has been published in several anthologies, including "The Grapes of Rath" (1980) in Microcosmic Tales (1981).
He edited the 1982 anthology Alien Encounters (1982) Taplinger ISBN 0-8008-0168-7, which included short stories by Lynn Abbey, Ben Bova, Lee Killough, David Langford and Ian Watson, among others.
Finder was tuckerized when Anne McCaffrey named a character for him.
Read more about this topic: Jan Howard Finder
Famous quotes containing the words science and/or fiction:
“The sweetest and most inoffensive path of life leads through the avenues of science and learning; and whoever can either remove any obstructions in this way, or open up any new prospect, ought so far to be esteemed a benefactor to mankind.”
—David Hume (1711–1776)
“For if the proper study of mankind is man, it is evidently more sensible to occupy yourself with the coherent, substantial and significant creatures of fiction than with the irrational and shadowy figures of real life.”
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965)