Ken Slater (1917–2008) was a British

science fiction fan Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or fandom of people interested in science fiction in contact with one another based upon that interest. SF fandom has a life of its own, but not much in the way of formal organization (although ...

and bookseller. In 1947, while serving in the

British Army of the Rhine There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War and the other after the Second World War. Both formations had areas of responsibility located ...

, he started ''Operation Fantast'', a network of science fiction fans which had 800 members around the world by 1950 though it folded a few years later. Through ''Operation Fantast'', he was the major importer of American science fiction books and magazines into Britain - an activity which he continued, after its collapse, through his company ''Fantast (Medway)'' up to the time of his death. He was a founder member of the

British Science Fiction Association The British Science Fiction Association Limited is an organisation founded in 1958 by a group of British academics, science fiction fans, authors, publishers and booksellers, in order to promote the writing, criticism, and study of science fiction ...

in 1958.

Awards and honours

He was Guest of Honour at ''Brumcon'', the 1959

Eastercon Eastercon is the common name for the annual British national science fiction convention. The convention is organised by voluntary self-organising committees, rather than a permanent entity. Organisation Groups of fans (typically 5–8 in n ...

and at Conspiracy '87, the 1987

Worldcon Worldcon, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, durin ...

, jointly with his wife Joyce. He received the Doc Weir Award in 1966 and the Big Heart Award in 1995. At the first Hugo Award ceremony in Philadelphia in 1953,

Forrest J Ackerman Forrest James Ackerman (November 24, 1916 – December 4, 2008) was an American magazine editor; science fiction writer and literary agent; a founder of science fiction fandom; a leading expert on science fiction, horror, and fantasy films; a pr ...

won the trophy for #1 Fan Personality, but said that the award should have gone to Slater.Obituary - British Science Fiction Association
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References

1917 births 2008 deaths British expatriates in Germany {{sf-stub