Roy Tackett (May 20, 1925 – May 23, 2003), also known as Horrible Old Roy Tackett, was a

rifleman A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifling, rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction o ...

with the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He has been credited with introducing

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

when he was stationed there as part of the American occupation.

Career

During the early 1950s Tackett was a

Drill instructor A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire department, or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. Foot drill, military step, and marching are typically taught by drill instructors. Australia Austr ...

Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (often abbreviated as MCRD PI) is an military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation. ...

. He retired in 1962 with 20 years of service and went on to co-found Bubonicon in 1969 with the writer

Robert E. Vardeman Robert Edward Vardeman (sometimes called Vardebob) (born 1947) is an American science fiction fan and writer. Career Robert E. Vardeman was born in Mineral Wells, Texas, but is a longtime resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He graduated from ...

. That same year he was the Guest of Honor at

Westercon Westercon (occasionally WesterCon; long version West Coast Science Fantasy Conference) is a regional science fiction and fantasy convention founded in September 1948 by Walter J. Daugherty of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society. The original ...

. He produced more than 100 issues of his fanzine Dynatron during the 1960s, and was the TransAtlantic Fan Fund winner for 1976. Roy was the Fan Guest of Honor at the 1997 Worldcon in

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

. As part of the run up to the ceremony in San Antonio, Mojo Press released ''The Least Horrible of Roy Tackett'' which consisted of selected short stories he had written over the previous 50 years.SFsite: ''Roy Tackett at LoneStarCon 2''

Personal life

Roy Tackett died in 2003 of heart failure brought on by years of heavy smoking, and was buried in the

Santa Fe National Cemetery Santa Fe National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of Santa Fe, in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. It encompasses , and as of 2021, had 68,000 interments. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it ...

along with his wife, and fellow Marine, of over 40 years, Crystal Tackett (1923–1989). In 2008, the science fiction writer and long time friend

Jack Speer John Bristol Speer (August 9, 1920 – June 28, 2008) was an attorney, practicing law for over 60 years; a judge; and a member of the Washington House of Representatives. Also a long-time science fiction fan and important early historian of scie ...

was buried nearby.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tackett, Roy 1925 births 2003 deaths American atheists United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II American science fiction writers American socialists United States Marines People from Albuquerque, New Mexico People from El Paso, Texas American male novelists American male short story writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American male writers American expatriates in Japan Burials at Santa Fe National Cemetery

Career

Personal life

See also

References

External links