(1945-2009) US bibliographer, fan and Small-Press publisher; with Jack L Chalker, he was involved for a period with Mirage Press, which published his magnum opus, The Index to the Science-Fantasy Publishers (1966 chap; rev 1966) with Jack L Chalker, a text later so vastly expanded as The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Critical and Bibliographic History (1991) with Chalker that it constitutes a new title [for further iterations of this title, see Checklist]. In its mature form, Science-Fantasy Publishers is a central reference resource, and has been used throughout this Encyclopedia (see also Bibliographies). Other books through Mirage included The Necronomicon: A Study (1967 chap), solo, and The Revised H.P. Lovecraft Bibliography (1973 chap) with Chalker. With Chalker and Ted Pauls, Owings founded Croatan House, through which he published Robert A. Heinlein: A Bibliography (1973 chap) and James H. Schmitz: A Bibliography (1973 chap). Murray Leinster (Will F. Jenkins): A Bibliography (1970 chap), The Electric Bibliograph, Part I: Clifford D. Simak (1971 chap), Poul Anderson: Bibliography (1973 chap) and A Catalog of Lovecraftiana: The Grill/Binkin Collection (1975 chap) with Irving Binkin were all published elsewhere.

Owings's activities in sf Fandom were focused on his native Baltimore, where he was a founder of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society, and served several times as the Chair of Balticon, the main regional Convention. Until late 2009 he was an active participant in the online discussion group, Fictionmags. [JC]

Mark Samuel Owings

born Baltimore, Maryland: 3 January 1945

died Maryland: 30 December 2009

works

series

Science-Fantasy Publishers

• The Index to the Science-Fantasy Publishers (Baltimore, Maryland: The Anthem Series, 1966) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: chap: Science-Fantasy Publishers: pb/]
  • The Index to the Science-Fantasy Publishers (Baltimore, Maryland: The Anthem Series, 1966) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: chap: rev of the above: Science-Fantasy Publishers: pb/]
    • Index to the SF Publishers (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1979) with Jack L Chalker [nonfiction: chap: rev vt of the above: Science-Fantasy Publishers: pb/]
• The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Critical and Bibliographic History: Third Edition, Revised and Enlarged (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1992) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: effectively a new book, though described as the Third Edition of The Index to the Science-Fantasy Publishers, see above: unsignaled issues or reprints of this edition incorporate some corrections and changes: Science-Fantasy Publishers: hb/nonpictorial]
  • The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Critical and Bibliographic History: Third Edition, Revised and Enlarged (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1992) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: rev vt of the above: Science-Fantasy Publishers: hb/nonpictorial]
    • The Science-Fantasy Publishers: Supplement One, July 1991-June 1992 (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1992) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: supplement to the above: Science-Fantasy Publishers: pb/]
      • The Science-Fantasy Publishers: Supplement One: July 1991- June 1993 (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1993) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: rev of the above: Science-Fantasy Publishers: pb/]
    • The Science-Fantasy Publishers: Supplement Two, July 1993-June 1994 (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1994) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: chap: supplement to the above: Science-Fantasy Publishers: pb/]
    • The Science-Fantasy Publishers: Supplement Three, July 1994-June 1995 (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1995) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: chap: supplement to the above: Science-Fantasy Publishers: pb/]
    • The Science-Fantasy Publishers: Supplement Four, July 1995-June 1996 (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1996) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: chap: supplement to the above: pb/]
    • The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History 1923-1998 (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1998) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: ebook: rev vt of the above: Science-Fantasy Publishers: na/]

individual titles

• The Necronomicon: A Study (Westminster, Maryland: The Mirage Press, 1967) [nonfiction: H P Lovecraft: pb/Frank D McSherry Jr]
• The Revised H.P. Lovecraft Bibliography (Westminster, Maryland: The Mirage Press, 1973) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: chap: revision of an earlier work by Chalker alone: pb/]
• Murray Leinster (Will F. Jenkins): A Bibliography (Washington, District of Columbia: Washington Science Fiction Association, 1970) [bibliography: chap: Murray Leinster: pb/]
• The Electric Bibliograph, Part I: Clifford D. Simak (Baltimore, Maryland: Alice and Jay Haldeman, 1971) [bibliography: chap: Clifford D Simak: pb/]
• Robert A. Heinlein: A Bibliography (Baltimore, Maryland: Croatan House, 1973) [bibliography: chap: Robert A Heinlein: pb/Judith Weiss]
• James H. Schmitz: A Bibliography (Baltimore, Maryland: Croatan House, 1973) [bibliography: chap: James H Schmitz: pb/Don Rash]
• Poul Anderson: Bibliography (Baltimore, Maryland: Balticon VII, T-K Graphics, 1973) [bibliography: chap: Poul Anderson: pb/]
• A Catalog of Lovecraftiana: The Grill/Binkin Collection (Baltimore, Maryland: The Mirage Press, 1975) with Irving Binkin [bibliography: chap: H P Lovecraft: pb/]
• The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Critical and Bibliographic History: Third Edition, Revised and Enlarged (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1992) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: effectively a new book, though described as the Third Edition of The Index to the Science-Fantasy Publishers, see above: unsignaled issues or reprints of this edition incorporate some corrections and changes: hb/nonpictorial]
  • The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Critical and Bibliographic History: Third Edition, Revised and Enlarged (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1992) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: rev vt of the above: hb/nonpictorial]
    • The Science-Fantasy Publishers: Supplement One, July 1991-June 1992 (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1992) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: supplement to the above: pb/]
      • The Science-Fantasy Publishers: Supplement One: July 1991- June 1993 (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1993) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: rev of the above: pb/]
    • The Science-Fantasy Publishers: Supplement Two, July 1993-June 1994 (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1994) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: chap: supplement to the above: pb/]
    • The Science-Fantasy Publishers: Supplement Three, July 1994-June 1995 (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1995) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: chap: supplement to the above: pb/]
    • The Science-Fantasy Publishers: Supplement Four, July 1995-June 1996 (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1996) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: chap: supplement to the above: pb/]
    • The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History 1923-1998 (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1998) with Jack L Chalker [bibliography: ebook: rev vt of the above: na/]

works as editor

• Mirage on Lovecraft: A Literary View (Baltimore, Maryland: Mirage Press, 1965) with Jack L Chalker [nonfiction: anth: chap: pb/]

links

Previous versions of this entry

• 05/01/2010
• 17/12/2011
• 20/12/2011
• 27/05/2012
• 03/07/2012
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• 24/09/2012