Clarke, A V

Entry updated 22 January 2024. Tagged: Author, Fan.

Professional working name of Aubrey Vincent Clarke (1922-1998), UK author and editor best known for his work in Fandom and Fanzines, beginning in 1947 and contributing to Slant in 1951-1952. In fan circles he wrote as A Vincent Clarke or Vince Clarke and, echoing the shorthand surnames of Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man (January-March 1952 Galaxy; 1953), was nicknamed and often signed himself Vin¢. He was the principal editor of the UK Newszine Science Fantasy News (with Kenneth Bulmer), the first winner of the TransAtlantic Fan Fund (see Fan Funds) – though unable to make the journey to America since insufficient funds had been raised – a co-founder, again with Bulmer, of OMPA (which see), and an important mover in the 1958 creation of the British Science Fiction Association – the need for which he argued in his fanzine Zymic #6 (December 1957). His sf consists of two unremarkable collaborative novels, Space Treason (1952) and Cybernetic Controller (1952), both written with Kenneth Bulmer. Under the byline "Inquisitor" he wrote the regular news and fan-gossip column "Fanfare and Suchlike" in Vargo Statten Science Fiction Magazine through its entire vari-titled run, 1954-1956.

After a long separation from fandom that began in 1960, Clarke returned in 1982; his subsequent activity included publishing the personal fanzine or personalzine Not Science Fantasy News (3 issues 1982-1983) plus other titles, co-editing Pulp (19 issues 1986-1991), compiling UK fanzine Bibliographies and contributing his memories and records to the fan-historical researches of Rob Hansen (whom see). Many of his contributions to fanzines, together with the above-cited "Fanfare and Suchlike" columns, are collected as A Vince Clarke Treasury (coll 2015 ebook; exp 2024). Hansen gave him joint editorial credit for Then Again: A UK Fanhistory Reader 1930-1979 (anth 2019 ebook), incorporating much historical source material selected by Clarke before his death. [DRL]

see also: Doc Weir Award; Worldcon.

Aubrey Vincent Clarke

born Croydon, London: 12 April 1922

died Eltham, Kent: 29 November 1998

works

Space Treason (London: Hamilton and Co (Stafford) Ltd/Panther Books, 1952) with Kenneth Bulmer [pb/Gordon C Davies]
Cybernetic Controller (London: Hamilton and Co (Stafford) Ltd/Panther Books, 1952) with Kenneth Bulmer [pb/Gordon C Davies]

nonfiction

The Inquisitor: Fan Columns from The Vargo Statten Science Fiction Magazine (Croydon, Surrey: Beccon Publications/Fishlifter Press, 2000) [nonfiction: anth: edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer: includes all Clarke's "Fanfare and Suchlike" columns as by Inquisitor: Vargo Statten Science Fiction Magazine: pb/cover of magazine, volume 1 #1]
A Vince Clarke Treasury (Reading, Berkshire: Ansible Editions, 2015) [nonfiction: coll: ebook: edited by David Langford: na/photographic]
- A Vince Clarke Treasury (Reading, Berkshire: Ansible Editions, 2024) [nonfiction: coll: exp of the above with corrections: edited by David Langford: pb/photographic]

works as editor

Atom: A Tribute (London: privately printed, 1990) [graph: illus/Arthur Thomson as Atom: pb/nonpictorial]
Then Again: A UK Fanhistory Reader 1930-1979 (Reading, Berkshire: Ansible Editions, 2019) with Rob Hansen [nonfiction: anth: ebook: na/photographic]

links

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