Geis, Richard E
Entry updated 3 February 2025. Tagged: Author, Editor, Fan.
(1927-2013) US author, editor and sf fan, best known since 1953 for producing and contributing significantly to a fanzine, Psychotic, and later a Semiprozine, The Alien Critic, both of which were, confusingly, at different times known as Science Fiction Review. He has published other Fanzines. His vigorously anti-highbrow judgements were for a long time influential in the sf field; between 1969 and 1983 he six times won a Hugo for Best Fanzine and a further seven times for Best Fan Writer, the 1977 award in the latter category being a tie with Susan Wood. He also won the short-lived Locus Award for Best Critic twice, in 1974 and 1976. Geis was a columnist for Galaxy with "The Alien Viewpoint" 1974-1979; this also appeared in If in 1974. From 2004 to 2010 he published an online fanzine/diary, Taboo Opinions [see links below].
His first published story was "Flight Game" for Adam in 1959. He concentrated thereafter on pornographic fiction, with well over 100 titles, both soft- and hardcore; his personal estimate was 110 such titles. Not many of these had sf or fantastic themes, though exceptions were the Roi Kunzer books – The Sex Machine (1967) and The Endless Orgy (1968) – and the singletons Raw Meat (1969), about a world where Sex is intimately controlled by The Great Mother Computer, The Arena Women (1972) and A Girl Possessed (1973) as by Peggy Swenson. Three further erotic sf novels by Geis were self-published, mimeographed limited editions: Canned Meat (1978 chap), Star Whores (1980 chap) and its sequel The Corporation Strikes Back (1981 chap). In his own publication he serialized his novel "One Immortal Man" (May-November/December 1978 Science Fiction Review), expanded from the short version "One Immortal Man" (in Andromeda 2, anth 1977, ed Peter Weston). Later, writing with Elton T Elliott together as Richard Elliott (whom see for discussion of these books), he wrote the John Norris thrillers set on a Near-Future Earth suffering from Sun-flares caused by a star-wars snafu – The Sword of Allah (1984) and The Burnt Lands (1985) – as well as the singletons The Master File (1986) and The Einstein Legacy (1987). [JC/PN/DRL]
see also: Essex House.
Richard Erwin Geis
born Portland, Oregon: 19 July 1927
died Portland, Oregon: 4 February 2013
works
series
Roi Kunzer
- The Sex Machine (North Hollywood, California: Brandon House, 1967) [Roi Kunzer: pb/]
- The Endless Orgy (North Hollywood, California: Brandon House, 1968) [Roi Kunzer: pb/]
individual titles
- Raw Meat (North Hollywood, California: Essex House, 1969) [pb/]
- The Arena Women (Chatsworth, California: Brandon Books, 1972) [pb/]
- A Girl Possessed (Chatsworth, California: Brandon Books, 1973) as by Peggy Swenson [pb/]
- Canned Meat (Portland, Oregon: Richard E Geis, 1978) [chap: pb/Bruce Conklin]
- Star Whores (Portland, Oregon: Richard E Geis, 1980) [chap: Star Whores: pb/Bruce Conklin]
- The Corporation Strikes Back (Portland, Oregon: Richard E Geis, 1981) [chap: Star Whores: pb/]
- The Sword of Allah (New York: Fawcett Gold Medal, 1984) with Elton T Elliott together as Richard Elliott [John Norris: pb/]
- The Burnt Lands (New York: Fawcett Gold Medal, 1985) with Elton T Elliott together as Richard Elliott [John Norris: pb/]
- The Master File (New York: Fawcett Gold Medal, 1986) with Elton T Elliott together as Richard Elliott [pb/]
- The Einstein Legacy (New York: Fawcett Gold Medal, 1987) with Elton T Elliott together as Richard Elliott [pb/]
links
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