Newman, John
Entry updated 15 March 2024. Tagged: Author.
(1927-1991) UK research chemist, author and fan who as J O Newman contributed a book review to Walter Gillings's Fantasy Review #2 (April/May 1947) and was listed as an associate editor of that publication from #6 (December 1947/January 1948) to #15 (Summer 1949). From 1953 to 1959 he published many science essays as John Newman in New Worlds and occasionally Nebula Science Fiction. He also collaborated with Kenneth Bulmer on a long series of science articles for Authentic Science Fiction, Nebula Science Fiction and New Worlds, published from 1955 to 1961 under the name Kenneth Johns. Two substantial eight-part sequences had the overall titles "Outward Bound" (March 1958-July 1960 New Worlds), on Space Flight, and "The Evolution of Man" (September 1956-May 1957 Authentic), on human Evolution. It is likely that the two authors drew on the space-themed essays for their The True Book About Space Travel (1960) as by Kenneth Johns. Newman fell silent after 1961.
In Then: Science Fiction Fandom in the UK: 1930-1980 (2016), Rob Hansen records that Newman was the organizer of Britain's first post-war sf Convention, Whitcon, held at the White Horse pub in London on 15 May 1948 (see Eastercon). He should not be confused with the US librarian and bibliographer John Newman. [JC/MA/DRL]
John O Newman
born Hammersmith, London: 16 January 1927
died Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: 26 September 1991
works
nonfiction
- The True Book About Space Travel (London: Frederick Muller, 1960) with Kenneth Bulmer, writing together as by Kenneth Johns [nonfiction: in the publisher's True Books series: hb/Arthur Thomson]
links
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