Smith, Ron
Entry updated 8 June 2026. Tagged: Author, Editor, Fan.
(1936-1987) US fan who with his wife Cindy Smith published the Fanzine Inside from September 1952. Contributions included stories by David R Bunch, Harlan Ellison, Charles E Fritch, Kris Neville and William F Nolan; articles and reviews by Forrest J Ackerman, Poul Anderson, Hannes Bok, Mark Clifton, Arthur Jean Cox, William F Nolan, Chad Oliver, Ross Rocklynne and Wilson Tucker; and artwork by Terry Carr (cartoons) and Mel Hunter. With #6 (November 1954) Inside merged with Science Fiction Advertiser, which had begun in April 1946 as Fantasy Advertiser edited by Gus Willmorth, was edited by Roy A Squires from vol 3 #5 (November 1949, whole number #17) and changed its name to Science Fiction Advertiser after vol 5 #4 (November 1951, whole number #22). The resulting Inside and Science Fiction Advertiser won the 1956 Hugo for best fanzine. Issues #18 (October 1957) and #19 (September 1958) were numbered #52 and #53 in accordance with SFA continuity; the fanzine was then rebooted as Inside #1 (October 1962) with Jon White as principal editor and Ron Smith as assistant editor. What would have been #3 of the new series appeared as Inside-Riverside Quarterly (Summer 1964): this became Leland Sapiro's Riverside Quarterly (which see).
Smith also published some short fiction, beginning with "The Glob" in Psychotic for December 1953 with Hubert Summers; his first professional sale was "I Don't Mind" (October 1956 F&SF). Two collaborations with John Baxter, "An Ounce of Dissension" (July 1966 Analog) and "The Case of the Perjured Planet" (November 1967 Analog), appeared under the joint pseudonym Martin Loran (Loran being Smith's middle name). As an sf author, Smith fell silent after 1968. [DRL]
Ronald Loran Smith
born Hemet, California: 19 August 1936
died Australia: 5 November 1987
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