Staicar, Tom
Entry updated 4 July 2026. Tagged: Author, Critic, Editor.
(1946- ) US author and critic who began to publish work of genre interest with a review in Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Review for July 1979. His review column "The Interstellar Connection" ran in Amazing Stories from August 1979 to November 1982, with two exceptions to the regular title listed only as "Book Reviews". In this period Staicar also published three "Readerscope" review columns in 1980 issues of the sister magazine Fantastic.
Staicar edited two useful nonfiction anthologies published in the same year. The Feminine Eye: Science Fiction and the Women Who Write It (anth 1982) focuses as indicated on Women SF Writers, with a general introductory essay by Staicar himself and contributions about Leigh Brackett, Suzy McKee Charnas, C J Cherryh, Suzette Haden Elgin, C L Moore, Andre Norton, James Tiptree Jr and Joan D Vinge. Somewhat less clearly focused, Critical Encounters II: Writers and Themes in Science Fiction (anth 1982) includes essays on Hal Clement, Vonda N McIntyre, Richard Matheson, Doris Piserchia, Robert Silverberg, the Strugatski brothers, Ian Watson and Roger Zelazny. Volume I of this Critical Encounters SF in the Classroom sequence had been edited by Dick Riley (whom see); there was no third volume.
Staicar's workmanlike appreciation Fritz Leiber (1983), although preceded by essay and chapbook studies, was the first book-length examination of the writings of Fritz Leiber – a significant milestone in critical recognition of that author. [DRL]
Thomas Edward Staicar
born Detroit, Michigan: 30 May 1946
works
nonfiction
- Fritz Leiber (New York: Frederick Ungar, 1983) [nonfiction: Fritz Leiber: in the publisher's Recognitions series: hb/Tom Christopher]
nonfiction works as editor
- The Feminine Eye: Science Fiction and the Women Who Write It (New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing, 1982) [nonfiction: anth: in the publisher's Recognitions series: hb/Ted Bernstein]
- Critical Encounters II: Writers and Themes in Science Fiction (New York: Frederick Ungar, 1982) [nonfiction: anth: in the publisher's Recognitions series: hb/]
links
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