Roy Tackett Is Fan Guest of Honor at This Year's Worldcon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:     August 26, 1997
Contact:  Laurie Mann, LoneStarCon 2 Press Relations
          210-601-5343
          Room 108, Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, San Antonio, TX
          http://www.io.com/~lsc2/press


SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS -- The 55th World Science Fiction Convention, 
LoneStarCon 2, will take place here from August 28-September 1, 1997.  
The Worldcon is the annual gathering of science fiction writers, artists,
publishers and readers.  LoneStarCon 2 will attract about 5,000
attendees from around the world and feature programming, an art show,
dealers room, masquerade and the annual Hugo Awards.  
Long-time fan Roy Tackett is the fan guest of honor at
LoneStarCon 2.

Roy Tackett is a member of First Fandom and hails from
Albuquerque,N.M.  First Fandom is the term used to describe those
brave souls who attended Nycon 1, the first World Science Fiction
Convention held in New York City in 1939.  Unfortunately for the
rest of fandom, these pioneers are dwindling in number due to
advancing years and declining health.  By no means does this mean 
however that all living members of First Fandom are wheelchair-
bound or on their deathbed -- some of them have the energy 
of a 20 year old and a mind as sharp as an obsidian blade.

Tackett is a retired Marine sergeant who was given the nickname of
"Horrible Old", which appropriately enough has been shortened to
the acronym "HORT", no doubt courtesy of one of his fannish 
friends with military inclinations.

After his service in the Pacific Theater during World War II,
Roy worked as an Electronics Technician for the Air Force and also
worked on the radio towers on 11,000 foot Sandia Crest.  There he
aptly demonstrated the common sense of a Marine NCO by refusing
to climb said towers during 100 MPH blizzards. 

Tackett is also still involved with various Amateur Press
Associations (APAs), a cousin of the ubiquitous fanzine.
He is still a member of FAPA (the second oldest APA in the World),
CAPA (the Carboniferous APA) and SLANAPA, the Slanderous APA, 
which is the oldest continually published monthly APA in the US. 

Roy Tackett is a man with a wicked sense of humor and well worth
looking up, if only to meet him, listen to his stories and thank 
him for nurturing subsequent generations of fans.  The Worldcon is
publishing a collection of Tackett's writing, _The Least
Horrible of Roy Tackett.


    
        LoneStarCon 2, is a service mark of Austin Literary Arts
        Maintenance Organization (ALAMO), Inc., a 501(c)(3) 
        non-profit literary educational corporation.  All rights
        reserved.  "World Science Fiction Society", "WSFS", 
        "World Science Fiction Convention", "Worldcon",
	"NASFiC", and "Hugo" are registered service marks 
        of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated 
        literary society.


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