SCITHERS, George H(arry)

(1929-)

   US writer, editor, publisher and military engineer (with the US Army 1946-73). He began publishing fiction of genre interest with "Faithful Messenger" for If in 1969, and wrote a spoof cookery book (suggested by Damon KNIGHT's famous 1950 story), To Serve Man (1976) as Karl Wurf; but his main sf activities have been as an editor and publisher. He began his active involvement in 1959 with sf and fantasy as editor of the famous FANZINE Amra; Amra, still appearing on an irregular basis, specializes in SWORD AND SORCERY, particularly the work of Robert E. HOWARD; it won HUGOS in 1964 and 1968. GHS published 2 anthologiesdrawn from it: The Conan Swordbook (anth 1969) and The Conan Grimoire (anth 1972), both with L. Sprague DE CAMP, cofounder with him of theHyborean Legion, a group devoted to Howard studies; earlier, De Camp alone had been responsible for the Amra-derived The Conan Reader (anth 1968). In 1973 GHS founded the Owlswick Press (SMALL PRESSES AND LIMITED EDITIONS),which continues successfully to publish sf and other material.GHS became the founding editor of ISAAC ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINE in 1977; it was the first sf magazine since the beginning of the 1950s to establish itself as a dominant force; he continued as editor until the beginning of 1982, also editing several anthologies drawn from it (see listing below)and winning Hugos for Best Professional Editor in 1979 and 1980. He then edited the troubled AMAZING STORIES from late 1982 until 1986; more recently, with John BETANCOURT (until 1990) and Darrell SCHWEITZER, who had been assistant editor of both IASFM and AMZ during GHS's tenures, he restarted WEIRD TALES, which had been variously (but unfruitfully) revived more than once since ceasing regular publication in 1954; the new series (the numbering is continuous over all incarnations) began with \#290 in1987, and continues, with all but the most recent edited by all three (each taking the lead role in turn); \#300 was ed Schweitzer alone. Also with Schweitzer, GHS ed 2 anthologies of CLUB STORIES: Tales from the Spaceport Bar (anth 1987) and Another Round at the Spaceport Bar (anth1989). In all his projects, which are very various, GHS has managed to combine energy-efficient verve with a transparent love of fantasy and sf.

   JC

   Other works: On Writing Science Fiction (The Editors Strike Back!) (1981) with John M. FORD and Schweitzer; Constructing Scientifiction \& Fantasy (1982) with John Ashmead and Schweitzer.As Editor: Astronauts and Androids (anth 1977); Black Holes and Bug Eyed Monsters (anth 1977); Masters of Science Fiction (anth 1978); Comets and Computers (anth 1978); Dark Stars and Dragons (anth 1978); Marvels of Science Fiction, Vol 2 (anth 1979); Science Fiction Anthology, \#3 (anth 1979), \#4 (anth 1980) and \#5 (anth 1981), anthologies from IASFM; Near Futures and Far (anth 1981).