Arthur Thomson (1927–1990) was a British artist and writer, a highly regarded member of British

science fiction fandom Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or fandom of people interested in science fiction in contact with one another based upon that interest. SF fandom has a life of its own, but not much in the way of formal organization (although ...

from the 1950s onwards, both as a

fanzine A fanzine (blend of '' fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share ...

writer/editor and prolific artist (under the name "ATom"). Resident illustrator for the influential fanzine ''Hyphen'', he won the

TransAtlantic Fan Fund The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund, often known as ''TAFF'', is a crowdfunding project created in 1953 for the purpose of providing funds to bring well-known and popular members of science fiction fandom familiar to fans on both sides of the ocean, acro ...

in 1964 and visited the United States (an event he wrote up for the following year's ''ATom Abroad'' ). Thomson was nominated five times for the

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier ...

for Best Fan Artist, but never won. Nearly two decades after his death, Thomson's distinctive artwork still appears in such fanzines as the Hugo-nominated, Nova Award-winning ''Banana Wings''. After Thomson won the 2000 Rotsler Award, it was decided not to present the Rotsler posthumously again.http://www.scifiinc.org/rotsler/2000-thomson/ List of Rotsler Award winners

References

External links

Biography and bibliography by Rob Hansen

Samples of Thomson's art

* 1927 births 1990 deaths Science fiction artists British science fiction writers Science fiction fans 20th-century British novelists {{UK-novelist-stub