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Roy Tackett (May 20, 1925 – May 23, 2003), also known as Horrible Old Roy Tackett, was a
rifleman A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifling, rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction o ...
with the
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. He has been credited with introducing
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
to
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
when he was stationed there as part of the American occupation.


Career

During the early 1950s Tackett was a
Drill instructor A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire department, or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. Foot drill, military step, and marching are typically taught by drill instructors. Australia Aust ...
at
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (often abbreviated as MCRD PI) is an military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation. ...
. He retired in 1962 with 20 years of service and went on to co-found Bubonicon in 1969 with the writer Robert E. Vardeman. That same year he was the Guest of Honor at
Westercon Westercon (occasionally WesterCon; long version West Coast Science Fantasy Conference) is a regional science fiction and fantasy convention founded in September 1948 by Walter J. Daugherty of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society. The original ...
. He produced more than 100 issues of his fanzine Dynatron during the 1960s, and was the TransAtlantic Fan Fund winner for 1976. Roy was the Fan Guest of Honor at the 1997 Worldcon in
San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...
. As part of the run up to the ceremony in San Antonio, Mojo Press released ''The Least Horrible of Roy Tackett'' which consisted of selected short stories he had written over the previous 50 years.SFsite: ''Roy Tackett at LoneStarCon 2''


Personal life

Roy Tackett died in 2003 of heart failure brought on by years of heavy smoking, and was buried in the
Santa Fe National Cemetery Santa Fe National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of Santa Fe, in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. It encompasses , and as of 2021, had 68,000 interments. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, i ...
along with his wife, and fellow Marine, of over 40 years, Crystal Tackett (1923–1989). In 2008, the science fiction writer and long time friend
Jack Speer John Bristol Speer (August 9, 1920 – June 28, 2008) was an attorney, practicing law for over 60 years; a judge; and a Washington House of Representatives member. Also a long-time science fiction fan and important early historian of science fic ...
was buried nearby.


See also


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tackett, Roy 1925 births 2003 deaths American atheists United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II American science fiction writers American socialists United States Marines Writers from Albuquerque, New Mexico Writers from El Paso, Texas American male novelists American male short story writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American male writers American expatriates in Japan Burials at Santa Fe National Cemetery