Science fiction fan and reviewer Ken Slater died 16 February 2008. Differing sources claim he was born in January 1917 or 1918.
Slater wrote a review column for Nebula Science Fiction from 1953 to 1959, and was a founder of the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) in 1958 (he became Vice-Chairman of the organization in 1966). He was a fanzine fan, bookseller, and convention runner who became well known at conventions around Europe.
Slater and his wife Joyce (who died in 1995) were Fan Guests of Honor at Conspiracy, the 87th World Science Fiction Convention, in Brighton, England, in 1987.
Gordon Van Gelder, the editor of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, said “I only met him in person once, at the most recent Glasgow Worldcon, but he was a longtime distributor of F&SF and we corresponded regularly. I considered him a living legend.”
File 770 said that Slater “gained fame weaving connections between international fans. While serving as a captain with the British Army on the Rhine after World War II, Slater launched his ‘Operation Fantast’ network to put science fiction readers in touch with one another, and supply American magazines and paperbacks to countries where the postwar dollar shortage meant they were otherwise unavailable. In 1950 it had 800 members.”
Selections of Slater’s review columns are available from this page.
[Edited 3 March: Malgorzata Wilk writes:
Ken Slater was born end of December 1917. His 90th birthday was in December 2007 but he chose to make a big celebration in January 2008 so that people can attend after all the rush of the Christmas/New Year period. I don’t remember exactly which day in December it was, but definitely after Christmas, 28 or 29th December.
It’s been a real pleasure and an honour to have known Ken personally. I met him at the German SFCD Con in Saarbrucken in 1996, Since then Ken has been a close friend. I can’t remember anymore how many times he’s visited Poland and myself.
I will miss him very much.]