First Fandom Awards
at CoNZealand

Three First Fandom awards were presented during CoNZealand’s Opening Ceremonies. 

The First Fandom Hall of Fame, created in 1963, is a prestigious achievement award given to a living recipient who has made significant contributions to Science Fiction throughout their lifetime.

First Fandom Hall of Fame

  • Roger Sims
Roger Sims in 2002. Photo by Mark Olson.

Roger discovered Detroit fandom in 1949. He’s belonged to a science fiction club continuously since, and is married to fellow fan Pat Sims. His first club was the Detroit Science Fiction League, the Misfits. He’s been a member of the Lunarians of New York and the Cincinnati Fantasy Group. Currently he’s a member of the Orlando Science Fiction Society.

Roger was co-chair with Fred Prophet of Detention, the 17th Worldcon, held in Detroit in 1959. His first WorldCon was the 1950 NorWesCon. He’s attended 56 WorldCons. At NOLACon, he was one of the people staying in the famous Room 770. He’s been a fan guest of honour at many regional conventions, and in 1995 he was the DUFF co-delegate. Roger Sims is a lifelong true fan, with many accomplishments, and it is fitting that he take an honoured place beside his peers as a living member of the First Fandom Hall of Fame.

The Posthumous Hall of Fame was created in 1994 to acknowledge people in Science Fiction who should have, but did not, receive that type of recognition during their lifetimes.

First Fandom Posthumous Hall of Fame

  • Chad Oliver
Chad Oliver

This year, the members of First Fandom have inducted Chad Oliver to the Posthumous Hall of Fame. Chad Oliver, PhD, was an American anthropologist and science fiction and western fiction writer.

When he was young, he became a science fiction fan and wrote many letters to the pro zines. He also published a fan zine and attended science fiction conventions. He was married at the Ackermansion. Science fiction author Rog Phillips was his best man, and Ray Bradbury was a member of the wedding party.

Chad was a member of the West Coast Writers Group. Two of his most popular science fiction novels were Shadows in the Sun (1954) and The Shores of Another Sea (1971). Two of his western novels won awards.

Over the years, he was guest of honour and toastmaster at several regional conventions. With this award, the members of First Fandom honour and recognise Chad Oliver and his achievements, and welcome him posthumously to the First Fandom Hall of Fame.

Sam Moskowitz Archive Award was created in 1998 to recognise not only someone who has assembled a world-class collection but also what has actually been done with it.

Sam Moskowitz Archive Award

  • John Carter Tibbetts
John Carter Tibbetts

John’s father James, whose passion for Edgar Rice Burroughs led to John’s name, was a member of First Fandom. Together they read and collected all the classics of science fiction. To quote James E Gunn, “John Carter Tibbetts, PhD, is a man of many talents—author, editor, artist, musician, scholar, teacher—and his range of interests is as varied. Art, film, all fields in which he has already published one or more of his many books.”

As an educator and broadcaster, Tibbetts has worked nationally as a news reporter for CBS television, National Public Radio, and Voice of America. He’s written and illustrated 26 books, more than 250 articles, and several short stories.

It’s in recognition of John’s devotion to the lifelong pursuit of a sense of wonder that the members of First Fandom honour him this year with the Sam Moskowitz Archive Award.

5 thoughts on “First Fandom Awards
at CoNZealand

  1. Roger was also Fan Guest of Honor at Nolacon II. Our proirgam book featured a nude photo of him … aged 18 months!

  2. Roger and Fred Prophet were our special Conchair Emeritus GoHs at Detcon1 in 2014 (55 years after Detention). They gifted me with a ConChair survival kit as part of opening ceremonies, and it is one of my fondest memories of the con. I’m really glad to see him recognized. Warmed my heart.

  3. Congratulations to Roger Sims, for a richly deserved award! We love you Roger!

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