CSFFA Hall of Fame – Nominees

For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit the Hall of Fame home page.

Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong “I’ve been telling stories since before I could write. My earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, mine would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to my teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make me produce “normal” stories failed. Today, I continue to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in my basement writing dungeon.” – Kelley Armstrong – A Canadian writer, primarily of fantasy novels since 2001, she has published thirty-one fantasy novels to date, thirteen in her Women of the Otherworld series, five in her Cainsville series, two in her Rockton series, three in her Darkest Powers series, three in her Darkness Rising trilogy and three in the Age of Legends series, and three stand-alone teen thrillers. She has also published three middle-grade fantasy novels in the Blackwell Pages trilogy, with co-author Melissa Marr. As well, she is the author of three crime novels, the Nadia Stafford trilogy. She has also written several serial novellas and short stories for the Otherworld series, some of which are available free from her website. She likes programming. Kelley currently lives in Ontario. <http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com> Kelley Armstrong was born on 14 December 1968, the oldest of four siblings in a “typical middle-class family” in Sudbury, Ontario. After graduating with a degree in psychology from The University of Western Ontario, Armstrong then switched to studying computer programming at Fanshawe College so she would have time to write. Her first novel Bitten was sold in 1999, and it was released in 2001. Following her first success she has written a total of 13 novels and a number of novellas in the world of the Women of the Otherworld series, and her first crime novel, Exit Strategy, was released July 2007. Armstrong has been a full-time writer and parent since 2002. Her novel No Humans Involved was a New York Times bestseller in the hardback fiction category on 20 May 2007. Also, her YA novel The Awakening was a No. 1 New York Times bestseller in the Children’s Chapter books category on 17 May 2009. Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series is part of a recently popular contemporary fantasy subgenre of the fantasy genre that superimposes supernatural characters upon a backdrop of contemporary North American life, with strong romantic elements. Within that subgenre, she is notable for including many types of supernatural characters, including witches, sorcerers, werewolves, necromancers, ghosts, shamans, demons and vampires, rather than limiting herself primarily to a single type of supernatural creature. Most of her works have a mystery genre plot, with leading characters investigating some novel situation or unsolved question. In the Otherworld novels, most supernatural powers are either hereditary, or arise from the act of an existing supernatural of the same type. The Otherworld, while it has overarching conflicts and plotlines that span multiple novels is not an epic battle between good and evil. The novels are largely episodic with the continuing plotlines primarily involving the developing lives of the main characters. Her contemporary fantasy writings share genre similarities with writers Charlaine Harris, Laurell K Hamilton, Kim Harrison and Charles de Lint.

Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder “I’m a member of the Association of Professional Futurists  with my own consultancy, and am also currently Chair of the Canadian node of the Millennium Project, a private/public foresight consultancy active in 50 nations. As well, I am an award-winning author with ten published novels translated into as many languages. I write, give talks, and conduct workshops on numerous topics related to the future, including:

  • Future of government
  • Bitcoin and digital currencies
  • The workplace in 2030
  • The Internet of Things
  • Augmented cognition”

Like A.E. van Vogt, Karl comes from rural. He is a multi-Aurora award winner along with numerous other nominations and awards. Karl is one of the few hard-SF authors in Canada bringing new and inventive ideas dealing with technology and humanity. His stories are huge in scale and in popularity with Canadian and international readers. A full bio can be found: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Schroeder http://www.kschroeder.com/

Lynda Williams

Lynda Williams I am pleased to nominate Lynda Williams for the CSFFA Hall of Fame. I think you will agree that her longstanding contributions to science fiction, as a writer and an innovator in reader engagement, qualify her for this award. She is a tireless promoter of good writing, involves and mentors new writers and artists, hosts workshops, attends cons and other venues and contributes generously and passionately to the field – as well as maintaining her regular job as a full-time e-learning expert at Simon Fraser University, and a part-time job teaching at the BC Institute of Technology. We don’t know how she does it, but we are happy she has the energy and enthusiasm to make all this work!

Hubert Rogers

Hubert Rogers

Hubert Rogers (1898-1982) was a Canadian illustrator/painter perhaps best known today for cover paintings for Astounding Science Fiction, generally considered the cream of the pulp Sci-Fi crop, thanks to its (1937-1971) editor John W. Campbell.

Regarding Rogers, this source mentions:

“In 1925 he moved to New York City to study with Dean Cornwell at the Art Students League.”

“In 1931 the financial hardship of the Great Depression lead him to abandon city life. He drove an Indian motorcycle to Taos, New Mexico, where he worked within a community of artists that were as passionate about modern landscape painting as the Canadian ‘Group of Seven.’”

But he returned to New York in 1936 after he got an increasing number of assignments. Rogers moved back to Canada in 1942 where he did illustrations to help the war effort. He moved to Vermont in 1947.

Rogers was a competent illustrator who has to drop into working for “pulp” (cheap, low-quality paper) magazines to help get through the Great Depression. This is a slightly different career path than that for some slightly younger illustrators who had to start their career in pulps and then tried to claw their way to more respectable and better paying clients.

Hubert Rogers was born in Prince Edward Island, Canada. He was educated at Acadia University, Nova Scotia, attended the Toronto Technical School, the New Toronto Central Technical School, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
He began his professional career in New York in 1925. His first SF cover art was for the February 1939 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, and he became the premier illustrator for Astounding from 1939-1942 (painting 58 covers and numerous interior illustrations for 60 issues of the magazine between 1939-1956). In Mike Ashley’s The Complete Index to Astounding/Analog, Rogers is cited as ASF’s third most prolific cover artist (after Freas and Schoenherr) during the magazine’s first fifty years.
His cover painting for the story “Fury” by Lawrence O’Donnell (Henry Kuttner and wife C. L. Moore) in the May 1947 issue of Astounding is considered by many to be his finest work. Rogers also contributed art to Unknown (the fantasy “companion” magazine to Astounding), Super Science Stories, and other pulp magazines. He continued to appear in Astounding, off and on, until 1956, illustrating many of the classic SF stories by Isaac Asimov, James Blish, Robert Heinlein, Eric Frank Russell, Wilmar H. Shiras, E. E. “Doc” Smith, A. E. van Vogt, Jack Williamson, and others.
He also did the dust jackets for Heinlein’s early books from Shasta Publishers: The Man Who Sold the Moon (1950), The Green Hills of Earth (1951), and Revolt in 2100 (1953). He left the SF/fantasy field in the 1950s to become a portrait painter in Canada. As late as 1999 his art was being used for the covers of classic SF works, including a reprint edition of A. E. van Vogt’s The War Against the Rull. Many of his original covers for Astounding are in a private museum collection in Canada. The UMass Amherst Library hosted an exhibit of his art from December 3, 2006, through January 31, 2007, in the Special Collections and Archives of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library. There was also a special exhibit of his work at Boskone 44 in 2007.

More – <http://www.scifiguy.ca/2008/07/hubert-rogers-1898-1982.html>
<https://artcontrarian.blogspot.com/2016/03/hubert-rogers-sci-fi-pulps-and-much-more.html>

Karl Johanson

Karl Johanson, born in Victoria BC in 1962, has been a part of fandom since 1979, beginning with joining a Star Trek group in Victoria, BC, then SFAV (Science Fiction Association of Victoria), and not long after UVic Science Fiction Association. Karl contributed and edited club zines, and encouraged others to do likewise. He was an instigator and a joiner in all types of fan activities. Karl helped organize and run events/conventions in Victoria.

He promoted the Aurora Awards from their start, and encouraged nomination and voting participation. Karl has been a presenter at Aurora ceremonies, and he convinced Al Harlow, lead singer for Prism, to present the music award in 2014. He’s posted videos of some of the Aurora ceremonies.

Karl was one of the major players in the creation of “The Dawn of the Living Socks” movie, which debuted at Imagine Con in 1982. He encouraged and convinced numerous fans, friends, co-workers and family members to participate in the project.

Karl was instrumental in the 1989 “Worldcon at Myles Bos’ House” bid, with John Herbert, Bernie Klassen, Paula Johanson, Dan Cawsey, and, of course, Myles Bos. Buttons were created, numerous flyers, and even hats. The bid became such a popular joke bid that total strangers were copying and distributing the flyers at conventions in Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia. The bid basically went viral before going viral was a thing.

In 1992, Karl Johanson and John Herbert started and co-edited the fanzine “Under the Ozone Hole”. They won four Aurora Awards in the category Fan Achievement (publication), in 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996.

In 2003 Karl and Stephanie Johanson started “Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine”. The publication was nominated eight times for the Aurora Award in the category English Other, and won in 2007 and 2009. Karl is co-owner, editor, science writer, reviewer, layout manager, and artist for, Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine. http://www.neo-opsis.ca/Covers

Karl is a writer of science fiction:

  • “PIONeers” published in Sci Phi Journal # 1.
  • “The Airlock Scene” published in Here be Monsters: 7, and in Polar Borealis 1.
  • “Frats & Cheers” published in On Spec magazine Fall 2012.
  • “When Every Song Reminds You of a Dead Universe” published in Perihelion Spring 2013.
  • “Piece of History” published in On Spec.
  • “We Never Went to Mars” published in issue 3 of Polar Borealis. 2017.
  • “Had a Life, Didn’t Like it, Went Back to Watching Star Trek” published in issue 5 of Polar Borealis 2017.
  • “The Glow Around My House” published in issue 6 of Polar Borealis 2018.
  • “Hate Doesn’t Always Come Easy” published in issue 11 of Polar Borealis 2019.

Karl is a poet:

  • “Burning Rosemary” Polar Borealis #6.
  • “The Sound of a Rasp on Stone” Neo-opsis #26.

Karl is a Filker, originally singing in the back of 2 ½ ton army trucks, then later in fandom. A couple examples can be seen on YouTube.

Karl is an artist, having done covers and interior illustrations for publications such as Neo-opsis, Polar Borealis, and Under the Ozone Hole.

Karl is a YouTuber with 397 videos as of July 2019. Many of his YouTube videos are science fiction related, including some of the Really Short Science Fiction series:

https://www.youtube.com/user/KarlJohanson42

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9A35A4D477525C3E (SF videos)

Karl has been a computer game designer and Quality Assurance Lead, working on numerous educational, fantasy, and science fiction related titles, for: Disney Interactive 1996-2003, Writer / Designer / QA (More than 50 million units sold.); Sanctuary Woods Multimedia 1994 – 1996, Writer / Designer / QA; and Hidden Path Entertainment 2007, Writer. Notable titles include The Riddle of Master Lu, Orion Burger, Hades’ Challenge, and Treasure Planet: The Battle at Procyon.

Karl has been a panellist on a wide variety of topics for many conventions and other events from 1980 to the present, including but not limited to: Arca 45672 podcast Launch 2019 (Victoria, BC); Banffcon 1993 (Banff, AB); Conversion 13, 20, 21, 22, 23 (Calgary, AB); GottaCon 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 (Victoria, BC); Imagine1980 (Victoria, BC); Keycon 2010, 2016 (Winnipeg, MN); Main Street Literary Tour 2009. (Vancouver BC) 2009; Noncon 15. (Vancouver, BC); Norwescon 15, 16, 27 (Seattle, WA); Tsukino-Con 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018. (Victoria, BC); V-Con 14, 19, 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41. (Vancouver, BC); Westercon 1992 in Vancouver, 2005 in Calgary; When Words Collide 2012 (Calgary, AB); World Fantasy Con 2008 (Calgary, AB); Worldcon 1994 in Winnipeg, 2003 in Toronto, and 2009 in Montreal.

Karl has been a contributor to the fanzines: BCSFAzine, Canadadapa, Fosfax, Neology, Novoid, Phoenix, From the Ashes, The Central Ganglion, The Maple Leaf Rag, Trekadda (former editor), Raspberry Drinkzine (former editor), Worldcon 89 at Myles Bos’ House bid flier and update flyers, Under the Ozone Hole, and others.

Comments about Karl

  • “Karl Johanson is a natural at public speaking, holding a room captive without needing to lock the doors. Karl’s extensive experience and confidence in his areas of expertise combine to provide an enjoyable guest at any function.”-Virginia O’Dine (Publisher, Bundoran Press Publishing House.)
  •  “Karl is a profoundly sensible person, and has the sort of insight that often allows him to change people’s lives with a single remark. He’s easy-going, upbeat, and thoughtful public speaker, and an entertaining raconteur. He loves science and science fiction and has a wide-ranging knowledge that makes him the Swiss-Army Knife of panelists. And he is, of course, one hell of an editor.”-Professor Robert Runté
  • “Karl is extremely well spoken. You can tell he always comes to a panel well prepared.”-Sandra Wickham (Writer)
  • “I must say that you were great in your panels (at VCON 2004 IN Vancouver), both motivational and insightful. You merge solid science with a wonderful crazy wit that wakes up the audience and buoys up other panellists. “-Nina Munteanu (Writer / Vcon programming director)
  • “Everybody totally loved having you there. You were friendly, approachable, funny and helpful.”-Amanda Brandt (KeyCon 33 convention committee member)
  • “Johanson’s sense of humour, evident in both of his columns (issue 1 of Neo-opsis). If I had to put a label to that sense of humour, I’d call it mainstream geek: two parts Jerry Lewis, one part Richard Feynman, a pinch of Firesign Theater and a twist of aggressive oddity.”-Jeremy Lyon (Reviewer)
  •  “Who knew Karl could sing?”-Julie Czerneda (Writer and fellow Guest of Honour at KeyCon 33)

Gordon R. Dickson

Dickson was born in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1923. After the death of his father, he moved with his mother to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1937. He served in the United States Army, from 1943 to 1946, and received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota, in 1948. From 1948 through 1950 he attended the University of Minnesota for graduate work.

His first published speculative fiction was the short story “Trespass!”, written jointly with Poul Anderson, in the Spring 1950 issue of Fantastic Stories Quarterly (ed. Sam Merwin), the inaugural number of Fantastic Story Magazine as it came to be titled. Next year three of his solo efforts were published by John W. Campbell in Astounding Science Fiction and one appeared in Planet Stories. Anderson and Dickson also inaugurated the Hoka series with “The Sheriff of Canyon Gulch” (Other Worlds Science Stories, May 1951).
Dickson’s series of novels include the Childe Cycle and the Dragon Knight. He won three Hugo awards and one Nebula award.

For a great part of his life, he suffered from the effects of asthma. He died of complications from severe asthma.

John Clute has characterized Dickson as a “gregarious, engaging, genial, successful man of letters”, who had not been an introvert. Clute considers Dickson a science fiction romantic. Nevertheless, Clute stresses in connection to Dickson that science fiction welcomes “images of heightened solitude, romantically vague, limitless landscapes, and an anguished submission to afflatus”, due to its origin in Gothic fiction.
Clute points out that Dickson, like Poul Anderson, with whom he collaborated in the Hoka series, “[tends] to infuse an austere Nordic pathos into wooded, rural midwestern American settings”. His works often have mercenaries as their protagonists and deal with aliens that are “less deracinated and more lovable than humans”. They “are inclined to take on a heightened, sagalike complexion” particularly through the insertion of lyric poetry that is sometimes rather inferior.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_R._Dickson
https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Gordon_R._Dickson