Donald H. Tuck
| Donald H. Tuck | |
|---|---|
| Born | Donald Henry Tuck 3 December 1922 Launceston, Tasmania |
| Died | 11 October 2010 (aged 87) Melbourne |
| Occupation | Writer, author |
| Genre | Bibliography |
Donald Henry Tuck (3 December 1922 – 11 October 2010) was a bibliographer of science fiction, fantasy and weird fiction. His works were "among the most extensive produced since the pioneering work of Everett F. Bleiler."
Tuck was born in Launceston, Tasmania, but his family soon moved to Hobart, where his father was Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Tasmania.
From a young age Don was interested in all aspects of science. In his teens he discovered the gaudy American science fiction magazines on sale in local department stores and began collecting them. He located other SF fans in Hobart and together they produced the first Tasmanian science fiction fanzine, Profan, which had three issues between April and September 1941. Each included an author's biography and index to their published stories, demonstrating Tuck's early interest in bibliography.
During the war, Tuck trained as a radio technician before serving in the Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps on Horn and Thursday Islands in the Torres Strait. Afterward he completed his science degree at the University of Tasmania and then joined the Electrolytic Zinc (EZ) Company at Risdon, near Hobart. Starting as a technical librarian, Tuck would spend his entire career with this company, rising through the ranks.
He maintained his interest in SF as a correspondent and collector. A list of paperbacks sent to him by Perth fan Roger Dard inspired Tuck to begin compiling a card index to SF, fantasy and weird literature published in various forms. Acquiring bibliographic data from contacts around the world, Tuck expanded his card index and self-published it as a book titled A Handbook of Science Fiction and Fantasy in January 1954. It received enthusiastic reviews in the three leading SF magazines of the day.
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