Dick Smith at February 2020 collation of MilwApa

Richard H. E. Smith II is a Chicago, Illinois- and Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based[1] software engineer, computer consultant[2] and a science fiction fanzine publisher.

Science fiction fandom

As a science fiction fan, Smith, with his wife, Leah Zeldes Smith, was 1993 winner of the Down Under Fan Fund[3] and delegate to Swancon 18, the Australian National Science Fiction Convention in Perth, Western Australia,[4] as well as to fan centers throughout the country. He has been selected as fan guest of honor by numerous science fiction conventions, including Windycon (1995),[5] ArmadilloCon (1995), First Contact (1998), ConQuesT (2000), Whatcon (1985) and Corflu (1991),[6] and has been a toastmaster at such conventions as ConFusion[7] and a frequent speaker and panelist on subjects related to fandom, fan publishing, science fiction and technology.

The Smiths' fanzine STET was a three-time Hugo Award nominee.[8] In the 1980s, Smith published the Hogu Award-winning title, Uncle Dick's Little Thing.[6][9] He was extensively active in numerous amateur press associations during the 1970s and '80s, including the Fantasy Amateur Press Association and The Cult.;[6] he co-founded Windyapa.[10] The Smiths are currently members of the Milwaukee-based MilwApa. Dick was a recipient of the Peter J. Vorzimer Award.[6]

Smith and his wife organized ditto, a fanzine convention, in 1990 and 2001,[11] and have worked on many Worldcons and other science fiction conventions,[6][10] including the 2014 NASFiC[12] and the 2015 Sasquan.[13]

They were the U.S. agents who spearheaded bidding efforts for Aussiecon Three,[10] and he was appointed Aussiecon's representative to the World Science Fiction Society's Mark Protection Committee.[14] Smith is a member of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society,[15] the Cincinnati Fantasy Group[16] and General Technics.[2]

Smith is known within fandom for his interest in and collection of antique printing techniques and devices, such as hectographs, letterpresses, spirit duplicators, mimeographs and obsolete computers.[10]

Personal and professional life

Smith is founder and president of Dick Smith Software, a comprehensive computer consulting and network engineering firm in the Chicago area.[17] Prior to that, he developed software for such companies as Northrop Grumman, U.S. Robotics and 3Com.[2]

In his professional work, Smith contributes to science fiction, serving as a consultant to such authors as Frederik Pohl[18] and Mike Resnick.

Smith was one of the inventors of a "Method and protocol for connecting data calls using R2 signaling" granted U.S. Patent 6,233,237 in 2001.[19] He contributed to the textbook LAN Times Guide to Telephony (Osborne/McGraw-Hill).[20]

Personal life

Smith was born in Milwaukee and reared in West Bend, Wisconsin, the eldest of the three sons of Richard H. E. Smith and Marilyn R. J. Smith.[21][22] He graduated from the University of Wisconsin.[2]

He has been married to Leah Zeldes Smith since 1985; an incident at their wedding inspired Mike Resnick's novel The Dark Lady.[23]

References

  1. ↑ ""new to Milwaukee"". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-11-25.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dick Smith LinkedIn Public Profile
  3. ↑ DUFF (Down Under Fan Fund) Winners
  4. ↑ Australian National Science Fiction Conventions list Archived October 1, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ "The Windycon Big List: A Chronological History". Archived from the original on 2009-08-01. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
  6. ↑ ConFusion Names, Guests and Chairs Over the Years
  7. ↑ The Locus Index to SF Awards: Hugo Nominees List Archived September 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ Temple University Libraries Paskow Science Fiction Collection
  9. 1 2 3 4 Millennium Philcon Program Participant Biographies
  10. ↑ Fancyclopedia: Ditto Convention
  11. ↑ Detcon1 Committee List
  12. ↑ Sasquan Committee List
  13. ↑ "The World Science Fiction Society Minutes of the Business Meeting at Bucconeer". Archived from the original on 2007-08-23. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  14. ↑ LASFS Members List
  15. ↑ CFG Members List
  16. ↑ Dick Smith Software website
  17. ↑ Pohl, Frederik, The Way the Future Blogs
  18. ↑ United States Patent and Trademark Office
  19. ↑ Zinkann, Elizabeth, "Books: A User's Report"
  20. ↑ Richard Smith Obituary
  21. ↑ West Bend Daily News, March 1, 2012
  22. ↑ "Resnick, Mike: Where do you get your Crazy Novel Ideas?". Archived from the original on 2010-08-23. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
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