Bruce Gillespie on Bruce Gillespie

Aussiecon 3 PR1 page 6 – selections and [paraphrases]

[He was born, had parents, went to school, and bought his first copy of Australian Science Fiction Review in 1966.]

  • Began publishing SF Commentary at the beginning of 1969. The first eighteen issues appeared in its first two years!
  • 1972:  Gained first Ditmar Award and first Hugo nomination for SF Commentary. Kissed a woman for the first time. (Don’t laugh immoderately. If it hadn’t been for fandom giving a boost to my minuscule self esteem, I might never have got around to kissing.)

[1975 formation of Nostrallia Press with Cary Handfield (and later, Rob Gerrand). First book was Phillip K. Dick: Electric Shepherd. Also Aussiecon 1, Melbourne’s first Worldcon.]

  • 1976 … Finished the year sans flat, sans job, sans much hope at all. Everybody should have a year like 1976 to remind them how good the rest of their life can be.
  • 1978 … Nostrailia Press bought an IBM Electronic Composer (a cross between an IBM golfball typewriter and a computer). I began several profitable years of typesetting books for NP, Paul Collins, Hyland House and several other publishers.
  • 1979: Elaine and I married … . A small event … The wedding photos show that I had lots of hair then, and Elaine had very long hair.
  • 1985: Financial disaster! I bought a CD player, and then began buying CDs. Lots of them. Virtually bankrupt by  1987, but Elaine rescued me … CDs are still my favourite waste of time.

In summary? My story is that of a very shy lad who happened to find science fiction fans, the one group of people who could (partially) socialise me and give me a place to exist. Fandom has been very kind to me. My story also shows the yearnings of someone who would have liked to do something magnificent in the literary line, but could never work out what it might be, and is now sure that he hasn’t the talent to do it. … I’ve had a few stories published, but … have written no fiction for ten years.

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