The Heirs of Anthony Boucher: A History of Mystery Fandom

Fan based activism is the subject of Marvin Lachman's amusing if not too terribly insightful new book THE HEIRS OF ANTHONY BOUCHER. I've never been to a Bouchercon myself, and I would definitely add a star if I had, since for Lachman and his crew they represent the highest achievement in fantopia. Each of them is detailed here from top to bottom, including some frank discussion you will not want to miss on who was the nicest guests and who the most obsteperous and unpleasant. Also, some details of failed entertainment (a magician who faced the crowd at the 1987 Bouchercon gets a new one ripped into him here). Lachman cheerfully follows the late Michael Dibdin's acid observation that a gathering of fans is rather like the Revenge of the Nerds movies, and some of the fans are weirder than the rest! And he does name names, including some stories from back in the old days when social drinking was bigger than it is now, and any party was an excuse for some boozehounds to get royally smashed. Controversy followed the fans, who like modernday bloggers only infrequently felt constrained by the professional obligations of their opposite numbers in the publishing/reviewing sphere. Thus a fan magazine called John Dickson Carr "second-rate," and other fans disagreed sharply. Greedy booksellers were publicly named and shamed for their outrageous pricing. Few remained unscathed, and the fans represent every notch of the political spectrum. Some have gone on to great things, writing the definitive biographies of their heroes, while others have been content to lobby for more "THE CAT WHO" books. Poisoned Pen Press is to be congratulated for publishing a book with so many different stories in it, and for printing so many candid snapshots of a grizzled school of activist readers. I came away from this book wondering what Anthony Boucher would have made of this phenomenon, but I feel sure he would have responded warmly to Marvin Lachman's geniality and high spirits.

My first Bouchercon was Milwaukee in 1999, which Lachman says was probably the high mark of Bcons in terms of organization and efficiency. Now I'm spoiled. I've attended a lot of mystery and writing conferences since and it's still tops. Lachman also writes the "Out of the Past" column for MYSTERY NEWS, in which he sends readers scurrying to used bookshops for out-of-print relics from forgotten writers. If you're a fan of vintage writers from the early pulp and paperback era, you'll find that Lachman is frequently on those panels. So who better to chronicle the history of Bouchercon, the world's largest mystery convention? If you've attended the Bcons he describes, you'll smile at the memories he evokes; if you didn't attend, you'll feel a wistful tug for having missed them. For each convention, he gives the highlights, the major events and attendance statistics. The behind the scenes anecdotes are especially fun. This is a real gem for die-hard mystery fans and a special treat for anyone who has ever been (or may be contemplating being) one of the thankless Bouchercon volunteers or Bouchercon Organizers who make these events possible. I'd like to see him update it every year or post updates on a Website.

THE HEIRS OF ANTHONY BOUCHER is above all comprehensive and it reviews just about everything one will want to know about the history of mystery fandom. Marvin Lachman seems to have an ecyclopedic memory for details and events and has enough anecdotes and quotes to keep the book interesting. The text follows a chronological pattern starting in 1930. It covers fan clubs, magazines, conventions, organizations, famous fans, scholarship by fans and mystery fandom in cyberspace.Even a casual reader of mystery jounals such as CADS, MYSTERY READERS JOURNAL and the now defunct ARMCHAIR DETECTIVE will recognize many familiar names including Geoff Bradley, Janet Rudolph, Otto Penzler, Bill Deeck, Bill Crider, Al Hubin, Charles Shibuk, Gary Warren Niebuhr, Bob Adey, Jon L. Breen, John Apostolou,Doug Greene, Philip Scowcroft and Ellen Nehr. The big lesson to be learned here, in my opinion, is that remarkable work can be accomplished by people who are willing to explore their interests in depth with passion. There is no better example of this than the legacy now being created by Marvin Lachman.

This is a fabulous account! I can't think of anyone who could have done this better than Marv Lachman, I can't think of any bases it leaves untouched. It's timely, comprehensive, sympathetic, opinionated (in the best sense), insightful, well organized and beautifully written. Anyone with an interest in mystery fandom and its development over the years since its beginnings in the 1960s will cherish this book.