Tom Reamy

Writer

  • Born: January 25, 1935
  • Birthplace: Woodson, Texas
  • Died: November 5, 1977

Biography

Tom Reamy, a twentieth century science fiction and fantasy writer, was born in 1935 in Woodson, Texas, the son of farmers Oliver Earl Reamy and Callie Pitts Reamy. Reamy attended McMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois, from 1953 to 1954, and then transferred to Odessa Junior College in Odessa, Texas, where he completed his studies in 1955. After receiving his education, Reamy worked at a variety of jobs, including stints as a bank teller, a collector for a finance company, a movie projectionist, and a dispatcher for concrete trucks. In 1957, Reamy embarked on a career in filmography and graphic illustration. For the next decade he worked in the film industry for companies such as Mandala Productions in California and Nickelodeon Graphics in Kansas City, Missouri.

Reamy began to write science-fiction stories in the early 1970’s. In 1974, he published his first short story, “Twila.” A year later he published an award-winning novella, San Diego Lightfoot Sue. The book received a Nebula Award for best novella from Science Fiction Writers of America and the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer. After achieving literary success in the science-fiction genre, Reamy became active in the science-fiction fan magazine and convention culture. He became the editor of the science-fiction fan magazine Trumpet and was the key speaker at many science fiction conventions.

Reamy had just started to enjoy the success of his writing career when he died of a heart attack in 1977, at the age of forty-two. His sudden death brought a tragic end to what was expected to be a prolific writing career.