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.
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.
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]
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.[ citation needed ]
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]
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]