SciFf.Radio regrets to confirm the death of Dr. Anthony R. Lewis, a founding member of NESFA (New England Science Fiction Association). He was born February 8, 1941. He died February 11, 2025.

Emmy and Hugo winning writewr David Gerrold offered up the following eulogy:

Well, crap. Tony Lewis has died.

I’ve known Tony for decades, admired him as one of the landmarks of our SF community. I had the privilege of writing the profile of him for last year’s Nasfic program book. NASFic = North American Science Fiction Convention}

Whenever we were both at the same convention, we always found time to sit and chat . Sometimes it was important stuff, more often, it was just two old geezers sharing a few moments together.

My condolences to all who knew and loved him, but especially to Suford, his wife.

This year’s Boskone will have to be a celebration of his life.

Boskone is an annual science fiction convention held in Boston, Massachusetts, USA by NESFA. NASFic, or North American Science Fiction Convention is the mega-con held in North America any year when WorldCon is held in foreign climes.

Dr. Lewis was a writer, a scientist, a convention organizer, and a singer. In 1957, while still a student he joined MITSFS (Massachusetts Institute of Technology Science Fiction Society. Whilst working on his Ph.D. in nuclear physics, Dr. Lewis was active in MITSFS, serving as Librarian and Onsek Honorable Secretary). Along with Hugo-winner Ben Bova and the infamous Erwin “Filthy Pierre” Strauss, Dr. Lewis was a member of the short-lived BoSFS (Boston Science Fiction Society).

Dr. Lewis was a fanzine publisher, an APAhack, a scientist, a technical writer, a convention organizer, and a singer. He twice collaborated with more famous science fiction personalities: with Ben Bova on Space Travel, which was nominated for the 1988 Best Non-Fiction Book Hugo Award. He collaborated with Barry Malzburg on An Annotated Bibliography of Recursive Science Fiction. He published the fanzine Stroon and the APAzine Along Alpha Ralpha Boulevard, which lasted an unheard of forty years, an uncommonly long time so far as APAs (amateur press associations) are concerned. Lewis published the Cordwainer Smith Concordance, He was involved with APA-NESFA, TAPA (Technology Amateur Press Association), and for years he edited Analog Magazine‘s  Upcoming Conventions Calendar

As a neologist, he coined the terms NASFic and recursive science fiction (self-referential science fiction).

Dr. Lewis served on the concoms (convention committees) of multiple cons and was chairman of several.

From 1968 to 2025, Dr, Lewis was married to competitive costumer Suford Lewis (nee Susan Hereford) They had one daughter, Alice Naomi Sophronia Lewis. Our deepest condolences to his widow and daughter, and to any grandchildren, either current or future.