David Gerald Van Arnam (1935–2002) was an American science fiction fan and author. He wrote as Dave Van Arnam and David G. Van Arnam.
Biography Van Arnam was born July 31, 1935U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. David Gerald Vanarnam.John Clute and David Langford: Van Arnam, Dave. In: John Clute, Peter Nicholls: The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. 3rd. edition (online edition), version dated 12 December 2022. in Columbus, Ohio, the son of Gerald Pierce and Ethel Alice (Biehl) Van Arnam. His parents were public school teachers in Mansfield, Ohio.1940 United States Federal Census, S.D. No. 17, E.D. No. 70-32, Sheet No. 62A, Line Nos. 11-13, Household of Gerald P Van Arnam. The Van Arnams were living in St. Petersburg, Florida in March, 1950. On March 10, 1950, they took ship from New York to Europe on a trip abroad projected for one year,U.S., Departing Passenger and Crew Lists, 1914-1966. "List of Outward-Bound Passengers (United States Citizens and Nationals) Sailing from New York, N.Y., Marc 10th, 1950. S.S. M/V 'Italia' bound for port of Genoa, Italy." though in fact they returned October 3, 1950.New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957. "List of In-Bound Passengers (United States Citizens and Nationals) Class CABIN from LE HAVRE, France, SEP 7th 1950 on S.S 'LIBERTE' arriving at port of NEW YORK, NY OCT 3rd, 1950." In 1952 they were again residing in St. Petersberg.Polk's St. Petersburg (Pinellas County, Fla.) City Directory, Vol. XXXI, 1952 (R. L. Polk & Co., 1952), p. 710. Van Arnam served in the U.S. Army from October 28, 1958 – August 10, 1960.U.S., Veterans' Gravesites, ca. 1775-2019. David G Van Arnam.
He married fellow science fiction fan Cindy Heap on April 1, 1967.Dave Van Arnam (entry in Fancyclopedia) She was born Cynthia Anne Cramer on October 14, 1942, and had formerly been married to fan George Heap. Their daughter Wendy Fawn Van Arnam was born October 6, 1967. The Van Arnams were granted a divorce on May 25, 1973, in Pinellas County, Florida.Florida, U.S., Divorce Index, 1927-2001. Entry for David Gerald and Cynthia Vanarnam, 25 May 1973, Pinellas, Florida, Certificate Number 0022184. Later, Van Arnam married Della Marianne Delaney on May 30, 1980, in Reno, Nevada.Nevada, U.S., Marriage Index, 1956-2005. Entry for David G Vanarnam and Della M Delaney, 30 May 1980, Reno, Book 714, Page 6611.
Van Arnam died August 3, 2002, in Albany, California, and was buried in Section 10, Site 1431, San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, Gustine, California. His widow Marianne died November 30, 2012.U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014. [Della] Marianne Van Arnam.Glyer, Mike. "Marianne Van Arnam (1932-2012)," posted March 18, 2013 at File 770.
Literary career Van Arnam was a prominent science fiction fan from the early 1960s, a member of a number of different fan organizations and amateur press associations, and publisher of and contributor to a large number of fanzines and apazines. During that time he was "in a very active circle of New Yorkers who included a thoroughly mixed group of fans, pros, and fans-turned-pros ... the wall of separation between fan and pro [being] very thin and permeable" according to Richard A. Lupoff, another member of that circle. In Lupoff's recollection, the group also included James Blish, Algis Budrys, Terry Carr, Lin Carter, Lee Hoffman, Larry Shaw, Ted White, and Donald A. Wollheim.Darrell Schweitzer. "InterGalactic Interview With Richard A. Lupoff," in Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show #18, August 2010. Van Arnham wrote the bulk of The Reader's Guide to Barsoom and Amtor (1963), a famous early literary exploration of the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. He and Ted White were co-chairmen of the 1967 Worldcon (NyCon 3) held August 31-September 4, 1967 in New York City.
His career as a professional author began with a novelization from Lost in Space, co-written with "Ron Archer" (Ted White) in 1967, and he wrote a number of other novels in the late 1960s and early 1970s, one again written with Ted White. He stopped publishing after 1972. All of Van Arnam's novels were revived in the twenty-first century, starting with Sideslip (Ramble House, 2008) and ending with Lost in Space (TV Classics Press, 2018); in between, Wildside Press reissued the remainder in 2014.
Bibliography Zantain series The Players of Hell (Belmont Books, 1968) Wizard of Storms (Belmont Books, 1970)
Jamnar/Star Barbarian Star Barbarian (Lancer Books, 1969) Lord of Blood (Lancer Books, 1970)
Other novels Lost in Space (Pyramid Books, 1967, with Ted White, as Ron Archer) Star Gladiator (Belmont Books, 1967) Sideslip (Pyramid Books, 1968, with Ted White) Starmind (Ballantine Books, 1969) Greyland (Belmont Tower, 1972)
Nonfiction The Reader's Guide to Barsoom and Amtor (Richard Lupoff, 1963, as by David G. Van Arnam and others (Richard A. Lupoff, Larry Ivie, and Donald A. Wollheim)
References
External links Works of Dave Van Arnam in Open Library