Lee Hoffman
Lee Hoffman, born Shirley Bell Hoffman, (August 14, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois – February 6, 2007 in Port Charlotte, Florida) was an American science fiction fan, an editor of early folk music fanzines, and an author of science fiction, Western and romance novels. Career. In 1950–53, she edited and published the highly regarded science fiction fanzine, "Quandry". In November 1951, she began publication of "Science-Fiction Five-Yearly", which has appeared regularly since then (the 2006 issue ran 58 pages). Hoffman used a gender-neutral name within science fiction fandom, and many believed that she was a man. In  1952, she 'came out' as a leading editor of the science fiction fanzine "Quandry" at the 1952 Chicago World Con. Briefly married to editor Larry Shaw from 1956 to 1958, she was the assistant editor on the science fiction magazines he edited, "Infinity Science Fiction" and "Science Fiction Adventures". During that same time, she began editing and publishing her folk music publications, "Caravan" and "Gardyloo", which found a readership through Izzy Young's Folklore Center as the folk music scene expanded during the late 1950s. Hoffman won the Western Writers of America Spur Award for her novel "The Valdez Horses  (Doubleday, 1967). In Spain, John Sturges directed the 1973 film adaptation, The Valdez Horses"/"Valdez, il Mezzosangue" (aka "Chino"), starring Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland. Under the pseudonym Georgia York, she wrote historical romances for Fawcett Books during the years 1979 to 1983. In her autobiographical writings, she described the mid-1960s events that led to her Western novels: She went on to write seventeen Western novels between the years 1966 and 1977 for several publishers—Ace, Avon, Ballantine, Dell, Doubleday, Dell, NAL/Signet—with various editions in Germany, Italy and the UK. During that same time period, she wrote four science  fiction novels: "Telepower" (Belmont, 1967), "The Caves of Karst" (Ballantine, 1969), "Always the Black Knight" (Avon, 1970) and "Change Song" (Doubleday, 1972). Her short stories include "Soundless Evening", published in Harlan Ellison's "Again, Dangerous Visions" (1972). In 1987, Hoffman was presented the Rebel Award, a lifetime achievement award for a science fiction fan "who has done a great deal for Southern Fandom." Death. She died in Port Charlotte, Florida of a massive heart attack on February 6, 2007.