A mysterious—but, for a time, active—Fortean.
I have virtually no biographical information on Ronald T. Deacon, and none of the hard variety: birth dates, schools attended, jobs worked, that kind of thing. Which, under other circumstances, would mean that I didn’t bother writing him up. He’s actually the 370th name I uncovered in the pages of Doubt; I have written up 183, and have 14 more in various stages of research or drafting. There’s just too little information on the ones I did not write up, or, in the majority of cases, not enough to even begin researching” a single last name in a single issue.
But Deacon deserves some mention for his Fortean activities in the late 1940s.
Likely he was born in the late 1920s or early 1930s. (Deacon may be alive still: there’re address listings for a Ronald T. Deacon in London.) He seems to have been a science fiction fan, and became attached to London’s fan community around the same time he was first mentioned in Doubt: the late 1940s. Around that time he was associated with “Operation Fantast,” a UK ‘zine put out by Ken Slater, as well as “The British Science Fiction Magazine,” which grew out of interest in the English science fiction writer John Russell Fearn (and which ran under various alternative titles), and “The Collector’s Digest,” which focused on old British boys’s stories (what were called by in the know OBB, or Old Boys’ Book).
I have virtually no biographical information on Ronald T. Deacon, and none of the hard variety: birth dates, schools attended, jobs worked, that kind of thing. Which, under other circumstances, would mean that I didn’t bother writing him up. He’s actually the 370th name I uncovered in the pages of Doubt; I have written up 183, and have 14 more in various stages of research or drafting. There’s just too little information on the ones I did not write up, or, in the majority of cases, not enough to even begin researching” a single last name in a single issue.
But Deacon deserves some mention for his Fortean activities in the late 1940s.
Likely he was born in the late 1920s or early 1930s. (Deacon may be alive still: there’re address listings for a Ronald T. Deacon in London.) He seems to have been a science fiction fan, and became attached to London’s fan community around the same time he was first mentioned in Doubt: the late 1940s. Around that time he was associated with “Operation Fantast,” a UK ‘zine put out by Ken Slater, as well as “The British Science Fiction Magazine,” which grew out of interest in the English science fiction writer John Russell Fearn (and which ran under various alternative titles), and “The Collector’s Digest,” which focused on old British boys’s stories (what were called by in the know OBB, or Old Boys’ Book).
There are a few recollections of Deacon. Peter Weston, for one, reminisced in 2011: “There’s not infrequent mention [in Collector’s Digest], for instance, of Ron Deacon, who was a member of London SF fandom (if not a very eminent one) in the 1950s, perhaps most notable for believing in no end of pseudoscientific claptrap (there's a wonderfully mind-boggling article of his in one issue of Operation Fantast where he talks about the stars twinkling because of the jelly-like substance that their light travels through to reach Earth, or some such).” And indeed there are references to Deacon in “Operation Fantast,” though I have not seen the ‘zine. In the July 1949 issue he wrote an article on “The Shaver Mystery,” and in September “In Defence of Shaver.”
If he wrote anything for ‘zines of professional magazines in the early 1950s, no bibliographer has uncovered them. (He seems to have had a letter published in “Amazing Science Fiction Stories,” September 1950.) By the mid-1950s, though, he was back in the fold (if he had ever left). He had three stories, co-authored with Peter Baille, published in “The British Science Fiction Magazine”; he was also involved in fannish activities, though the stories from this time do not paint him in the best light. There was some competition between London fans and Manchester fans at the time, with each group trying to prank each the other. At one get-together, London fans invented a sister for Bea Mahaffey, an American science fiction editor. Apparently, Deacon was taken in by the ruse and insistently tried to date her. His attempts were obvious enough that Peter Weston also remembered a version of the story. (In his tale, Deacon had targeted Bea herself).
There is, again, a gap in the record of Deacon’s science fiction activities. Perhaps it was work or family life; perhaps it is an artefact of the archives. At any rate, I find no evidence of science-fiction related activities by him until the mid-1960s, when there was a relatively large output of writing, albeit not all of it science fiction, strictly speaking, but mostly in the related (true and short) mystery genre:
**He Killed His Executioner, John Creasey Mystery Magazine, June 1964.
**Sex Bomb Spendthrift, John Creasey Mystery Magazine, July 1964.
**Empress of the Sahara, John Creasey Mystery Magazine, August 1964.
**The Indestructible Irishman (ts) John Creasey Mystery Magazine September 1964.
**Beasts That Looked Like Men, John Creasey Mystery Magazine, November 1964.
**Escape to Paradise, International Storyteller Omnibus #3, 1964.
**Master Forger of ‘Old Masters,’ John Creasey Mystery Magazine, April 1965.
**Salami Manufacturer Made Gold Coins, John Creasey Mystery Magazine, April 1965.
**Smuggling—by Ambulance and Fire Engines, John Creasey Mystery Magazine, April 1965.
**Unique Escape, John Creasey Mystery Magazine, April 1965.
**A Stroll on the Beach, Edgar Wallace Mystery Magazine, December 1965.
**Bank Bandit Left Name and Address for Police to Find, Parade, April 2 1966.
**Virgin Beauties Became Brides of Death, Parade, Apr 2 1966.
**Beavers Saved a Nuclear ‘Leak,’ Parade October 12 1968.
These are all from the FictionMags Index, and I have read none of them, nor seen the magazines. Perhaps there are some biographical nuggets buried there.
*******
Ron T. Deacon’s connection to The Fortean Society seems to have covered his first period of science fiction activities: the late 1940s. Like many other Forteans, his interest did not survive much beyond the dawning of the next decade. His first mention came in Doubt 25 (Summer 1949). He sent in an article on a subject that briefly fascinated Forteans: that nylons were disappearing off the legs of women. The subject could be interpreted paranormally, as though, rather than an Ambrose collector, there was a collector of lady’s leggings. It could also be understood as an attack on post-War manufacturing: that the nylons were so shoddily made they evaporated.
His final appearance came two issues later, Doubt 27 (Winter 1949), when he was mentioned twice. One credit came for sending in a story Eric Frank Russell had also submitted, about 13 sprats (a kind of fish) falling on Patrick McGreedy in London, 15 February 1949. The other dealt with a plane crash which was attributed to a bomb in a passenger’s luggage. Thayer—at least—saw this as more scapegoating by the industry (he did not trust planes at all), which usually blamed (dead) pilots, but this time attacked the customers themselves.
These mentions would not been enough to uncover anything about Ronald Deacon at all. They were simply attributed to Deacon, no other identifying information. The only reason I could do the minimal amount of research I did was because the only other mention that he received in the pages of Doubt, which came in the issue between his first and last appearances, Doubt 26 (October 1949). About a year prior, Forteans in San Francisco had formed their own club, a branch of the national Society, which they called “Chapter Two,” honoring New York and Thayer as Chapter One. Since that time, Forteans in other cities had followed suit, Chicago and Los Angeles and Dallas. For a time, Thayer encouraged this—until he was fed up, then cut them off.
In the middle of 1949, he was still encouraging, and so happy when he heard from Deacon: “Ron T. Deacon writes from London that he and other members have made a habit of meeting ‘almost’ every Thursday evening at the White Horse Tavern, in Fetter Lane, a turning off Chancery Lane. London members and visitors, stop in!” The White Horse Tavern, of course, was a frequent gathering place for London science fiction fans, before and after the war, so it may have been that Deacon’s gatherings were just an off-shoot of these. I don’t know whether Thayer knew about the science fiction fan meetings, but he gave Deacon’s group his imprimatur, calling it “Chapter Six.”
The Chapter seems to have had only a short lifespan, given that Deacon was not mentioned in Doubt again after the following issue. He did seems o be attached to the Society for a bit longer, though. There’s a letter in Eric Frank Russell’s papers at the University of Liverpool from him. It is dated 24 November—either 1951 or 1952. He was paying his dues for 1952, and apologizing for being tardy. He also noted that Doubt continued to be sent to an address he moved from two-and-a-half-years earlier.
That address, like the one he was using at the time, was in London. Which exhausts everything I know about him: science fiction fan; writer of mysteries, true and fictional; resident of London; some time member of the Fortean Society.
If he wrote anything for ‘zines of professional magazines in the early 1950s, no bibliographer has uncovered them. (He seems to have had a letter published in “Amazing Science Fiction Stories,” September 1950.) By the mid-1950s, though, he was back in the fold (if he had ever left). He had three stories, co-authored with Peter Baille, published in “The British Science Fiction Magazine”; he was also involved in fannish activities, though the stories from this time do not paint him in the best light. There was some competition between London fans and Manchester fans at the time, with each group trying to prank each the other. At one get-together, London fans invented a sister for Bea Mahaffey, an American science fiction editor. Apparently, Deacon was taken in by the ruse and insistently tried to date her. His attempts were obvious enough that Peter Weston also remembered a version of the story. (In his tale, Deacon had targeted Bea herself).
There is, again, a gap in the record of Deacon’s science fiction activities. Perhaps it was work or family life; perhaps it is an artefact of the archives. At any rate, I find no evidence of science-fiction related activities by him until the mid-1960s, when there was a relatively large output of writing, albeit not all of it science fiction, strictly speaking, but mostly in the related (true and short) mystery genre:
**He Killed His Executioner, John Creasey Mystery Magazine, June 1964.
**Sex Bomb Spendthrift, John Creasey Mystery Magazine, July 1964.
**Empress of the Sahara, John Creasey Mystery Magazine, August 1964.
**The Indestructible Irishman (ts) John Creasey Mystery Magazine September 1964.
**Beasts That Looked Like Men, John Creasey Mystery Magazine, November 1964.
**Escape to Paradise, International Storyteller Omnibus #3, 1964.
**Master Forger of ‘Old Masters,’ John Creasey Mystery Magazine, April 1965.
**Salami Manufacturer Made Gold Coins, John Creasey Mystery Magazine, April 1965.
**Smuggling—by Ambulance and Fire Engines, John Creasey Mystery Magazine, April 1965.
**Unique Escape, John Creasey Mystery Magazine, April 1965.
**A Stroll on the Beach, Edgar Wallace Mystery Magazine, December 1965.
**Bank Bandit Left Name and Address for Police to Find, Parade, April 2 1966.
**Virgin Beauties Became Brides of Death, Parade, Apr 2 1966.
**Beavers Saved a Nuclear ‘Leak,’ Parade October 12 1968.
These are all from the FictionMags Index, and I have read none of them, nor seen the magazines. Perhaps there are some biographical nuggets buried there.
*******
Ron T. Deacon’s connection to The Fortean Society seems to have covered his first period of science fiction activities: the late 1940s. Like many other Forteans, his interest did not survive much beyond the dawning of the next decade. His first mention came in Doubt 25 (Summer 1949). He sent in an article on a subject that briefly fascinated Forteans: that nylons were disappearing off the legs of women. The subject could be interpreted paranormally, as though, rather than an Ambrose collector, there was a collector of lady’s leggings. It could also be understood as an attack on post-War manufacturing: that the nylons were so shoddily made they evaporated.
His final appearance came two issues later, Doubt 27 (Winter 1949), when he was mentioned twice. One credit came for sending in a story Eric Frank Russell had also submitted, about 13 sprats (a kind of fish) falling on Patrick McGreedy in London, 15 February 1949. The other dealt with a plane crash which was attributed to a bomb in a passenger’s luggage. Thayer—at least—saw this as more scapegoating by the industry (he did not trust planes at all), which usually blamed (dead) pilots, but this time attacked the customers themselves.
These mentions would not been enough to uncover anything about Ronald Deacon at all. They were simply attributed to Deacon, no other identifying information. The only reason I could do the minimal amount of research I did was because the only other mention that he received in the pages of Doubt, which came in the issue between his first and last appearances, Doubt 26 (October 1949). About a year prior, Forteans in San Francisco had formed their own club, a branch of the national Society, which they called “Chapter Two,” honoring New York and Thayer as Chapter One. Since that time, Forteans in other cities had followed suit, Chicago and Los Angeles and Dallas. For a time, Thayer encouraged this—until he was fed up, then cut them off.
In the middle of 1949, he was still encouraging, and so happy when he heard from Deacon: “Ron T. Deacon writes from London that he and other members have made a habit of meeting ‘almost’ every Thursday evening at the White Horse Tavern, in Fetter Lane, a turning off Chancery Lane. London members and visitors, stop in!” The White Horse Tavern, of course, was a frequent gathering place for London science fiction fans, before and after the war, so it may have been that Deacon’s gatherings were just an off-shoot of these. I don’t know whether Thayer knew about the science fiction fan meetings, but he gave Deacon’s group his imprimatur, calling it “Chapter Six.”
The Chapter seems to have had only a short lifespan, given that Deacon was not mentioned in Doubt again after the following issue. He did seems o be attached to the Society for a bit longer, though. There’s a letter in Eric Frank Russell’s papers at the University of Liverpool from him. It is dated 24 November—either 1951 or 1952. He was paying his dues for 1952, and apologizing for being tardy. He also noted that Doubt continued to be sent to an address he moved from two-and-a-half-years earlier.
That address, like the one he was using at the time, was in London. Which exhausts everything I know about him: science fiction fan; writer of mysteries, true and fictional; resident of London; some time member of the Fortean Society.
