# David Kyle - 1919-2016 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 19, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kyle-1919-2016/766318 "2016-09-19T00:34:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kyle-1919-2016/766318/1 "2016-09-19T00:34:03Z")
David Kyle, science fiction author, publisher and fan, passed away on Friday, according to his son’s facebook page ([Kerry Kyle - I have lost one of my very best friends. Dad... | Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/kerry.kyle.71/posts/10210306302197264?pnref=story)) at the age of 97. He was a member of the Futurians with Asimov, Pohl and the rest, started a publishing house (“Gnome Press”) that was one of the first to publish American SF in book form (“I, Robot,” “Foundation” etc.) (though it did have problems paying its authors). He also wrote three sequels to the Lensman series (“Dragon Lensman,” “Lensman from Rigel,” and “Z-Lensman”), while in fandom he was famous for the “Balcony Insurgent” incident [14th World Science Fiction Convention - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_World_Science_Fiction_Convention#Fan_politics) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kyle-1919-2016/766318/2 "2016-09-19T00:54:28Z")
So sorry to hear this. I met David several times and he was a guest at Albacon last March. Had a couple of nice conversations with him then. He was always a delight to be with. AFAIK, he’s the last member of First Fandom. A generation has passed. David, you can sit wherever you want. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kyle-1919-2016/766318/3 "2016-09-19T01:01:55Z")
Damn. I met him at recent Readercons, and spoke with him for quite a while. I was amazed that he was still around. Sorry to see him go, but not surprised. He had a long run. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kyle-1919-2016/766318/4 "2016-09-19T01:50:58Z")
This is yet another reminder of how incredibly short a time our field has been around. One lifetime encompassed it all. Saw it start and grow and metastasize. Is there today a coherent field of f&sf that any one person can put his or her arms around? BTW, if you want a tribute to Kyle you can’t do better than [this](http://www.ebay.com/itm/LIFE-OF-SCIENCE-FICTION-IDEAS-AND-DREAMS-DAVID-KYLE-LTD-ED-S-L-HB-BOOK-COKER-L-/291372852400?hash=item43d72ce4b0:g:xcAAAOSwYGFU0Th4). ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kyle-1919-2016/766318/5 "2016-09-19T18:47:06Z")
Correction > [@Andy\_L](#): > > David Kyle, science fiction author, publisher and fan, passed away on Friday, according to his [DEL]son[/DEL]daughter’s facebook page ([Kerry Kyle](https://www.facebook.com/kerry.kyle.71/posts/10210306302197264?pnref=story)) at the age of 97.