Vale Merv Binns!

A sad post today, alas! Tomorrow back to the A to Z and the Questing Beast. 

A part of my youth is gone now. I have only just learned that Merv Binns, a major member of Australian science fiction fandom, passed away several days ago. In fact, he died on the same date as my friend Helene Shaw, April 7. If there is an afterlife, I hope the two of them are having a cup of tea together and catching up on the gossip.

Merv was the owner of Space Age Bookshop in Melbourne, till he finally sold it in 1985. For a while afterwards, there was still a science fiction bookshop at the same premises, Slow Glass, which eventually went on line, as did Merv’s business. 

Merv, second from left. Photo by Helena Binns. Fair use.

Space Age was the first bookshop in Australia that specialised in science fiction. I remember going there on Fridays, after work, to browse and buy. It was also the site of special events, such as visiting authors who had come to Australia for a convention and were invited to Space Age afterwards for a book signing. So those of us who really couldn’t go interstate for a con were at least able to meet the guest of honour. I met Frank Herbert, the author of Dune, there and found out he was very much a plotter, not a pantser. Merv also organised a mini convention there, with Harry Harrison(author of The Stainless Steel Rat and many others) as guest of honour. 

Thanks to him, I also had the chance to meet many other authors and attend conventions he had organised.

But for me, the real joy was those Friday afternoons in his shop, the exciting book discoveries I made there, the people I met and befriended. He even stocked  fanzines on behalf of clubs; it was there I found my first issue of the local Star Trek club fanzine, SPOCK, and got contact information. I joined. The guy who started the club and edited that fanzine is still a good friend.

Merv with Harlan Ellison. Photo by Helena Binns. Fair use,

Merv was one of a group of young fans who hung out together in the 1950s. They founded a science fiction club which is still around, as the Melbourne Science Fiction Club. 

One of the others in that group of fans, Race Matthews, went into politics, and became a Minister in a Victorian Labor government. I remember when I was at the banquet at Aussiecon 2, the toastmaster, author Bob Shaw, remarked that this was the only place he had been where a government Minister had a fanzine...

Merv was given a number of awards to recognise his contributions to fandom. I’ll give you a link here to the Fancyclopedia, where you can read what they were.

In later years, he and his wife Helena couldn’t travel, but came to conventions in Melbourne when they could. It was always comforting to see them at the cons. The last time I saw them was at Continuum last year. Helena is an artist and a passionate photographer who loves to take photos at fannish events, so there are plenty to see. I’m using two of her photos with this post; I don’t think she will mind. 

Vale Merv! You are much missed.