Arthur Wilson "Bob" Tucker (1914-2006) enjoyed a long career as both a science fiction fan and a professional author of science fiction and mystery stories. A resident of Bloomington, Illinois, Tucker published a wide variety of fanzines over the course of his life, including The Planetoid (1932), which was one of the first fanzines ever made; the Bloomington News Letter/Science Fiction Newsletter, Fanews, D'Journal, Invisible Stories, Le Zombie, Fantasy and Weird Fiction, Yearbook of Science, Fanewscard, Fanzine Yearbook, and several others. In 1955 he published the Neo-Fan's Guide to SF Fandom.

Tucker was a fan guest of honor, professional guest of honor, toastmaster, or master of ceremonies at uncountable numbers of science fiction conventions over the years. He was a notable and constant presence in the world of American fandom.

In addition to his fannish activities, Tucker also wrote a number of novels and short stories, including The Long Loud Silence (1952), The Lincoln Hunters (1958), and The Year of the Quiet Sun (1971), which was nominated for the 1970 Nebula and 1971 Hugo for Best Novel (and which won the 1976 John W. Campbell Memorial Award).

Tucker won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1970, and the 1954 Retro Hugo for Best Fan Writer in 2004. His Science Fiction Newsletter (a.k.a. Bloomington News Letter) won the Retro Hugo Award for Best Fanzine in 1951. In addition, Tucker also won the 1985 First Fandom Award, the 1986 Skylark Award (Edward E. Smith Memorial Award for Imaginative Fiction), the 1990 Phoenix Award, and the 1996 Nebula Award for Special Author Emeritus. He was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2003.

Tucker is credited for the 1941 invention of the term "space opera", referring to the popular subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes melodramatic adventure and episodes of outer space warfare.