General Technics

General Technics (GT) is a loose organization of techie science fiction fans who are interested in do-it-yourself technology. GT was founded in 1975 and still thrives through such activities as convention parties, fan gatherings, a very active electronic mailing list, an apa (APA-Tech), and a fanzine (PyroTechnics).

Originally discussed by Tullio Proni, Steve Johnson, and Jeff Duntemann, they made specific plans at Windycon 2 and were organized by the end of the year. Early members included Gus Flassig, George M. Ewing, Jim Fuerstenberg, and Mike O'Brien. GT is named for the huge corporation in the novel Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner, who gave Johnson permission to use the name.

Membership, while loose, quickly became national, meeting at MidAmeriCon in 1976. Beginning the following year at ConFusion, the club had an influx of Michigan Tech students and alumni who had been part of the Permanent Floating Riot Club, and the groups have continued to overlap. At one time, dues consisted of postage stamps mailed to Jeff Duntemann, then editor of PyroTechnics, but now the club only collects funds from members who turn up at its parties.

The now international but still largely Midwestern club typically sponsors a suite that members and friends use as a hangout during Worldcons and other conventions. GT holds an annual fan gathering, sometimes called Berserker (for the Fred Saberhagen series), on stamp sands near Houghton, MI, in the U.P. (property owned by member Guy Wicker), as well as convening at IsherCon.

While GT has a presence on Facebook and a website, much of the group's communication is conducted through a daily mailing list. Some of the older women members participate in a private Facebook group, "The Cranky Women of GT."

Official website.

Well-Known GTers

• Matthew B. Alschuler
• Andy Anda
• Alice Bentley
• Mike Bentley
• Steve Collins
• Guy Consolmagno
• Dermot Dobson
• Jeff Duntemann
• George M. Ewing
• Jim Fuerstenberg
• Bill Higgins
• Dave Ihnat
• Steve Johnson
• Todd Johnson
• Bonnie Jones
• Steve King
• Roxanne King
• Kevin Nickerson
• Sam Paris
• Mary Cruikshank Peed
• Tullio Proni
• Amy Ranger
• Bill Roper
• Bruce Schneier
• Renée Sieber
• Mary Lynn Skirvin
• Dick Smith
• Leah Zeldes Smith
• Dale Sulak
• Guy Wicker
• Moshe Yudkowsky

---

Club

1975—

This is a club page. Please extend it by adding information about when and where the club met, when and by whom it was founded, how long it was active, notable accomplishments, well-known members, clubzines, any conventions it ran, external links to the club's website, other club pages, etc. When there's a floreat (Fl.), this indicates the time or times for which we have found evidence that the club existed. This is probably not going to represent the club's full lifetime, so please update it if you can!