A letter from Chris M. Barkley to the science fiction and fantasy community:

Over a week ago, I started two online petition drives at Change.org and We the People, to gather support to establish a series of commemorative stamps honoring America’s finest artists, writers, editors and publishers of sf, fantasy and horror.

I was relieved this past April when I read that the United States Postal Service Commemorative Panel had delayed a single series of five stamps honoring Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Ray Bradbury and Philip K. Dick. Honoring only these five, as respected and well known as they are, would be foolish in the light of contributions of women such as Alice (Andre) Norton, Catherine L. Moore, Joanna Russ and Octavia Butler.

I started the petitions for three primary reasons:

• Get the attention of the members of the Postal Service Commemorative Panel.
• Spark a debate and generate excitement among fans and the general public about the contributions of these artists and publishers to world literature.
• To bestow this small, yet significant honor to these men and women, some of whom are not as well known to the general public, but who have made a significant contribution to literature and world culture.

It would not take too much effort for the Postal Service to issue series of six, ten, twelve or fifteen stamps a year. With the backing of SWFA, ASFA, social media outlets, other fan groups and readers across the country, working together, we can make this happen.

Here are links to the petitions:

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/support-petition-honor-sixty-american-authors-editors-and-artists-series-commemorative-us-postal/jLlhc9ZC

http://www.change.org/petitions/the-united-states-postal-service-commemorative-panel-and-the-white-house-honor-60-american-authors-editors-and-artists-of-sf-fantasy-and-horror