Tuckerization is the act of using a person's name in an original story as an in-joke (i.e. Mount Kirby in Kurt Busiek's Astro City comics). The term is derived from Wilson Tucker, a science fiction writer of the 1950s-1970s, who made a practice of using his friends' names for minor characters in his stories. A tuckerization can also be the use of a person's character or personal attributes with a new name as an in-joke (i.e. Ian Arnstein in S.M. Stirling's Island in the Sea of Time trilogy, clearly modeled on his good friend Harry Turtledove, albeit an alternate history Turtledove). Kurt Busiek (born September 16, 1960) is a comic book writer. ... Wilson Tucker (born 1914) is an American science fiction writer and fan. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... The 1950s were the decade that spanned the years 1950 through 1959, although some sources say from 1951 through 1960. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... Stephen Michael Stirling is a Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author. ... Harry Turtledove at Worldcon 2005 in Glasgow Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949), is a historian and prolific novelist who has written historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction works. ...
Many science fiction authors auction off tuckerizations at science fiction conventions with the proceeds going to charity. Note that this partial list contains some authors whose works of fantastic fiction would today be called science fiction, even if they predate, or did not work in that genre. ... Science fiction conventions are gatherings of the community of fans (called science fiction fandom) of various forms of science fiction and fantasy. ...
Related to it is redshirting, where the character named after the real person is killed in some way. Many authors consider tuckerization and redshirting interchangeable; 'redshirted' characters do not necessarily die. A redshirt is a stock character, used frequently in science fiction but also other genres, whose sole purpose is to violently die soon after being introduced. ...
Tuckerization is the use of a real person's as a character name, place name, or equipment name in a story.
Tuckerization is the opposite of the more common roman à clef story in which the characters are all real people whose names and titles have been changed (to protect the innocent) but whose background, appearance, and personality have been kept.
Being tuckerized is considered a high honor in Science Fiction fandom, and popular authors will sometimes auction off tuckerization at conventions as charity auctions, frequently bringing very large prices.
Tuckerization is the act of using a person's name or image in an original story as an in-joke.
The term is derived from Wilson Tucker, a science fiction writer of the 1940s-80s, who made a practice of using his friends' names for minor characters in his stories.
Tuckerization saw a rise in the early to mid 1970s when writers Jim Shooter and Cary Bates were members of Legion fandom (such as the fanzine Interlac), and then years later in the late 1980s/early 1990s when Tom and Mary Bierbaum, who had also been active in early Legion fandom, became writers.
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