Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is the community of people actively interested in science fiction and fantasy literature, and in contact with one another based upon that interest. SF fandom has a life of its own, but not much in the way of formal organization (although clubs such as the Futurians [1937-1945], the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society [1934-present], and the National Fantasy Fan Federation [1941-present] are recognized features of fandom). 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. ... For other definitions of fantasy see fantasy (psychology). ... The Futurians were an influential group of science fiction fans, editors and writers. ... The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society or LASFS is a private club in North Hollywood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, California. ... The National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F) is one of the worlds oldest fandom organizations. ...

Most often called simply "fandom" within the community, it can be viewed as a distinct subculture, with its own rituals and jargon; marriages and other relationships among fans are common, as are multi-generation fannish families. As understood in sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a set of people with a distinct set of behavior and beliefs that differentiate them from a larger culture of which they are a part. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Origins and history

Science fiction fandom started through the letter column of Hugo Gernsback's fiction magazines. Not only did fans write comments about the stories — they sent their addresses, and Gernsback published them. Soon, fans were writing letters directly to each other, and meeting in person when they lived close together, or when one of them could manage a trip. (Travel was harder in the 1930s than it is today.) Hugo Gernsback (August 16, 1884 - August 19, 1967) was an inventor and magazine publisher who also wrote science fiction and whose publication included the first science fiction magazine. ... Fans of Janet Jackson, at Much Music in Toronto The word fan refers to someone who has an intense, occasionally overwhelming liking of a person, group of persons, work of art, idea, or trend. ...

In 1934 Gernsback established a correspondence club for fans called the Science Fiction League, the first fannish organization. Local groups across the nation could join by filling out an application.

Soon after the fans started to communicate directly with each other came the creation of fanzines (see also science fiction fanzines). These amateur publications might or might not discuss science fiction, and were generally traded rather than sold. They ranged from the utilitarian and/or inept to professional-quality printing and editing. In recent years, Usenet newsgroups such as rec.arts.sf.fandom, websites and blogs have somewhat supplanted printed fanzines as an outlet for expression in fandom, though many popular fanzines continue to be published. A fanzine (see also: zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular subject for the pleasure of others who share their interest. ... A science fiction fanzine is an amateur or semi-professional magazine published by members of science fiction fandom, from the 1930s to the present day. ...

Many professional science fiction authors started their interest in science fiction as fans, and some still publish their own fanzines or contribute to those published by others. 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. ...

A widely regarded history of fandom in the 1930s can be found in Sam Moskowitz's "The Immortal Storm: A history of Science Fiction Fandom" Hyperion Press 1988 ISBN 0-88355-131-4 (original edition The Atlanta Science Fiction Organization Press, Atlanta, Georgia 1954).

Conventions

See main article Science fiction conventions

Since the late 1930s, SF fans have organized conventions, non-profit gatherings where the fans (some of whom are also professionals in the field) meet to discuss SF and generally enjoy themselves. (A few fannish couples have held their weddings at conventions.) The first World Science Fiction Convention or Worldcon was held in conjunction with the 1939 New York World's Fair, and has been held annually since the end of World War II. Worldcon has been the premier convention in fandom for over half a century; it is at this convention that the Hugo Awards are bestowed, and attendance can approach 8,000 or more. Science fiction conventions are gatherings of the community of fans (called science fiction fandom) of various forms of science fiction and fantasy. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... Science fiction conventions are gatherings of the community of fans (called science fiction fandom) of various forms of science fiction and fantasy. ... Worldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is the longest running science fiction convention, having been held from 1939 to 1941 and, after the interruption of World War II, every year since 1946. ... The 1939 New York Worlds Fair, located on the current site of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (also the location of the 1964 New York Worlds Fair), was one of the largest worlds fairs of all time. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the use of images on this page may require cleanup, involving adjustment of image placement, formatting, size, or other adjustments. ... The 2005 Hugo Award with base designed by Deb Kosiba. ...

SF conventions can vary from minimalist "relaxacons" with a hundred or so attendees to heavily programmed events with four to six or more simultaneous tracks of programming, such as WisCon. The largest of these is the annual Dragon*Con in Atlanta, Georgia with an attendance of more than 20,000 since 2000. WisCon, the Wisconsin Science Fiction Convention, is generally acknowledged as the worlds only feminist-oriented science fiction convention and conference. ... Celebrity guests meet with their fans to sign autographs on the DragonCon 2005 Walk of Fame. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Hotlanta, The Big Peach, The ATL Location Location in Fulton and DeKalb counties in the state of Georgia Coordinates: , Government Country State Counties United States Georgia Fulton County, Georgia DeKalb County, Georgia Mayor Shirley Franklin (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 132. ...

Commercial shows dealing with SF-related fields are sometimes billed as 'science fiction conventions,' but are operated as for-profit ventures, with an orientation towards passive spectators, rather than actively involved fans, and a tendency to neglect or ignore written SF in favor of television, film, comics, video games, etc.

Science fiction societies

See Category Category:science fiction organizations

Science Fiction Societies were launched as chapters of the Science Fiction League and when it faded into history, several of the original League chapters remained viable and were subsequently incorporated as independent organizations. Most notably among former League chapters spun off was the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society which served as model for subsequent SF Societies formed independent of the League history.

Science Fiction Societies, more commonly referred to as "clubs" except on the most formal of occasions, form a year-round base of activities for science fiction fans. They are often associated with a SF convention or group of conventions, but maintain a separate existence as a cultural institution within a geographic region. Several have purchased property and maintain ongoing collections of SF literature available for research as in the case of Los Angeles Science Fiction Society, New England Science Fiction Association, and the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. Other SF Societies maintain a more informal existence meeting at general public facilities or the homes of individual members. The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society or LASFS is a private club in North Hollywood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, California. ... The New England Science Fiction Association, NESFA, is a science fiction club, founded in 1967. ... The Baltimore Science Fiction Society is a literary society focusing on science fiction, fantasy and related genera. ...

Offshoots and subcommunities

Fandom encompasses subsets of fans that are principally interested in a single writer or genre, such as Tolkien fandom, Star Trek fandom (whose more active members are better known as "Trekkers" or "Trekkies" by the rest of fandom), and the fans of Joss Whedon's Firefly television series and movie Serenity known as Browncoats. Tolkien fandom is an international, informal community of fans of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially of the Middle-earth legendarium which includes The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion. ... Trekkie (or Trekker) is a term that in recent decades has been used to describe a fan of the Star Trek science fiction franchise. ... Joss Whedon at the premiere of Serenity. ... Firefly is a science fiction television series that premiered in the United States and Canada on 2002-09-20. ... Serenity is a 2005 space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. ... Browncoat is a term from the science fiction Western TV series Firefly (and its big-screen sequel, Serenity). ...

Filk singing and the Society for Creative Anachronism both originated among science fiction fans. Filk is a musical culture, genre, and community tied to science fiction/fantasy fandom, active since the early 1950s if concentrated primarily since the mid-1970s. ... The Society for Creative Anachronism (or SCA for short) is a not-for-profit educational organization. ...

Participation in science fiction fandom often overlaps with other similar interests, such as fantasy role-playing games, comic books and anime, and in the broadest sense fans of these activities are felt to be part of the greater community of SF fandom. This article is about traditional role-playing games. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... A scene from the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) Anime ) is an abbreviation of the Japanese word アニメーション (animēshon), which is based on the English word animation. ...

There are active SF fandoms around the world. Fandom in non-Anglophone countries such as Poland, Japan, Sweden, and Germany is based partially on local literature and media, with cons and all other elements resembling those of English-speaking fandom.

Fanspeak

Science fiction and fantasy fandom has its own slang or jargon, sometimes called fanspeak. Slang is the use of highly informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speakers dialect or language. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Fanspeak is the slang or jargon current in science fiction and fantasy fandom, especially those terms in use among readers and writers of science fiction fanzines. ...

Fanspeak is made of up acronyms, blended words, obscure in-jokes, and standard terms used in specific ways. Some terms used in fanspeak have spread to members of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Renaissance Fair participants, and internet gaming and chat fans, due to the social and contextual intersection between the communities. Examples of fanspeak used in these broader fannish communities include gafiate, a term meaning to drop out of SF related community activities, with the implication to Get A Life. The word is derived via the acronym for "Get away from it all". A related term is fafiate, for "Forced away from it all". The implication is that one would really rather still be involved in fandom, but circumstances make it impossible. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Backronym and Apronym (Discuss) Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations, such as NATO, laser, and ABC, written as the initial letter or letters of words, and pronounced on the basis of this abbreviated written form. ... The Society for Creative Anachronism (or SCA for short) is a not-for-profit educational organization. ... Entertainers at the Golden Gate Renaissance Festival 2005. ... This article is about computer and video games. ... Chat may refer to a casual conversation an internet chat room or instant messaging system Internet relay chat, a particular chat room system Chat, a kind of bird Chat, the waste rocks produced in mining Le Chat, a Belgian comic strip Khat, a narcotic plant Chats, the way British soldiers... Get a life is an American English idiom. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Backronym and Apronym (Discuss) Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations, such as NATO, laser, and ABC, written as the initial letter or letters of words, and pronounced on the basis of this abbreviated written form. ...

Two other acronyms commonly used in the community are FIAWOL (Fandom Is A Way Of Life) and its opposite FIJAGH (Fandom Is Just A Goddamned Hobby) to describe two ways of looking at the place of fandom in one's life.

Figures in the history of fandom

• Forrest J. Ackerman
• Clifton Amsbury
• Henry Argasinski
• Abby Lu Ashby
• Al Ashley
• Johannes Berg
• Robert Bloch
• John Boardman
• Redd Boggs
• Bill Bowers
• Ray Bradbury
• Marion Zimmer Bradley
• Donn Brazier
• Walter Breen
• Charles N. Brown
• rich brown
• Kenneth Bulmer
• Charles Burbee
• John W. Campbell
• K. Martin Carlson
• G. M. Carr
• Terry Carr
• Camille "Caz" Cazedessus
• Russ Chauvenet
• Walter A. Coslet
• Leigh Couch
• Leslie A. Croutch
• Jack Darrow
• Walt Daugherty
• Gerry de la Ree
• Howard DeVore
• Claude Degler
• Calvin W. "Biff" Demmon
• Tom Digby
• Myrtle R. "Morojo" Douglas
• Walter Dunkelberger
• Ron Ellik
• Harlan Ellison
• Dick Eney
• E. Everett Evans
• Gary Farber
• Eva Firestone
• Leslie Fish
• Raymond "Duggie" Fisher
• Joe Fortier
• Paul Freehafer
• Meade Frierson III
• Richard E. Geis
• Hugo Gernsback
• Walter A. Gillings
• Mike Glicksohn
• Mike Glyer
• Patti "Pogo" Gray
• Mike Gunderloy
• W. Lawrence Hamling
• Ray Harryhausen
• Robert A. Heinlein
• Lee Hoffman
• Linus Hogenmiller
• Charles D. Hornig
• Lucy Huntzinger
• Ted Johnstone
• Arthur Joquil
• Arnie Katz
• Samuel Edward Konkin III
• C. M. Kornbluth
• Erle Korshak
• Dave Kyle
• Francis Towner Laney
• David Langford
• Walt Liebscher
• Guy Lillian III
• Robert A. W. Lowndes
• TJ Lubinsky
• Sam J. Lundvall
• Hank Luttrell
• Bob Madle
• Aubrey McDermott
• Sandra Miesel
• Ed Meskys
• Craig Miller
• Len Moffatt
• Sam Moskovitz
• Ulrika O'Brien
• Tom Ölander
• Ray Palmer
• Con Pederson
• Bruce Pelz
• Elmer Perdue
• Emil Petaja
• Frederik Pohl
• Andrew Porter
• Fletcher Pratt
• E. Hoffman Price
• George Nims Rabin
• Art Rapp
• Tom Reamy
• Mark Reinsberg
• Duane Rimel
• Frank M. Robinson
• Alva Rogers
• Milton A. Rothman
• Bill Rotsler
• Art Saha
• Heidi Saha
• Julius Schwartz
• George Scithers
• Takumi Shibano
• Bob Shaw
• Larry T. Shaw
• Rick Sneary
• Jack Speer
• Roy Squires
• J. Michael Straczynski
• R. D. Swisher
• Lou Tabakow
• Roy Tackett
• James V. Taurasi
• Dale Tarr
• Tigrina
• Bjo Trimble
• Donald H. Tuck
• Bob Tucker
• Shelby Vick
• Julius Unger
• Harry Warner Jr.
• Bill Warren
• Mort Weisinger
• Mari Beth Wheeler
• Ted White
• Art Widner
• Walt Willis
• Donald A. Wollheim
• Susan Wood Glicksohn
• J. Stanley Woolston
• Ben Yalow
• T. Bruce "Tubby" Yerke

Forrest J Ackerman (born November 24, 1916 in Los Angeles, California) is a legendary science fiction fan and collector of science fiction-related memorabilia. ... Johannes H. Berg Jr. ... Robert Albert Bloch (April 5, 1917, Chicago, Illinois-September 23, 1994, Los Angeles) was a prolific American writer. ... John Boardman (born September 8, 1932) is one of the most famous figures in the game of Diplomacy, having established the original play-by-mail setup and also the system of numbering each game for statistical purposes. ... Bill Bowers is an American mime artist and actor based in New York City. ... Ray Bradbury in 1945. ... Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley (June 3, 1930 – September 25, 1999) was a prolific author of largely feminist fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and was a steadfast encourager of equality (and quality) in writing. ... Walter Breen (September 5, 1928 - April 28, 1993) was an American author. ... Charles Nikki Brown is the founder of Locus, a magazine dealing with the Science fiction and Fantasy genres of literature. ... Henry Kenneth Bulmer, (January 14, 1921 – December 16, 2005), born in London, England, was a British author, primarily of science fiction. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Terry Carr (February 19, 1937 - April 7, 1987) was a science fiction author and editor. ... Louis Russell Russ Chauvenet (February 12, 1920 - June 24, 2003) was one of the founders of science fiction fandom, as an early member of Bostons Stranger Club. ... Walter Allen Coslet born in Lewistown, Montana on October 31, 1922, died in Helena, Montana on November 29, 1996. ... Howard DeVore (May 26, 1925 - December 31, 2005) was an American archivist and active volunteer in science fiction fandom. ... Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (born May 27, 1934) is a prolific American writer of short stories, novellas, essays, and criticism. ... Leslie Fish is a filk musician, author, and anarchist political activist. ... Raymond Duggie Fisher (October 15, 1935-May 16, 1988) was a science-fiction fan from Poplar Bluff, Missouri. ... Richard E. Geis is an American erotica and science fiction writer who won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1981 and 1982. ... Hugo Gernsback (August 16, 1884 - August 19, 1967) was an inventor and magazine publisher who also wrote science fiction and whose publication included the first science fiction magazine. ... Mike Glyer is a publisher of the science fiction fan newszine File 770. ... Factsheet Five is a periodical originally published by Mike Gunderloy of Albany, New York. ... Ray Harryhausen (born June 29, 1920 in Los Angeles, California) is an American producer and, most notably, a special effects creator. ... Heinlein autographing at the 1976 Worldcon Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was one of the most influential and controversial authors of hard science fiction. ... Lee Hoffman (born 1932) is a science fiction fan and an author of science fiction and westerns born Shirley Bell Hoffman. ... David Edward McDaniel (1944(?)-November 1, 1977) was a US science fiction author. ... Samuel Edward Konkin III (aka SEK3) was the author of The New Libertarian Manifesto and a proponent of the political philosophy which he called agorism. ... Cyril M. Kornbluth (July 23, 1923 - March 21, 1958 -- pen-names: Cecil Corwin and S.D. Gottesman;) was a science fiction author and a notable member of the Futurians. ... David Kyle is a New York-based fan since the earliest days of organized science fiction fandom. ... David Langford David Langford (born April 10, 1953, in Newport, Monmouthshire) is a British science fiction author and critic. ... Robert Augustine Ward Doc Lowndes (September 4, 1916 - July 14, 1998) was an American science fiction author and editor. ... TJ Lubinsky is a radio host and the executive producer of many PBS music telethon programs, including Doo-Wop 45, My Music: Superstars of 70s Soul, My Music: 50s Pop, and many others. ... Sandra Miesel is a medievalist and journalist. ... Sam Moskowitz (1920-1997) was an early fan and organizer of interest in science fiction and, later, a writer, critic, and historian of the field. ... Raymond A. Palmer (1910-1977) was the influential editor of Amazing Stories from 1938 through 1949, when he left publisher Ziff-Davis to form his own company. ... Emil Petaja (1915 - 2000) was a Finnish-American science fiction writer. ... Frederik Pohl (born November 26, 1919) is a noted American science fiction writer and editor, with a career spanning over sixty years. ... Murray Fletcher Pratt (1897–1956) was a science fiction and fantasy writer; he was also well-known as a writer on naval history and on the American Civil War. ... E. Hoffman Price was a writer who collaborated with H.P. Lovecraft on The Silver Key and its sequel, Through the Gates of the Silver Key Category: ... Tom Reamy (1935-1977) was an award-winning American science fiction and fantasy author and important figure in science fiction fandom. ... Frank M. Robinson (born 1926) is a science fiction and techno-thriller writer. ... Milton A. Rothman (1919, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – October 6, 2001, Wyncote, Pennsylvania) was an American science fiction writer and fan, as well as a nuclear physicist. ... William Rotsler (1926-1997), commonly known as Bill to his friends and fans, was an author of several science fiction novels and short stories; television and film novelizations; and a number of non-fiction works on a variety of topics, ranging from Star Trek to pornography. ... Julius Schwartz, editor for DC Comics Julius Julie Schwartz (June 19, 1915 - February 8, 2004) was a comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. ... Bob Shaw (December 31, 1931 - February 12, 1996) was a British science fiction author and fan. ... J. Michael Straczynski Joseph Michael Straczynski (born July 17, 1954) is an award-winning American writer/producer of television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. ... Betty Jo Trimble, born as Betty McCarthy, universally known as Bjo, is one of the most significant figures in the history of science fiction fandom. ... Author of A Handbook of Science Fiction and Fantasy. ... Wilson Tucker (born 1914) is an American science fiction writer and fan. ... Harry Warner, Jr. ... William Bond (Bill) Warren (born 1943) is an American film critic who has been particularly active in the science fiction community. ... Mortimer Weisinger (1915-1978) was an American magazine and comic book editor. ... Frank Frazettas cover illustration for Ted Whites Phoenix Prime Ted White (born February 4, 1938) is an American science fiction author and editor as well as a music critic. ... Walter Alexander Willis (1919-1999) was a well-known Irish science fiction fan, resident in Belfast. ... Donald Allen Wollheim (October 1, 1914 - November 2, 1990) was a science fiction writer, editor, and publisher. ...

See also

• Browncoat
• Cosmic Circle
• Whovian
• Down Under Fan Fund (a/k/a DUFF)
• Fanboy
• Fanspeak
• FidoNet Star Wars Echo
• First Fandom
• Furry fandom
• The Futurians
• Golden Gate Futurians
• Gaylactic Network
• International fandom
• Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS)
• MSTie
• National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F)
• Otaku
• SF^2 (San Francisco Science Fiction Society)
• Science fiction in Croatia
• Sverifandom (Sweden)
• Tolkien fandom
• TransAtlantic Fan Fund (a/k/a TAFF)
• Trekkie
• The Eye of Argon
• Category:science fiction organizations

Browncoat is a term from the science fiction Western TV series Firefly (and its big-screen sequel, Serenity). ... The long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who has developed a large fan base over the years. ... Fans of Janet Jackson, at Much Music in Toronto The word fan refers to someone who has an intense, occasionally overwhelming liking of a person, group of persons, work of art, idea, or trend. ... Fanspeak is the slang or jargon current in science fiction and fantasy fandom, especially those terms in use among readers and writers of science fiction fanzines. ... The FidoNet Star Wars Echo was a FidoNet echomail message forum distributed on bulletin board systems in the 1990s. ... First Fandom is an association of experienced science fiction fans. ... Shanda the Panda #12, an example of a furry comic Furry fandom is an artistic and literary genre that celebrates the humanization of animals, specifically in cartoons and comics. ... The Futurians were an influential group of science fiction fans, editors and writers. ... The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society or LASFS is a private club in North Hollywood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, California. ... The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society or LASFS is a private club in North Hollywood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, California. ... MSTie, rarely spelled MiSTie, is a term for a fan of the show Mystery Science Theater 3000. ... The National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F) is one of the worlds oldest fandom organizations. ... The National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F) is one of the worlds oldest fandom organizations. ... Overweight, unkempt, bespectacled and fantasizing about an anime heroine--a popular otaku stereotype. ... // Literature Authors Milena Benini Danilo Brozovic Marina Jadrejcic Tatjana Jambrisak Goran Konvicni Zoran Krušvar Igor Lepcin Darko Macan Kresimir Misak Dalibor Perkovic Zoran Pongrasic Zoran Vlahovic Aleksandar Ziljak Awards SFera award Gaia award Magazines and annual publications Futura Sirius Annual Collections of Croatian SF (see SFera) IstraKon annual collections... Science Fiction Fandom has been around in Sweden since the mid-1950s. ... Tolkien fandom is an international, informal community of fans of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially of the Middle-earth legendarium which includes The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion. ... Trekkie (or Trekker) is a term that in recent decades has been used to describe a fan of the Star Trek science fiction franchise. ... The Eye of Argon (TEoA) is an infamously bad heroic fantasy novella, written in 1970 by Jim Theis and circulated anonymously in science fiction fandom since then. ...

External links

• Jenkins, Henry. Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture. Routledge: 1992.
• Jenkins, Henry. Interacting with Babylon 5: Fan Performances in a Media Universe. University of Texas: 2001
• eFanzines
• Trufen.net, dedicated to "conversations between science fiction fans on all subjects"
• The Fanac fan history project
• Fanzine Bibliography
• THEN: A History of UK Fandom 1930-80 by Rob Hansen
• The Neo-Fan's Guide edited by Bob Tucker (1955) at eFanzines
• MarsDust - Fandom Lifestyles Webzine
• Open Directory category: Fandom
• Who's Who in SF Fandom
• The Geek Hierarchy
• Meme Therapy
• ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
• The Voices Of Fandom - Rare Historic & New Recordings From The World Of Sci-Fi Fandom