This text has many uses. As a teaching tool, Science Fiction Fandom can be used to introduce literary students of the genre to the subculture built upon that genre. For the academic interested in science fiction, this book creates an awareness of the incredible amount of non-academic scholarship regarding the genre. For the neophyte interested in joining the subculture's activities, it can serve as a guide to the various aspects of participation and an introduction to some of the subculture's members, history, traditions, mores, and jargon. If you are a longtime science fiction fan, this book unquestionably belongs in your collection.
...this is a book for which we have to be thankful. Science Fiction Fandom will make a fine starting point for any student of SF who wants to know what fandom is about.
Product Description
Many prominent science fiction writers, artists, and editors began as s.f. "fans." This is the first book to survey fandom's history, manifestations, and accomplishments, including clubs, fanzines, and conventions. The 24 essays are divided into sections that consider the following: the types of people who become fans and the satisfactions they receive; the development of fandom in America; fandom in Europe and the Orient; social interactions in the form of local clubs or wider-drawing conventions; and long-term results in the form of beginning professional careers in writing or publishing, exercising critical attention, and so forth. The writers of these essays have all participated in the activities they describe. The book also contains a glossary, an annotated bibliography, and an index. Overall, this book gives a detailed look at the most important facets of a fascinating subculture that has contributed significantly to the direction of modern science fiction.
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