A History of Canadian SF Fandom
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| Title: | A History of Canadian SF Fandom |
| Creator: | Garth Spencer |
| Date(s): | |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom: | Science Fiction Fandom |
| Topic: | Fandom History |
| External Links: | A History of Canadian SF Fandom - Introduction, Archived version |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
A History of Canadian SF Fandom is a multi-part article by Garth Spencer. It has the subtitle "I Guess You Had to Be There."
Parts
- A History of Canadian SF Fandom - Introduction, Archived version
- Canadian SF Fandom History (30s & 40s), Archived version
- Canadian SF Fandom History (50s), Archived version
- Canadian SF Fandom History (60s), Archived version
- Canadian SF Fandom History (70s), Archived version
Introduction
People who come to SF conventions now, or enter an SF club today, may not know (or care) that there were a few decades of history in the subculture before they came along. But (reason one) I happen to think there's a practical benefit for them, when (and I do mean when) clubs dissolve due to apathy or petty bunfighting, or trouble and strife afflicts SF conventions; these things happen periodically to any volunteer associations, whether they are service clubs or hobby groups, and there are constructive lessons to be learned from previous events, some of them practical and remedial and some of them amusing.
Personally, I entered a small local fan club in Victoria, British Columbia about 1979 or 1980. I have been active in Canadian and Northwest fandom since then, once going to the extent of publishing a newszine for Canadian fandom for three and a half years. From the first (reason two), like other fans who became interested mostly in fanzines, I perceived that fans occupy themselves with many different interests and activities - film and TV series, the ongoing story worlds that some authors return to again and again, costuming, filking, live-action or fantasy role-playing games, SF and fantasy art, Regency dancing, the Society for Creative Anachronism, or running conventions - and like other fans, it seemed to me that many of my contemporaries lack some background information, or common points of fannish reference, from which they could benefit.