Jan MacNally

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Fan
Name: Jan MacNally
Alias(es):
Type: fan, fan club organizer, cosplayer
Fandoms: Star Trek, Star Wars
Communities: Austrek, Star Walking Inc, Melbourne Science Fiction Club
Other:
URL:
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Jan MacNally as a Klingon (photo supplied by Jan)

Jan MacNally is an Australian science fiction literature and media fan, author, fanzine editor and former committee member of several Victorian SF clubs and conventions. She wrote her first SF story, The Well, while she was still in primary school.

Jan speaks of her background:

I’ve been interested in science fiction all my life, reading SF literature, watching SF films and TV series, and even writing a few of my own original SF sagas. I read hefty tomes on the history of science fiction and stumbled across the works of E. E. “Doc” Smith (The Lensman series), thanks to my older brother. I read seminal works by H G Wells, Asimov, Bradbury, Norton, but it was when I was about 12 or 13 and first read Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey that I became very serious about both SF and fantasy (the Pern books are an interesting combination of both genres). I later discovered SF films, watching repeats of classics, and so many more. I watched the usual SF TV shows including Lost in Space, Thunderbirds, UFO, Space: 1999, V, and countless others. I also amassed a diverse collection of reference books and cinema posters. Later I began collecting soundtrack scores because I loved listening to music from films. [1]

Jan served on the executive committee of Star Walking Inc. and several of its convention committees, plus celebratory/anniversary banquet committees; and is a past and current member of Austrek, Melbourne Science Fiction Club, and Star Walking Inc (honorary lifetime member). She is also a current member of Imaginarium Entertainment (cosplay charity group), and 501st Legion – Knightfall Garrison (Victorian chapter of world-wide Star Wars costume charity organisation).

Watching 2001: A Space Odyssey (1969) and Planet of the Apes (1968) made me realise how groundbreaking SF films were becoming, more sophisticated in terms of their themes, settings, characters, direction, and special effects than the often shaky spfx offerings of 1950s-60s film. It wasn’t until I saw Star Wars (1977) for the first time in early 1978 (before it had numbers and was part of a franchise) that I realised this was what I had been waiting for – this incredible mixture of fun, adventure, dazzling special effects, SF themes and classic hero journey elements, cutting edge editing, cinematography, costumes, sets, and oh, that marvellous, sweeping symphonic score by John Williams! I wrote SF stories (among other genres) but my need for a creative outlet to share my passion with other people, aside from my family, went unfulfilled. At high school I was considered a nerd, an intelligent one, granted, but still a nerd. Where were my “people”? [1]

Fanac

Jan was actively involved in fandom during the 1980s and 1990s before taking time out to raise her family, returning to fandom again from 2018 onwards. She was a member of the Victorian Star Trek club Austrek, including membership secretary during the 1980s, as well as being both a member of Star Walking Inc. and serving on its executive committee from the late 1980s into the 1990s. She was also on the editorial team for Star Walking Inc.’s The Force newsletter from 1992, ending her time there as editor in chief in 1999.

She recently rejoined both Austrek as a member and the Melbourne Science Fiction Club (the latter in a committee capacity during 2023-2024), and in 2024 volunteered as a general committee member in Austrek.

Sometime during 1987 I wrote an article for the Austrek newsletter The Captain’s Log about the music of Star Trek, entitled “Klingon Music Academy”, focussing mainly on the Star Trek film scores by Goldsmith and Horner, to which a member, Craig Hooper (a fellow soundtrack enthusiast) replied. As a result of that budding epistolary friendship, I was voted onto the Austrek committee at a general meeting. I became Membership Secretary later that year, a role I retained for a few years.


My active involvement with Austrek as a member continued until 1993 when I was lured away to join the Force (Star Walking Inc). I was also a member of MSFC (Melbourne Science Fiction Club) which I joined during late 1993/early 1994.[1]

Zines

An accomplished, prolific writer and published author, Jan contributed fan fiction stories to the Austrek fanzine Spock (Star Trek: TOS zine) during the late 1980s, including:

She also wrote:

Awards

Jan was nominated for Best Fan Writer for her semi-autobiographical story “Deserts of Vast Eternity” in:

Conventions

Jan recalls some convention experiences:

Purely by chance, or because I shopped regularly at Minotaur Books in Melbourne city, I saw a flyer advertising Aussiecon 2, the 43rd World SF convention (1985). My initial reaction was: There are SF conventions? There had already been 42 of these? Why hadn’t I ever heard about them? I was excited and scared by the idea of attending this Worldcon, being shy and not knowing anyone else, but I decided to go because one of the guests of honour was Anne McCaffrey, award-winning author of the Dragonriders of Pern series, which I absolutely loved.


So, as Scout once said in To Kill a Mockingbird, “Thus began (my) longest journey…”


1985 – August 22-26, Aussiecon 2 (43rd World SF Convention) was held at the original Southern Cross Hotel, Melbourne. I attended this convention mainly to meet one of my favourite s/f and fantasy authors, Anne McCaffrey (Dragonriders of Pern series) and Frank Herbert (Dune series). I was incredibly fortunate to get several books personally signed by both authors (this was back in the days when they were still alive and, in Ms McCaffrey’s case, willing to sign). I don’t remember much else about this convention aside from queueing to get books signed and attending a few author talks. I did get a beautiful art print signed by Michael Whelan (featuring Killashandra from The Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey). Mr Whelan won the Best Professional Artist award that year...


1987 – Austrek’s TrekCon 3 at Sheraton Hotel, Melbourne – I attended this Austrek-organised convention and wore a beautifully crafted Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan Starfleet uniform that my sister Marion made for me (because I’m not a very good machine sewer although I can hand sew okay). I stayed overnight at the hotel, met a few other Austrek/Star Trek fans, and participated in the costume parade...


For a short time, owing to my MSFC connections, I was part of the Constantinople committee for the combined National Media and Literature Science Fiction Convention, which was held 1-4 April 1994 at the Southern Cross Hotel in Melbourne. I was nominated for the 1993 ASFMA Best Fan Writer award, and 1994 Ditmar Best Fan Writer award (neither of which I won, but being nominated was an honour). I resigned from the Constantinople committee prior to the con happening, when I was invited to join the Star Walking Inc. committee by director Shane Morrissey. This was a much better fit for me creatively and personally.[1]

Photos of Jan

Photos supplied by Jan

  • Jan as a Starfleet officer in 1987

  • Jan as a Starfleet officer in 1987 at Trekcon 3.

  • Jan in a SHADO Moonbase costume for Zencon 2 (1988).

  • Jan in 1989 at Star Walking Inc. convention, wearing a Dale Arden inspired dress.

  • Jan as a Klingon at the second SW convention in 1993.

  • Jan as Imperial Officer (2019) with 501st Legion Knightfall Garrison.

  • Jan as Queen Armidala (2023).

Jan's Gallery of Varied Fanac

Photos supplied by Jan

  1. ^ a b c d Jan MacNally, email to Geoff Allshorn, 16 September 2024.
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