Neofan

Synonyms:	newbie
See also:	feral
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A Neofan (or "neo") is someone who is new to fandom. The term is usually used in Science Fiction fandom.

Use of the term dates back to at least 1955, when it was published in The Neo-Fan's Guide by Bob Tucker, and has since been used in many fanzines and filksongs.

Examples of Use

Nancy Kippax remembers in Reminisce With Me/The Late '70s:

A funny sidebar regarding Leslye's created character, Sahaj: At a con, I think our table was next to Leslye's, or one of us was showing a neofan around and introducing her to the various zines available. Leslye had a zine with a cover illo of Sarek, Spock, and Sahaj. The newcomer pointed to it and said, "Well, that's Sarek, and that's Spock. . .but who is the kid?" To which Leslye replied, "That's Spock's son, Sahaj." With a look of amazement, the newcomer said, "Wow! I didn't even know Spock was married!" Truly. A tale we repeated quite often!"

A zine reviewer in Interphase #2 writes:

The Halkan Council is probably the best 'starter' zine for neo-fans, giving the low-down one what is going on in fandom."

Other Terms

One lesser known term for a new fan is "fledgling," which could be a brand-new fan in offline and online spaces:

I have one fledgling. She's ambivalent about fandom, though her first con experience was Virgule and she had a great time. I was nervous that she wouldn't and so I must confess I have had more fun at cons than this one, but I had some insight into how [M] must have felt at my first con.