Numbered Fandoms
| Synonyms: | numerical fandoms, numbered fandom eras |
| See also: | Timeline of Science Fiction Fandom, The Wave Theory of Slash |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Numbered Fandoms theory was first introduced by fanhistorian Jack Speer in his 1939 essay Up To Now. It described the history of U.S. science fiction fandom as a series of numbered eras, as sf fans started organizing clubs and producing science fiction fanzines. The initial list included three fandom eras, but the author and other fans later revised and expanded the list. Some older fans in the Internet era still refer to themselves as members of one of these fandom numbers, but according to the Canadian Fancyclopedia, the business of numbering fandoms fell out of favor in the 1960s.
"First fandom" has various meanings, but in the 1970s, typically referred to traditional (not Star Trek, but mostly print novels and short stories) science fiction fandom, especially retrospectively referring to the perceived Golden Age of sci-fi and its communities in the 1930s.
Date Ranges
From Fancyclopedia:
- 1930-33: Eofandom era
- 1933-36: First Fandom era
- October 1937-October 1938: Second Fandom era
- September 1940-early 1944: Third Fandom era
- 1944: Third Interregnum
- 1944-1947: Fourth Fandom era
- 1947-mid-1950: Fifth Fandom era
- 1951-May 1953?: Sixth Fandom era. Later numbered fandoms are contested.
- May 1953–??: Sixth Interregnum/Seventh Fandom. Harlan Ellison prematurely declares Seventh Fandom.
The view from the Ninth
Ninth Fandom member and zine editor John Thiel describes the numbered fandoms thusly:
First Fandom--the organization of scientific societies and science fiction literary societies and the promotion of contact among such societies, in the form of amateur press publications. Chief spirits were Charles Burbee and Francis T. Laney.
Second Fandom--the innovative approach to fandom, the attempt to find more ways and means for science fiction fandom to grow and progress. Chief spirits were Jack Speer and Algernon Blackwood.
Third Fandom: the consolidation of fandom through conventions and organizations such as the National Fantasy Fan Federation. Chief motivators were Sam Moskowitz and Forrest J Ackerman.
Fourth Fandom: The more fluid and progressive approach to fandom via the Fantasy Amateur Press Association. Chief in this new fandom were Robert Bloch and Bob Tucker.
Fifth Fandom: The new Fanzine Fandom, characterized by a plethora of fanzines increasingly in the able hands of people skilled in fan activity.
Sixth Fandom: Also referred to as "sex fandom", these were people promoting social activity among fans. There was Andy Young and his people, and Larry Stark, Walt Willis and Lee Hoffman.
Seventh Fandom: An Avant-garde movement in fandom which sought to infuse what fans read into their fan activity. They believed in any innovation being of use and value.
Eighth Fandom: The stabilizing element, highly dominated by third fandom, who seemed to be trying to re-establish themselves further up in the process, to the vociferous argumentation of many fans. Leading lights were Moskowitz again, James Taurasi, and H.L.Gold. This was thought to perhaps represent the final stage of fandom, until a stir began and Colin Cameron and Vowen Clarke announced they were commencing Ninth Fandom. Ninth Fandom was to outlast any science fiction bust period (such as we now have, with only three magazines) and transmit fannish lore into the future. Eventually Ninth Fandom would be replaced by Tenth Fandom, which would be the restorative fandom bringing back all fandom of the past. Perhaps this was too ambitious, some said. But there it was, and the concept of Ninth fandom can never be diminished.
Some of the assumptions made in this view of various eras were overly generalized or described phenomena that are out of date and/or only applied to North America (such as science fiction magazines not being popular, but in China, they are still relatively mainstream).