Fancyclopedia

What would the science fiction, fantasy, comics and horror genres be like without an organized fandom like Fancyclopedia? Just look at the mystery novel and thriller scene. Plenty of readers--maybe even more readers than in our favorite genres--but no sense of camaraderie, no snark, no amateur scholarship, no passion, no manifestos, no save-my-show campaigns, no real cons. In short, no fun. So let us all praise fandom--that curious and odd phenomenon that truly started well over a century ago with the first amateur press associations, which expanded to include even H.P. Lovecraft--and let us also steep ourselves in it and extend its reach.

You can perform these essential functions by visiting the Fancyclopedia page, which is an edited wiki for all things fannish (if indeed editing is not a total contravention of the wiki philosophy). Here the wettest-behind-the-Spock-ears "neo" (a reference to what we once called newbies, not Keanu Reeves) can learn of all the great history of fandom, its buzzwords, scandals, heroes and villains. Who was the infamous Claude Degler? What is the mysterious liquid called "corflu"? What is the relationship between the "gostak" and the "doshes"? All will be revealed at Fancyclopedia!

There are omissions. For instance, I didn't see any reference to Bob Tucker's famous libational encomium, "Smoooth!", either under Tucker's entry or with an entry of its own. But the Fancyclopedia page is a work in progress, so maybe you can be the one to remedy such gaps.

If this isn't enough faanish material for you, you'll find a link to the voluminous Fanac Fan History Project.

Do you believe that "Fandom Is a Way of Life"? Or do you subscribe to the notion that "Fandom Is Just a Goddamn Hobby"? Either way, you'll want to visit the Fancyclopedia.