fanzine n.

a magazine for fans, esp. those of science fiction

SF Encyclopedia

Fancyclopedia


SF Fandom

  • 1940 L. R. Chauvenet in Detours (#5) Oct. 6 Louis Russell Chauvenet

    We hereby protest against the un-euphonious word ‘fanag’ [sic] and announce our intention to plug fanzine as the best short form of ‘fan-magazine’.

  • 1940 L. R. Chauvenet in Detours (#5) Oct. 6 Louis Russell Chauvenet

    There isn’t much room for fanzine reviews in this issue. We liked Fanfare especially, and were quite satisfied with Spaceways, VoM, LeZ, Pluto, Futurian Observer, and Fantascience Digest, which seem to have been about the most worthwhile affairs to reach us lately.

  • 1941 B. Tucker in Le Zombie Mar.–May 3 Wilson Tucker

    Specula March, 10¢, bi-monthly from 1426 W. 38 St., Los Angeles, Cal. You can’t go wrong with this 76 small-page fiction fanzine.

  • 1942 ‘H. H. Holmes’ Rocket to Morgue 135 Anthony Boucher

    But infinite numbers of pulp paper scientifiction magazines and those curious mimeographed fan bulletins that are known by the portmanteau name of fanzines, a complete set of Fowler Foulkes, almost as reverently bound as Hilary’s, a goodly lot of Shiel and Stapledon.

  • 1944 J. B. Speer Fancyclopedia 33/2 Jack Speer bibliography

    Fanzine (Chauvenet), an amateur magazine published for fans. The first fanzines were club organs, published mainly for members and a few non-locals who might be interested. First important fanzine was The Time Traveller, 1932, which was absorbed by Science Fiction Digest and the combined mag shortly renamed Fantasy Magazine. Subscription fanzines blossomed thereafter at a quickening rate, and in 1937 came the newsie and around 1940 the individ fanzine.

  • 1952 A. J. Budrys Everybody Gets in the Act in Planet Stories Nov. 111/1 (letter) page image Algis Budrys bibliography

    The advertising value of fanzines to promags is negligible, for the simple reason that anyone in sufficient contact with STF to read fanmags knows all about the prozines.

  • 1955 R. de Soto Revolving Fan in Amazing Stories June 75 page image Roger De Soto bibliography

    Fanzines are, as their name implies, magazines put out by fans. Such professional publications as Amazing and Fantastic are known as ‘prozines’.

  • 1962 D. Franson Key to the Terminology of Science-Fiction Fandom 18 Donald Franson bibliography

    Zine, magazine, fanzine or prozine.

  • 1966 L. Carter Handy Phrase-Book in Fannish in Worlds of If Oct. 66/1 page image Lin Carter bibliography

    Fan magazines themselves are called fanzines (the word was coined by Louis Russell Chauvenet) or fanmags—and the plural is ‘fmz’, but don’t ask me how you pronounce it, because you don’t.

  • 1970 E. Ward in Rolling Stone 2 Dec. 26/1

    The word fanzine is a term taken from science-fiction fandom, an old, bizarre, and respected avocation of many thousands of people around the world.

  • 1976 P. Anthony What of Earth (1989) 277

    I arranged with the editor of an amateur genre magazine (fanzine).

  • 1979 M. Z. Bradley Stormqueen! (1991) p. v Marion Zimmer Bradley bibliography

    And so once, in a fanzine, I said firmly that if I should ever write a fantasy, my protagonist would be a man belonging to the alien world.

  • 1988 S. McCrumb Bimbos of Death Sun i. 9 Sharyn McCrumb bibliography

    Maybe a few dozen hours of collective neofans, all reading him fanzine press at once, would cure him of these paternal instincts.

  • 1995 Sci Fi Entertainment Feb. 35/2

    A following that encompasses five fan clubs, seven dedicated fanzines, and fan sections in all the major on-line services.

  • 2001 Locus June 76/3

    He was also the publisher-cum-editor of…the most important French fanzine of the times.


Research requirements

antedating 1940

Earliest cite

L. R. Chauvenet 'Detours'

Research History
Mike Christie submitted a 1952 cite from a letter to Planet Stories by Algis Budrys.
Geri Sullivan submitted a 1944 cite from the Fancyclopedia.
Ruth Berman submitted a 1942 cite from H.H. Holmes "Rocket to the Morgue".
Keith Stokes submitted a 1941 cite from Bob Tucker and Everett Evans' fanzine "Le Zombie".
Cory Panshin submitted a 1970 cite from Rolling Stone.
Hal Hall located a quote in Sam Moskowitz' research files from the October 1940 issue of Louis Russell Chauvenet's fanzine, "Detours". Alistair Durie located a copy and provided a cite from it. This appears to be the coinage of the term.

Earliest cite in the OED: 1949.

Last modified 2020-12-16 04:08:47
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.