Faan Fiction 1930-2020 - an exploration - Rob Hansen

Oct 6, 2026

Upload by Franzy

Explores the evolution of fan fiction within SF fandom from the 1930s through the 2020s, focusing on authors, forms, and the purposes fan writers served. Traces major shifts across decades—early developments, wartime survivors, drama and allegory, changing 1960s themes, parody and performance in the 1970s–80s, nostalgic 1990s work, and the rise of 21st-century fan fiction. Includes foreword discussion of editorial approach and contextual limitations when reprinting historical pieces.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages183

Reading Time4 h 42 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

Foreword

Defining Fan Fiction

The Beginning (1930s)

In Time of War (1940s)

Drama and Allegory (1950s)

Days of Change (1960s)

Parody and Performance (1970s and 1980s)

The Nostalgic Nineties (1990s)

Fan Fiction in the 21st Century

Conclusions

The Chronarian Gambit

Appendix

Notes

Faan Fiction 1930-2020: an exploration Rob Hansen Published by Ansible Editions 94 London Road, Reading, England, RG1 5AU [ae.ansible.uk](ae.ansible.uk) Copyright © 2021 by Rob Hansen . Examples of fan fiction copyright © the individual authors or their estates as dated in Original Appearances, which constitutes an extension of this copyright page . This Ansible Editions ebook published June 2021; slightly updated December 2021 . Cover artwork adapted from Rob Hansen’s cover for his fanzine Epsilon \#7, July 1981 . Ebook ISBN 978-1-913451-78-3 Trade paperback ISBN 978-1-4717-7469-0 The right of Rob Hansen to be identified as the author/compiler of this work has been asserted in accordance with the British Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 . No portion of this book may be reproduced by any means, mechanical, electronic or otherwise, without first obtaining the permission of the copyright holder . This free ebook is exclusive to the unofficial TAFF website at [taff.org.uk](taff.org.uk. If you enjoy reading it)[. If you enjoy reading it](taff.org.uk. If you enjoy reading it), a donation to TAFF is a fine way to express your appreciation . Contents Title Page Foreword 1. Defining Fan Fiction 2. The Beginning ( 1930s) The Call to Arms Fanopolis 3. In Time of War (1940s) The Survivors Scoop!! 4. Drama and Allegory ( 1950s) The Alien Arrives The Goon Defective Agency 5. Days of Change (1960s) Witch Switch Dragnit 6. Parody and Performance (1970s and 1980s) One Tun Mischief in Space One Hundred Years Ago 7. The Nostalgic Nineties (1990s) Fiawol, My Lovely Novacon Considered as a Helix of Semi-Funny Skits 8. Fan Fiction in the 21st Century Breendoggled How I Met ... Conclusions The Chronarian Gambit Appendix Whatever Happened to Faaaanfiction? Fan Fiction in Ansible Editions Ebooks Notes Original Appearances Foreword One aspect of fandom only lightly touched on by me in Then was fan fiction. By which, of course, I mean fiction about fans and/or fandom. This is a thread that has been woven through SF fandom since it began, enduring almost to the present day, and so is worthy of consideration in that light. I’ll be looking at the people who wrote it and all its various forms and the purposes to which they were put. Inevitably, the quality of the writing varies wildly, with that of those who later went on to write professionally usually being a cut above the rest. A surprising amount of fan fiction is already available in various Ansible Editions ebooks. Where I reference these I’ve put [AE] after them to indicate that fact and a full list of same can be found at the rear of this volume. Similarly [fan] appears after those available at [fanac.org](fanac.org), and [fia] for those available on my own website at [fiawol.org.uk. Where possible](fiawol.org.uk. Where possible) the pieces of fan fiction reprinted herein to illustrate various types and forms – all by UK fans – were specifically chosen from those not already available. As a result, most will be things the majority of readers won’t have encountered before. While I’ve done work on US fandom – see Challenging Moskowitz and the section of my website devoted to the Los Angeles fandom of the 1940s (which I may rework into an ebook at some point*)– my primary focus remains UK fanhistory, and this volume is part of that ongoing mission. This also keeps the project to a manageable size. * Added to the TAFF site ebook library in December 2021 as Bixelstrasse: The SF Fan Community of 1940s Los Angeles.– RH/DRL Fan fictions that comment on contemporary issues in fandom and/or feature fans of the day rely on familiarity with those particular issues and fans to achieve their effect, which is why you can lose a lot when removing such things from their historical context and reprinting them decades later. However, now that works of fan history such as Then, Homefront, and Then Again are av

FAQs

What scope and timeframe does the book cover?

The book covers fan fiction across decades, beginning in the 1930s and extending through the 21st century, with the overall framing period stated as 1930-2020.

Why does the author describe the work as an “exploration” rather than a history?

The author states it is an attempt to grapple with an aspect of fandom largely ignored by most fan histories, while also acknowledging that it places materials in historical context along the way.

How does reprinting older fan fiction affect interpretation?

The author explains that fan fiction tied to contemporary issues and specific fandom figures can lose meaning when removed from its original historical context, even though later availability of related fan history helps bridge that gap.

Oct 6, 2026

Upload by Franzy