Beyond Fandom: Fans, Culture & Politics in the 20th Century

In response to stupid and dismissive media generalizations about science fiction fans, Rob Hansen has prepared this collection of brief brief biographies and essays that tell – both in his words and in their own – the stories of fans who have made some impact on the mundane world. Not so much traditional SF-inspired careers in writing, editing, publishing or Big Science, as the less predictable options indicated in the contents list below: Foreword 1. The Anti-Fascist 2. The Pacifists 3. The Warriors 4. The Lesbian Pioneer 5. The Voice of America 6. The Futurists 7. The Painters 8. The Record Company 9. The Folkzines 10. The Aldermaston Marcher 11. The Political Prisoner 12. The Beat Generation 13. The Film Critic 14. The Film Director Swami 15. The King of Greenwich Village 16. The Friend the Beatles Wrote For 17. The Nazi Occupation Movie 18. The Playwright 19. The Kings of Pornography 20. The CIA Pilot 21. The Counterculture 22. The Musicians 23. The Music Mogul 24. The Punk Promoter 25. The Senior Civil Servants 26. The Anti-Nuclear Activists 27. The Government Minister 28. The Trans Icon 29. The Political Scientist 30. The Pope’s Astronomer 31. The Professor of Law Afterword Appendix: As Others See Us Book length over 73,000 words. The cover shows British SF fan Norman Shorrock with a BBC camera at the 1957 London Worldcon. Photographer: Peter West. ALL PROCEEDS FROM SALES OF THIS PAPERBACK GO TO THE TRANS-ATLANTIC FAN FUND. See taff.org.uk.