http://cache.io9.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/io9.com.png http://io9.com/tag/fandom http://io9.com/tag/fandom

In January 1937 the Leeds chapter of the Science Fiction League had its first real convention — which might be the first science fiction convention held anywhere in the world. And now, just in time for the 75th anniversary, a treasure trove of new photos has been discovered. Including the young Arthur C. Clarke. (That's him in the middle, between Walter Gillings and Ted Carnell.) About 20 people attended, and the festivities included a "jam session." The photos are a fascinating look back into the early days of fandom. [Fiawol via Boing Boing] More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5872816&view=rss&microfeed=true

Alan Tudyk is obviously deeply attached to the character of Firefly's late, great Hoban "Wash" Washburne. He spent a lot of time coming up with his own Wash story ideas — including the big reveal that Wash has tons of tattoos from the Alliance's toughest prisons. In a terrific new interview with SFX, Tudyk talks about how much of himself Joss Whedon put into Wash, and how much Tudyk wanted to tell the stories of what Wash did in the war, and other stuff. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5844022&view=rss&microfeed=true

Nerd rage gets a bum rap. People think that angry nerds are just freaking out about minor continuity mistakes, or taking stuff too seriously. But sometimes, geeks get mad for good reason, and when people assume nerd rage is trivial, it's part of an overall process of belittling geeks. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5837388&view=rss&microfeed=true

Sn0otchie created this cute drawing and posted it on DeviantArt, and from there it proceeded to rip Tumblr in half. This is basically double-layered slash, people. Can you identify all the references? We'll still love you even if you can't. (Thanks for the tip, Kaila Hale-Stern!) More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5821817&view=rss&microfeed=true

The best thing about cosplay in the 1970s was that everyone alive was secretly cosplaying — they just didn't know it. Here's an assortment of retro cosplay radness that wouldn't be entirely out of place in Studio 54. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5790530&view=rss&microfeed=true

You're not a geek just because you like science fiction, I know that much, and you're not a geek just because you saw The Lord of the Rings (each movie three times, in the theaters, including the midnight rerelease?)...maybe that makes you a geek. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5787630&view=rss&microfeed=true

The next time you enjoy your huge anime DVD collection, spare a thought for the pioneers of anime fandom stateside, who started out with next to nothing. A photo-essay over at Fanboy.com shows a meeting of the Cartoon/Fantasy Organization (CFO) which met in the basement of a Polish Democratic Club on St. Mark's Place in New York. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5762808&view=rss&microfeed=true

Should the Deadpool movie be PG-13 or R? We all have strong opinions on the subject of just how outrageous the Merc with a Mouth should be allowed to get. But not as strong as the character's creator, Rob Liefeld. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5705490&view=rss&microfeed=true

It looks like the British are sick of invading. A new San Diego-scale comic convention has been announced, and it will be taking place in London. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5701460&view=rss&microfeed=true

I stumbled upon Harry Potter fan fiction shortly after the sixth book in the series arrived. I was quickly addicted. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5692511&view=rss&microfeed=true

T Campbell's long-running webcomic Fans! is a love letter to fans and fandom of all stripes. When his plucky band of fans aren't gaming or playacting or reading scifi, they're taking down government conspiracies, militant time travelers, and body-swapping scientists. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5688781&view=rss&microfeed=true

What if Margaret Atwood gave up her career as a novelist and turned her attention to drawing superhero comics? She gives us a taste with her drawings of Twitter users as superpowered incarnations of their user names. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5674708&view=rss&microfeed=true

Project Rho has a large variety of star maps that show what real-world stars are famous scifi locations. For major geekery, check out the Star Trek Universe and the spreadsheets of data about the stars in Dune. [Via Project Rho] More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5670091&view=rss&microfeed=true Long before there were websites like this one, there were fanzines — lovingly created hand-crafted tributes to all things science fictional, in which everybody could express their viewpoints. The Atlanta Journal Constitution has a wonderful profile of Cuyler "Ned" Brooks, a former NASA engineer who's been creating fanzines for 50 years. Says Baen Books' Toni Weisskopf: More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5626847&view=rss&microfeed=true

How does a young man deal with his father's titanic legacy — one that defined a genre and affected a country? Gene Roddenberry's son looks for answers in a new documentary. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5527838&view=rss&microfeed=true

One thing ensures that fans of a book series, TV show, or movie will remain legion long after new material has faded. Just one thing separates Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Firefly from Lost, The X-Files, and Buffy. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5526001&view=rss&microfeed=true

Not the biggest fanbase — that's a totally different ballgame. No, we're talking about the most passionate, enthusiastic devoted fans: Doctor Who, Twilight, Firefly? Who wins? More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5518040&view=rss&microfeed=true

Just days after a lightsaber-wielding flash mob invaded Bristol, a slew of Starfleet Officers descended upon London on to celebrate the release of Star Trek Online. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5473677&view=rss&microfeed=true

At 1 PM on Saturday, February 13, 100+ Jedi knights mysteriously appeared and annexed Bristol's Cabot Circus in the name of the Rebel Alliance. Sadly, the Jedis turned on each other, creating a bloodbath this galaxy has never seen. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5471898&view=rss&microfeed=true

Wednesday's announcement of Dollhouse's cancellation came as no surprise to most, but that doesn't mean that we're not here to help those for whom the news means emotional turmoil. Let us walk you to happiness, one step at a time. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5405067&view=rss&microfeed=true

Fandom Secrets is based on the popular cathartic art project Post Secret, but the secrets revealed on these digital postcards involve writing fan fiction, lusting after Nathan Fillion, and Doctor Who. [Fandom Secrets via Warren Ellis] More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5345386&view=rss&microfeed=true

Most fans of science fiction and comic books just want to enjoy their hobby in peace, or maybe one day don a costume and save the world. But every now and then, a fan turns to the Dark Side instead. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5330751&view=rss&microfeed=true

With scenes from Avatar and New Moon screening today, it's no surprise that the line to get into SDCC's screening room was littered with tents and sleeping bags. We learned the secrets of extreme line-waiting from the folks in front. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5321461&view=rss&microfeed=true

Josh Koury's documentary "We Are Wizards" delves into the genre of Wizard Rock. As homespun as the fan culture it celebrates, it's an endearing snapshot of the freaks and geeks who've made a place for themselves in the Potter fan-verse. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5318035&view=rss&microfeed=true

Just a few weeks ago, we endured condescending articles about how girls don't like Comic-Con. This week, we hear that the worst part of Comic-Con is going to be all the female fans of Twilight. Wait, what? More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5312056&view=rss&microfeed=true

Star Trek has long been described as a cult phenomenon…but is it an actual cult? Some anthropologists think so. Following the example of anthropologist Margaret Mead, they lived among the natives and studied their rituals-that is, they went to Star Trek conventions and fan clubs. Here's what they found. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5272441&view=rss&microfeed=true

Fox's publicity department have told a Dollhouse fansite to stop reporting rumors, because doing so harms the show. Which, of course, made said site go public with the request. Result? Bad publicity for Fox. Oops. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5267350&view=rss&microfeed=true

Fans get so passionate about how JJ Abrams has changed Star Trek because oftentimes Star Trek has changed our lives in some way. Why is this franchise so life-transforming while others are not? More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5253042&view=rss&microfeed=true

The best part of falling for a show is discovering that the actors in it are just as shamelessly fannish as you are. Lo and behold, there are a lot more actor geeks than you think! More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5128208&view=rss&microfeed=true

A bomb scare in the UK turned out to not be the work of a rogue terrorist, but just a fanboy and his homemade props. Police overreaction, or final proof that fandom can be deadly? More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5122630&view=rss&microfeed=true

We used to have geek chic, which made emo kids hip and Web 2.0 dweebs rich. But fashions have moved on and now fans are the newly-discovered authentic underdogs in pop culture. Their obscure desires are being converted into ironic commodities, their tastes transformed into sellable goo, and their dark, secret haunts opened up to the light of media frenzy. Here are the seven signs that fans have become glam, and that the world of fandom will never be the same safe place to hide with your action figures again. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=378274&view=rss&microfeed=true

History is fuzzy about when the first science fiction convention actually happened, but we do know that in 1936 some fans including David Kyle and Frederik Pohl took a train from Philadelphia to New York City to talk about all things scifi with another group of fans at the home of Milton A. Rothman, who rivals Forrest J Ackerman for the biggest fanboy in the world award (Rothman had formed The Boys' Scientifiction Club in 1930). However, a group of British fans also got together in the same year to make plans for an actual convention in 1937, and later claimed that a group of fans meeting at a home does not a convention make. So even before the internet, there was squabbling over details and probably even convention spoilers. Some things will never change. In honor of our coverage of WonderCon, we present to you the history of Connage. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=359238&view=rss&microfeed=true

The upcoming Michael Gondry comedy starring Jack Back and Mos Def Be Kind Rewind features no-budget recreations of films like Back to the Future, 2001: A Space Odyssey, RoboCop, and Ghostbusters. In fact, their RoboCop looks better than the original film did. Jack Black really nails Peter Weller's robo-monotone. That got us thinking about all those fan-made films out there on the internets. Here are the top five fan films that didn't make us lose our lunch. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=329934&view=rss&microfeed=true

Forrest J Ackerman is one of those people that you've probably never heard about unless you're a dyed-in-the-wool fan of all things science fiction. However, the man created science fiction fandom virtually one handed, starting back in 1930. Ackerman just celebrated 91 years of scifi fanatacism, and he doesn't show any signs of slowing down. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=326432&view=rss&microfeed=true

Pity fans of Sci-Fi Channel's Battlestar Galactica who plan to join the show's writing staff on picket lines this Friday lured by rumors that a lengthy strike may result in the show's fourth and final season being aired in full earlier than initially expected and without the traditional mid-season break. Talking last week, show producer and showrunner Ron Moore announced that the scripts for the final ten episodes of the season weren't even started before the strike hit, making an early showing extremely unlikely. Here's hoping that channel executives, like Cylons, have a plan. Flickr Image by immolation scene More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=321493&view=rss&microfeed=true

The Bad Astrology And Universe Today forum has a hilarious list of the Top 5 Sci-Fi Aircraft That Would Fall Like A Rock. Turns out the laws of aerodynamics still apply, even in the future. Image by Franz66 More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=320767&view=rss&microfeed=true