Fanspeak
Encyclopedia
Fanspeak is the slang
or jargon
current in science fiction and fantasy fandom
, especially those terms in use among readers and writers of science fiction fanzines.
Fanspeak is made up of acronyms, blended words, obscure in-jokes, pun
s, coinages from science fiction novels or films, and archaic or standard English words used in specific ways relevant or amusing to the science fiction community.
, Renaissance Fair
participants, and internet
gaming
and chat
fans, due to the social and contextual intersection between the communities.
Common examples of widespread usages are:
A few fannish terms have become standard English, such as fanzine
, short for "fan magazine", coined by Russ Chauvenet
in 1940, which swiftly replaced the older term fanmag.
Conversely, some fannish terms have been made obsolete by changes in technology (the decline of the mimeograph has doomed corflu for "correction fluid
"), cultural changes (a femmefan [female fan] is no longer unusual) or the mere passage of time (slan shack for "a house where a bunch of fans live together" has faded, since fewer young fans have read Slan
by A. E. van Vogt
).
Fanspeak is so interwoven into the fabric of fandom that it is difficult to discuss fandom without resorting to fannish terms such as fanac "fannish activity" or filk music (originally a typo for "folk music").
Other notable terms include:
(For more terms, see the links to glossaries, below.)
and convention
-attending subcommunity (sometimes distinguished as trufen or "true fans") from fans of science fiction movies and television shows (mediafen). The division of the community into trufen and others is rejected by many fans as inherently unfannish.
Today, subsets of fanspeak define subcommunities within fandom.
For example, ringers for "fans of The Lord of the Rings
" is used primarily by fans of the Peter Jackson
films (see also Tolkien fandom
).
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
or jargon
Jargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
current in science fiction and fantasy fandom
Science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or "fandom" of people actively interested in science fiction and fantasy and in contact with one another based upon that interest...
, especially those terms in use among readers and writers of science fiction fanzines.
Fanspeak is made up of acronyms, blended words, obscure in-jokes, pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
s, coinages from science fiction novels or films, and archaic or standard English words used in specific ways relevant or amusing to the science fiction community.
Evolution
Many terms used in fanspeak have spread to members of the Society for Creative AnachronismSociety for Creative Anachronism
The Society for Creative Anachronism is an international living history group with the aim of studying and recreating mainly Medieval European cultures and their histories before the 17th century...
, Renaissance Fair
Renaissance Fair
A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire, or Renaissance festival is an outdoor weekend gathering, usually held in the United States, open to the public and typically commercial in nature, which emulates a historic period for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent theme parks, others are...
participants, and internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
gaming
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
and chat
Online chat
Online chat may refer to any kind of communication over the Internet, that offers an instantaneous transmission of text-based messages from sender to receiver, hence the delay for visual access to the sent message shall not hamper the flow of communications in any of the directions...
fans, due to the social and contextual intersection between the communities.
Common examples of widespread usages are:
- fen as the plural of fan
- fannish "of or relating to fans and fandom"
- gafiate (verb), an acronym for "getting away from it all" (i.e., leaving fandom, temporarily or permanently)
- fafiate (verb), an acronym for "forced away from it all" (i.e., being forced to leave fandom for personal or professional reasons)
A few fannish terms have become standard English, such as fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
, short for "fan magazine", coined by Russ Chauvenet
Russ Chauvenet
Louis Russell "Russ" Chauvenet was a champion chess player and one of the founders of science fiction fandom.-Chess:...
in 1940, which swiftly replaced the older term fanmag.
Conversely, some fannish terms have been made obsolete by changes in technology (the decline of the mimeograph has doomed corflu for "correction fluid
Correction fluid
A correction fluid is an opaque, white fluid applied to paper to mask errors in text. Once dried, it can be written over. It is typically packaged in small bottles, and the lid has an attached brush which dips into the bottle...
"), cultural changes (a femmefan [female fan] is no longer unusual) or the mere passage of time (slan shack for "a house where a bunch of fans live together" has faded, since fewer young fans have read Slan
Slan
Slan is a science fiction novel written by A. E. van Vogt, as well as the name of the fictional race of superbeings featured in the novel. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine Astounding Science Fiction . It was subsequently published in hardcover in 1946 by Arkham House, in an...
by A. E. van Vogt
A. E. van Vogt
Alfred Elton van Vogt was a Canadian-born science fiction author regarded by some as one of the most popular and complex science fiction writers of the mid-twentieth century: the "Golden Age" of the genre....
).
Fanspeak is so interwoven into the fabric of fandom that it is difficult to discuss fandom without resorting to fannish terms such as fanac "fannish activity" or filk music (originally a typo for "folk music").
Other notable terms include:
- BEM "bug-eyed monsterBug-eyed monsterBug-eyed monster is an early convention of the science fiction genre. Extraterrestrials in science fiction of the 1930s were often described as grotesque creatures with huge, oversized...
" - BNF "Big Name FanBig Name FanAmong science fiction, comic book, media and fantasy fans, a Big Name Fan is a member of a fandom who is particularly well-known, liked and celebrated for their writings in fanzines, semi-professional magazines and blogs; or for other contributions such as art and fanfiction...
" - FIAWOL "fandom is a way of life"
- LOC "letter of comment"
- serconSerconSercon is a word used to denote "Serious and Constructive" science fiction criticism, as well as the science fiction fanzines in which such criticism is published...
"serious and constructive" (originally a pejorative; more recently, a non-judgmental term for the more serious end of the fannish spectrum) - SMOF "Secret Master of Fandom"
(For more terms, see the links to glossaries, below.)
Sociology
Like other forms of jargon, fanspeak serves as a means of inclusion and exclusion within the fannish community. In the 1970s, the use of traditional fanspeak separated the fanzineFanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
and convention
Science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
-attending subcommunity (sometimes distinguished as trufen or "true fans") from fans of science fiction movies and television shows (mediafen). The division of the community into trufen and others is rejected by many fans as inherently unfannish.
Today, subsets of fanspeak define subcommunities within fandom.
For example, ringers for "fans of The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
" is used primarily by fans of the Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
films (see also Tolkien fandom
Tolkien fandom
Tolkien fandom is an international, informal community of fans of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially of the Middle-earth legendarium which includes The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion...
).
External links
- Fancyclopedia I by John Bristol (Jack SpeerJack SpeerJohn Bristol Speer was an attorney, practicing law for over 60 years; a judge; and a member of the Washington House of Representatives....
), the Fantasy Foundation, 1944 - Fancyclopedia II published 1959
- Fancyclopedia III (under construction) Joe Siclari
- Overview of Fanspeak This was originally posted in rec.arts.sf.fandom in 1999 by Cally Soukup, summarizing a talk by speech therapist Karyn Ashburn at MiniconMiniconMinicon is a science fiction and fantasy convention in Minneapolis usually held on Easter weekend. Started in 1968 and running approximately annually since then, it is one of the oldest science fiction conventions in the midwest United States...
. - "The Language of Science-Fiction Fan Magazines," Bruce Southard, American Speech, Vol. 57, No. 1. (Spring, 1982), pp. 19-31
Glossaries
- Dr. Gafia's Fan Terms by rich brown
- Fandbook No. 1: A key to the terminology of science-fiction fandom by Donald Franson for the National Fantasy Fan Federation, 1962. A classic glossary that predates laser printers, the internet, and media fandom.
- FanSpeak Dictionary of the Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association
- Fanspeak Glossary at ReadersAdvice.com
- Fanspeak Glossary at the NCF Guide
- The Neo-Fan's Guide edited by Bob Tucker (1955) at eFanzines. Another classic glossary that predates laser printers, the internet, and media fandom.
- The Conbledegook File