THE FINNISH FANDOM all you need to know about it Pasi Karppanen What is this crazy Finnish fandom that seems to be bursting with energy, keeps organizing free cons, and now and then is even coaxed to organize the Worldcon? This article aims for an overview of the Finnish fandom. It is originally based on Ben Roimola’s “Short Look at Finnish Fandom” from 1995. A previous version of the article, updated by Pasi Karppanen and Shimo Suntila, was published in Cosmos Pen’s previous English special in 2003. The origins of Finnish fandom unoffi cial sf/f, anime and role playing ning and made Finnish fandom what clubs and zines. it is today. The fi rst signs of a phenomenon Finnish fandom has all the charac- Another thing that should be called fandom can be seen in Fin- teristics of fandom everywhere else. mentioned when speaking of Fin- land during 1950’s. However, it took There are societies, zines, awards, nish fandom is that there has never over two decades before fandom as cons, gatherings and all the other been that big a diff erence between we know it started to emerge. The things that together make up the science fi ction and fantasy. Every- reasons for this are various. In 1950’s thing that’s called fandom. On the body of course understands the dif- Finland was barely getting back on other hand, there are also couple of ferences between genres, but basi- its feet, economical resources were features in Finnish fandom that make cally the fans and writers of science limited and urbanisation was only it somewhat diff erent from other fi ction and fantasy, as far as Finnish beginning. This meant there were no countries. fandom is concerned at least, have real chances of an organized fandom never been separate groups but a to get born. What makes it what it is part of one big, more or less happy The fi rst Finnish science fi ction family. convention was organized by the One thing that has always been cha- This is in a great extent due to Students’ Union at Turku University racteristic for Finnish Fandom has the circumstances in which Fin- in 1969, but fandom as we know it been its ability to work together. The nish fandom was born. In late 70’s wasn’t born until the Turku Science thing is, there has never been a ”Fin- and early 80’s both genres were Fiction Society was founded in 1976. nish Science Fiction Association” nor just as marginal and the fans of sf/f It started to publish its fanzine, Spin will there most likely ever be. The Fin- naturally teamed up. Therefore one in 1977, which marks the birth of a nish fandom is a collection of many should remember that although the fi rst Finnish sf/f zine. diff erent sf/f societies spread all over societies mentioned in this article are Presently there are almost twenty the country, all with their own cha- called science fi ction societies, most sf/f clubs spread around the country racteristics and history. Together they of them are science fi ction and fan- and a dozen more-or-less regularly form a tight little community that has tasy societies. The same thing applies published zines, plus numerous pulled together from the very begin- to fanzines as well. Cosmos PEN 2/06 9 Probably because of this, the cur- ”The Finncon brand”, so to speak, from them, however, there are much rent generation of writers – again, was created in the fi rst Finncons held smaller and informal gatherings for when it comes to fandom at least – in Helsinki in late 80’s and early 90’s. the fandom. Parties of all sorts, video are a rather heterogeneous group. The Finncons are supposed to be big evenings. summer picnics and so The same people write science fi c- events, without entrance fee and forth. In most of the towns with an tion and fantasy and in some cases concentrate on literature. So far most, sf/f club there are also monthly, in drawing the line between genres if not all, guests of honour have been some cases even weekly meetings of is very diffi cult, if not impossible. writers instead of television fi gures. fandom. In fact, many writers consider the There’s of course a simple explana- These meetings, or ”mafi as’”as they whole subject of drawing lines bet- tion for that. For the price of a world are also called, usually take place in a ween genres restricting and comple- class author the most you could get bar or a cafe. Whereas most parties, tely unnecessary. from the world of audiovisual sci-fi is video evenings and so on are mostly The third thing one should men- ”the third storm trooper from right”. for people who already are more or tion when speaking of Finnish Still, the main reason is the fandom’s less ”inside” the fandom, mafi as are fandom are the Finnish sf/f magazi- desire to concentrate on literature. free and open to everyone. This is nes. The fact is there isn’t one single This has proved to be a very well- usually the best place to get to know commercial sf/f magazine published working formula and so far all Finn- the local fandom if you have just in Finland. There have been many cons have been successes. Over the moved to town. attempts to publish one, but sooner years Finncons have gotten bigger, or later, for one reason or other, they bigger and bigger, becoming a Book fairs and smaller cons have been cancelled. major cultural event in Finland. For a In their place, however, there’s a number of years now the number of Another important venue for fandom wide range of fl ourishing, professio- attendees have been in thousands. to make sf/f known are the national nal looking fan-, semi- and prozines. In 1995 Finncon was for the fi rst book fairs. Currently there are two Many of them are very slick, printed time held outside Helsinki, in the of them. The fi rst of them was the on glossy paper and looking just as town of Jyväskylä. From there on the Turku Book Fair held each fall. From good as any professional sf/f maga- task of arranging Finncon has rota- the very beginning Turku Science Fic- zine with a content to match. The ted from town to town. In 1999 for tion Society has had a booth at the zines such as Portti, Tähtivaeltaja, example Finncon was the fi rst time fair and has also arranged sf/f rela- Spin, Finnzine and Kosmoskynä are in Turku. ted programme during the fair. This even for sale at big bookstores. One of the secrets behind Finn- has proven to be a great way to make con’s success is the one mentioned science fi ction and fantasy known Finncons earlier, Finnish fandom’s ability to outside fandom. work together. Finland is, after all, a A few years back Turku Book Fair The fi rst logical step to start pre- small country and it is small wonder got a rival of sorts, the Helsinki senting the Finnish fandom would Finncons are such big events. That is Book Fair, which quickly became probably be the Finncon, the most why Finncons have always been Fin- the bigger of the two. Most of the important Finnish national con. Finn- nish fandom’s joint eff ort. The main big publishing houses are now not cons are big events, have been so responsibility has of course always at Turku but at the Helsinki Book from the very beginning. been on the town that arranges the Fair. The people at Helsinki fandom In most respects the Finncons are con, but they wouldn’t be possible have also co-operated from the very like any other big con in Europe or without everyone doing their share. beginning with the fair organization. USA, with lots of programme going Naturally, Finncons wouldn’t be For a number of years now Helsinki on simultaneously, panels, lectures possible without money, and over fandom has had their own booth and other program items, guest of the years the Finnish con organi- at the fair and the ”Science Fiction honour’s giving speeches and auto- zers have gotten very good at gathe- Sunday” as a part of the offi cial pro- graph sessions. On Saturday night ring funds from government grants gramme. there’s the offi cial con party with a and looking for sponsors and other In Helsinki, there’s also the Täh- masquerade contest. co-operation partners. For example tivaeltajapäivät (Star Rover Day). The one thing that sets the Finn- Finncon X, the tenth Finncon, held in Details of the fi rst Star Rover Days cons apart from foreign cons, howe- Turku in 2003, was also Baltcon and are shrouded in mystery, but in cur- ver, is that they are free. Yes, that’s Eurocon. In 2004 Finncon was held in rent scale it has been arranged at right. There’s no entrance fee what- Jyväskylä together with Animecon, least twice, in 2002 and 2005. In the soever to them. Since Finncon ‘89, making it a huge as well. In 2006 it’ is Finnish scale, Star Rover Day could one of the main principles of the Helsinki’s turn again. probably be called a ”mini-con”, the Finncon has been that everyone inte- number of attendees being only a rested should be able to attend.