„ . '- , >■ £ • • FANCYCLOPEDIAi . "• ■' ' ■ <■ ■' ' . • ■ ■ . JOHN BRISTOL •, r-‘ FF LASFS Published by Forrest J Ackerman 1 \ . *r» LIMITED EDITION 250 COPIES COPY NO 0 PREPARED FOR The purpose of the Jb.ncyclopedia, not fully realized, is to define all expres­ sions, except nonce-words, which have an esoteric meaning in fantasy fandom, and to supply other information, such as that on Esperanto, which may he needed to understand what fans say, write, and do. It should ho remarked, however, that fans mako many allusions to material in prozines, fanzines, and other places, which no reference work could cover completely. Certain fields havo been ex­ cluded from the scope of the Eancyclopedia "because they are well taken care of elsewhere. While nicknames of fans and pet names of fan magazines are identified hero, biographies have heen left to the various ‘Who's Whos of fandom, and fan­ zines in detail to Dr Swisher's excellent S-F Check-List. Despite our efforts for accuracy and completeness, many errors and omissions will no douht he discovered heroin. The editor will appreciate receiving corrective information. It is sug­ gested that those who have little or no acquaintance with fantasy or fan activity read the articles on those subjects first, then look up, in the normal alphabeti­ cal place, expressions not understood which have been used in those two articles. It has seomed more efficient for the probable uses of this handbook, and economi­ cal of space, to give short articles on many subjects rather than long articles on a few broad subjects. To find a desired subject, look first under the word that you have in mind. If what you want is not there, try to think of other words re­ lated to it. So, if you want a summary of the history of fandom and do not find it under "history”, look under "fandom", where "First Fandom", "First Transi­ tion", etc, are your keys. A little practice in using the encyclopedia will make it easy to find what you want. Because "science-fiction" and "fan", used as ad­ jectives, practically define our universe of discourse, and are tacit of ex­ pressed modifiers of so many words, they have in most cases been ignored in de­ termining the alphabetical order. Thus "fan activity", for instance, will be found in the A's. A name in parentheses after a word or phrase' to bo defined is the originator of the term or of its use in fandom; whore this is fol­ lowed by a colon and another name, the second is the person who had most to do with making it part of the fan vocabulary. For example, "Baby" as an auto's name comes from the movie of Erich Maria Remarque's "Three Comrades", but the name was borrowed and given by Harry Dockwciler to the redoubtable vehicle owned by the Futurians. Asterisks scattered thru the text refer to tho Errataddendum at the back. This was originally planned as Full Length Articles Number Three: Some Beginnings on an Encyclopedic Dictionary of Fandom. In its present form it was an NFFF project, tho editor and publisher being brot together thru the agency of the NFFF. The manuscript was prepared by John A Bristol and submitted to the Futurians, Ackerman, Rothman, and Tucker for corrections and additions; it was then returned to Bristol who stenciled it, incorporating many of .the suggested changes, and bringing the information down to the end of 1943. The publisher is Forrest J Ackerman, Box 6475 Metropolitan Station, Los Angeles 55, Calif, Price, $1.50. First edition, 250 copies; of which 47 were ordered prior to assembly. ^EANCYCLOPEDIA*1 Copyright 1944 by John Bristol Spoer. FAHCYCLOFEDIA_______________________ 1._______________ ___________________ . r A. - ac A A - //hen Dr Swisher’s S-F Check List was ink, green being the official Lsp.ranto first published., fanzine editors scram­ color. bled to be alfabetically first, and such publications as the Aaanthor Argus were Ackesc - Aame given to the original radi­ prcduced. "a", published by Swisher, fi­ cal form of simplifyd spelng, like "U & nally secured first place, I r to b praps th 1st 2 men to go roket- ng to an xtra-galaktik planet wher a AAFA - The American ALA, an amateur press rekt ship is strandd." How abandoned. association. fan activity - Devoting time, energy, and Fvt Ack-Ack, Cpl Ack-Ack - .Wartime pename money to non-profit pursuits in the gen­ of Ackerman in writing for the Reception eral field of fantasy and fandom. It Center Alert and editing the Ft MacArthur includes reading, collecting, corres­ Bulletin (11 that fan magazine that the ponding, belonging to organizations, Army pays for11), of which marked copies writing, publishing, recruiting new were distributed thru fandom. Some of fans, visiting fellow-scientifiction- the imaginary incidents reported wore ists, perhaps living with them in a sci­ of fan interest, fannish names being em­ ence fiction house, and attending fan ployed: A sentry takes Pvt Earl Double­ gatherings. For membership in the FAJ-A, ton (from Singleton, of the psouicide) applicants must show "proof by creden­ for a ghost, etc. tial of their interest in fantasy ama­ teur activity, which shall consist of one of the following: (a) Contributions, Ack-Tmanesc - The grammatical practices followed by Forrost J Ackerman, and in in form of poetry, drawing, fiction, or non-fiction writing, published in two part, degree varying from fan to fan, by fantasy amateur publications not pro­ those in whom his cxampl has propagated. duced in the same city, (b) position as Several minor wars have been fot over editor or publisher of at least one is­ the question whether it should be used sue of a fantasy amateur publica­ or not, but it has gone on insidiously tion." spreading. Most fon pass thru a certain cy­ The term includes simplifyd clo of activencss: After getting famil­ spelng, scientificombinations, non- iar with the field they start taking on st©paragraph!ng, a colloquial style, ex­ projects right and left, not realizing cessive punnery wherever the opportunity that they’re building up to a peak that presents itself, rendition of quotations they haven’t time to maintain. Suddenly from others with all their typing pecu­ they announce that they must discontinue liarities and errors, using only one set all fan activity, except maybe subscrib­ of quotation marks around a series of ing to one or two fanzines and keeping 7/ords or f razes quoted from various up with one or two correspondents, be­ sources, employing the native names for cause activities of the outside world goografical terms ("Moskva, Deutsch, must take most of their time and energy. Coskoslovensk," etc) (that use of quota­ Some disappear from fandom at this tion marks illustrates the preceding point, but many others discover after a •point); and certain syntactical peculi­ while that they still need the intellec­ arities, which include omission of "of" tual companionship and moans of self- in "anothr th fans", and placing modifi­ expression in fandom and can find time to ers outside of verb frazes as in "He un- take on a little bit more activity, and doutlosly’d say so" instead of "H^’d un- so at length find a fairly constant level doutlesly say so." Mechanical charac­ that they can keep up, barring catastro­ teristics of the writings of Mirta For­ phes like getting drafted or married. st o and a few others arc the vogue typo- (Hot that there aren’t quite a number of ryter type face, the n^otric groon-and- GI’s and husbands keeping up a fair de­ brown typcribbon, and green pen and mimeo gree of activity.) ad - am 2 FAIJCYCLOPEDIa administration - The elected officers for relatcs very highly is debated, some a given year primarily, tho the term may maintaining that those under a certain include appointed officials. The ex­ youngness are not competent to dispute pression implies that they work in close with or judge their elders. The time a concert, which is usually the case. Sy­ person has been in fandom is sometimes nonymous with cabinet. referred to rather than physical ago in speaking of "young fans". advertising - Both classified and display ads are published in fanzines, more of­ agent - Agents are used by many pro auth­ ten on an exchange basis than paid ors, even the best established. Most for. The most common commodity adver­ agents require a reading fee from begin­ tised is another fanzine, in which case ning authors, and so act as profession­ authors and titles of articles are the al critic to the writer—one is seldom a chi'f inducement mentioned. There are good judge of his own work. For estab­ also advertisements of stickers, sta­ lished authors the agent, for a commis­ tionery, typeribbons, etc, organiza­ sion, serves the function of saving the tions, and fan gatherings. Display ads writer the trouble of taking manuscripts of a page or fraction of a page are around to the editors and putting tho often decorated with irrelevant art story across. Apparently personal con­ work, and sometimes tho appeal will be tact gets better results than sending the put humorously, as "Hi, Sucker,...." story in by mail, ifumerous fans have ■/ant ads are often placed for bits to been agents, and tho Futuriane moved in­ fill gaps in a collection, or for rare to editorships therefrom. items. For sales include tho samo kind of thing, sometimes an entire collection Aimless Publications - Chauvcnet's pub­ being offered. A considerable amount of lishing house trademark. Tis indicative trade results from these and swap ads. of the gentleman's philosophy of life.