This post is brought to you by The Cryo Game and Other Stories, a new collection by Jack Mackenzie. Nineteen stories ranging from Science Fiction to Fantasy to the uncategorizable. No matter the genre, Jack brings his quirky ideas and classic style to the telling. (This is a well kept secret but JM started in the fanzines too!)
Fanzines are just that, magazines made by fans. They offer a place for new writers to see their ideas and words in print even if they don’t make any money. The fanzines began as part of First Fandom, that movement that sprang from Hugo Gernsback’s letter column in Amazing Stories. As Lester Del Rey puts it in World of Science Fiction (1979):
…While some were crude efforts by very young fans, many were excellent examples of amateur publishing. Few of them were able to use letterpress printing, as the leading ones had done previously; but most moved away from the purple ink of the hectograph to the much more readable results of mimeography…Some of these fanzines were quite ambitious…
Many professional Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror writers started off in the fanzines, either as writers, artists or editors. I have divided up the list by occupation but most of the writers also served as editors and artists. It is a loose system.
As you will see the list is huge (and in alphabetical order) so I will only be featuring some of my favorites. This is in part the nature of fandom. There are pages and pages (and so unreadable in the old Gestetner purple) of reviews of other fanzines and other forms of really boring fanac that I won’t be looking at. (Fanzines have sub-categories like Perzine (personal zine), Genzine (general zine), Clubzine (the fanzine of a fan organization), APAzine, (based on the Amateur Press Association model), Newszine, (current events), and the dreaded Adzine, (advertising). I prefer the Genzines because they have the interviews and fiction.) Just about everybody had one, even Roger Ebert of film review fame. If you’d like the whole enchilada, go here.
The Writers
Some of the writers who were fanzine publishers and writers include Karen Anderson, Poul Anderson, Manly Banister, Ruth Berman, James Blish, Robert Bloch, Leigh Brackett, Ray Bradbury, Marion Zimmer Bradley, John Brunner, Algis Budrys, Kenneth Bulmer, F. M. Busby, Linda Bushyager, Lin Carter, Jack L. Chalker, John Christopher (C. S. Youd), Juanita Coulson, Don D’Ammassa, Avram Davidson, Grania Davidson, Chan Davis, L. Sprague de Camp, Lester Del Rey, Gordon Eklund, Harlan Ellison, E. Everett Evans, Jack C. Haldeman II, Joe Haldeman, Frank Herbert, Joe Hensley, Lee Hoffman, Robert E. Howard, Ben Indick, C. M. Kornbluth, David Langford, Fritz Leiber, Lilith Lorraine, H. P. Lovecraft, Edward W. Ludwig, Richard A. Lupoff, George R. R. Martin, John B. Michel, Michael Moorcock, Charles Platt, Frederik Pohl, Jerry Pournelle, Tom Reamy, Duane W. Rimel, William Rotsler, Milton A. Rothman, Eric Frank Russell, Sam Sackett, Robert J. Sawyer, Bob Shaw, Larry Shaw, J. Vernon Shea, Robert Silverberg, Will Sykora, Oswald Train, Bjo Trimble, Bob Tucker, Lisa Tuttle, Dave Van Arnam, Basil Wells, James White and Richard Wilson.
The Editors
Many of the Pulp editors cut their chops in the fanzines. Some of these are quite famous such as Cosmos and DAW’s Fanciful Tales of Time and Space. Future editors included Forrest J. Ackerman, John Boardman, Ted Carnell, Terry Carr, W. Paul Ganley, Walter Gillings, Allen Glasser, William L. Hamling, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Charles Hornig, Damon Knight, Robert A. W. Lowndes, Gerald W. Page, Ray A. Palmer, Julius Schwartz, David A. Sutton, Mort Weisinger, Ted White and Donald A. Wollheim.
The Historians
Some of the commentators in the fanzines would grow up to write nonfiction histories and other books about SF/F/H. These include Thomas D. Clareson, Donald B. Day, Howard DeVore, Ted Ditky, Malcolm Edwards, Jim Harmon, David A. Kyle, Sam Lundwall, Robert A. Madle, Sam Moskowitz, and John J. Pierce.
The Artists
There were plenty of artists who got their start in the fanzines, drawing covers and illustrations like Hannes Bok who illustrated Ray Bradbury’s Futuria Fantasia. Some like Dan Adkins and Joe Staton had their own before moving onto comic books. Others like Stephen Fabian began there and continued to draw for them even after reaching a certain level of fame.
Here are some of my favorites:
The Fantasy Fan (1933-1935) edited by Charles Hornig
In many ways the fanzine that all other fanzines wanted to be. Hornig got stories from Pulp pros that were rejected like H. P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith and Robert E. Howard’s “Gods of the North” which later became “The Frost Giant’s Daughter”. Hornig got scooped quickly to become editor of Thrilling Wonder.
Fantasy Magazine (1933-1937) edited by Julius Schwartz
This genzine was another fanzine that is filled with famous names like Seabury Quinn, Forrest J. Ackerman, Donald A. Wollheim, Ray A. Palmer and stories like C. L. Moore and Forrest J. Ackerman’s “Nymph of Darkness”, a Northwest Smith story. Schwartz (like Mort Weisinger) would end up editing pro mags then DC Comics.
The Phantagraph (1934-1946) edited by Donald A. Wollheim
This fanzine has letters from H. P. Lovecraft, excerpts from Edgar Rice Burroughs, and tons from young fans like John B. Michel, Cyril Kornbluth and others. Wollheim would become one of the biggest SF editors of all time, even creating a paperback house with his initials, DAW Books.
The Scientificiton Fantasy Review (1937-1938) edited by Walter Gillings
This genzine is the best look into the British SF scene with writers you’ll know like John Wyndham, Arthur C. Clarke, John Christopher and others you might not but should like Festus Pragnell. Their outlook on American magazines is quite refreshing and not always kind. Gillings would edit Tales of Wonder, a British Pulp.
Futuria Fantasia (1939-1940) edited by Ray Bradbury
This fanzine is full of early stories by Henry Hasse, Damon Knight, Henry Kuttner, J. E. Kelleam and Lyle Monroe (That’s Robert A. Heinlein.) Plus Bradbury and art by Hannes Bok. I don’t know if that Bradbury guy ever came to anything…
The Acolyte (1944-1945) edited by Francis T.Laney and Samuel D. Russell
This genzine is the Weird Tales version of the SF stuff above with writing by H. P. Lovecraft, Anthony Boucher, Duane Rimel, Clark Ashton Smith, Fritz Leiber, E. Hoffman Price, Bob Tucker and Lilith Lorraine. Some early Cthulhu Mythos art too.
The Fanscient (1947-1951) was edited by Donald B. Day
This clubzine/genzine features David H. Keller, Henry Kuttner, Darrell C. Richardson, Forrest J. Ackerman and the poetry of Lin Carter. Carter got his start as a poet. Thongor is years away.
Necromantikon (1950-1951) edited by Manly Banister
A fanzine with fiction by Banister, Astara Zimmer Bradley (guess who), Lilith Lorraine, Stanton A. Coblentz and Lin Carter’s story “King of the Golden City”. (Thongor is getting closer.) Manly did a few stories for Fantastic after the Pulps died but fades away into fan publishing.
The Pulp Era (1955-1971) edited by Lynn Hickman
What’s not to like about a genzine that examines the dying magazines (in 1955 most SF titles had gone digest or died out.) There are articles by Robert A. W. Lowndes, John Philifent, Donald A. Wollheim, and letters from writers like Harlan Ellison and Jim Harmon.
Vector (1958-?) edited by various including E. C. Tubb, Michael Moorcock, Malcolm Edwards and Christopher Fowler
This long-running clubzine is another wonderful glimpse into British SF. The first editor was E. C. Tubb, who sets the bar high.
Amra (1959-1982) edited by George Scithers, Liz Wilson and Dan Adkins
Perhaps my favorite genzine of all-time, George Scithers featured the stars of Sword & Sorcery from Fritz Leiber and L. Sprague de Camp to Poul Anderson and Michael Moorcock. It was in these pages that Sword & Sorcery got its name. The art is great too. Reading this one really feels like experiencing history before your eyes.
Eldritch Dreamquest (1960) edited by Peter Mansfield
Another fun genzine with fiction by Michael Moorock and art by James Cawthorn. Early Tolkien articles too.
Vorpal Glass (1960-1963) edited by Karen Anderson
This fanzine was published by Poul Anderson’s wife, Karen. So no surprise, material by Poul but also Fritz Leiber, Ray Nelson, Margaret St. Clair, Miriam Allen de Ford, Betsy Curtis and Anthony Boucher.
Centaur/Kaleidoscope/Mirage (1960-1971) edited by Jack L.Chalker
A series of fanzines edited by Chalker, you will find they improve as he moves along. David H. Keller, Ray Nelson, MZB, August Derleth, Edward Bryant, Martin Greenberg, Donald Fryer, Gordon R. Dickson, Ramsey Campbell, etc.
ERB-Dom (1960-1976) edited by Al Guillory, Jr. and Camille Cazedessus Jr.
This fanzine was the only one I ever saw as a kid. As an ERB fan, it was amazing. I especially recommend it for the artwork. Lots of Frazetta.
Inside/Riverside Quarterly (1964-1993) edited Jon White and Leland Sapiro
Another long-running clubzine out of Saskatoon, SK. Kris Neville, Algis Budrys, Jim Harmon, Alexei Panshin, Janet Fox, Reginald Bretnor, John Sladek, Samuel R. Delaney and Thomas Disch. Wow, and that’s just the first year or two.
The Tolkien Journal (1965-1972)/Orcrist (1968-2019) edited by various editors
This clubzine (associated with Orcrist, another Tolkien fanzine) is one of the early Tolkien commentaries and artwork. John Boardman, Poul Anderson, L. Sprague de Camp, Tim Kirk, Sandra Miesel and Wendy Pini. I enjoy this because it is in the days before the movies and even most of the Brothers Hildebrandt paintings.
Trumpet (1965-1981) edited by Tom Reamy
This genzine wins the prize for best fanzine ever. Reamy gives a professional level mag with the best artists and writers. Trumpet ran George Barr’s comic version of Poul Anderson’s The Broken Sword. (An entire post on that here.) Marion Zimmer Bradley, Hannes Bok, Andrew J. Offutt, Ray Bradbury, Jerry Pournelle, Don Hutchison, Phyllis Eisenstein, Robert E. Howard, Jeff Jones, Vaughn Bode, David Gerrold, Tim Kirk, Stephen Fabian, Harlan Ellison, Ronald Anthony Cross, Howard Waldrop and Jim Fitzpatrick.
Granfalloon (1968-1972)/Karass (1974-1978) edited by Linda Busyager and Suzanne Tompkins
These newszine features Sandra Miesel, Don D’Ammassa, Stephen Fabian, Tim Kirk, Janet Fox, Ron Miller, Jack Gaughan and others.
Luna/Luna Monthly (1962-1977) edited by Frank and Ann Dietz
This newszine features great interviews including Edmond Hamilton, Leigh Brackett, Ursula K. Le Guin, R. A. Lafferty, Jack Williamson, Philip Jose Farmer, Anne McCaffrey and others.
Outworlds (1970-1998) edited by Bill Bowers
A genzine with art by Stephen Fabian, Terry Austin, Tim Kirk, James Cawthorn and Taral Wayne (a fav!). Articles by Robert A. W. Lowndes, Bob Tucker, Sandra Miesel, Gregory Benford, David Gerrold, Ted White, Dean R. Koontz, Randall Garrett and Piers Anthony.
Outre (1975-1981) edited J. Vernon Shea
This genzine is another Cthulhu Mythos haven with early S. T. Joshi. This mag was edited by one of Lovecraft’s apologists. Shea wrote the rebuttal to Damn Knight’s scathing “The Tedious Mr. Lovecraft” in Fantasy & Science Fiction. You will also find a review of The Silmarillion and an interview with Leigh Brackett.
Lan’s Lantern (1976-1998) edited by Lan Laskowski
This long-long-running genzine (Think about it, that’s twenty-two years! Most fanzines failed after one or two issues.) you’ll find Mike Resnick, Ben P. Indick, Thomas A. Easton, Howard DeVore, Ben Bova, Lloyd Biggle Jr, Gerald W. Page, Hank Reinhardt, Gordon R. Dickson, Spider Robinson and many more. It’s fun to explore in these pages, getting to see what some of your favorites were up to back in the day.
Well, there’s my favs. Or at least some of them. I’m surprised I didn’t run across Robert Bloch who was quite involved in fanzines. He even did a feature on them for the Pulps.
Gallery
Conclusion
I understand where all these famous writers and editors are coming from. I had my own apprenticeship in the fan publishing world staring with the Funny Animal APA Rowrbrazzle. I did a number of small press books and booklets too. These products aren’t created in a sense that they are somehow less than professionally published work. Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror fans know the ghettos those genres have been subjected to over the decades. All have equally proven to be profitable for regular publishing too. When you look at the highest grossing films (an ever-changing list) you see Science Fiction with aliens and another with dinosaurs, superheroes, Space Opera and Disney cartoons (one an animal fantasy). Only Titanic can claim some small amount of mainstream historical elements though it is Pulpy too. All these ideas could be found in the old Pulps and fanzines. Thank goodness they aren’t printed in purple Gestetner any more.
Sword & Sorcery from RAGE machine Books
When it comes to fans turned writers, I always think of Chad Oliver. I imagine that it’s because — even though I read them 50 years after the fact — I encountered him first through his letters in Planet Stories, before I ever discovered that he had become an SF author.
Somehow, even though I read tons of SF, I hadn’t read any of Oliver’s work until this century. It was fun discovering that this guy who wrote letters to Planet Stories ended up writing SF.
He became a ptofessional anthropologist too.
Yes, a many of several talents.