The Communication of Fan Culture: The Impact of New Media on Science Fiction and Fantasy Fandom

By Betsy Gooch of the Georgia Institute of Technology

THE FIRST TWELVE PAGES

Probably the best site to help me start. I've gotten through 10 pages or more and have already WRITTEN, in my dusty logbook, 7 pages worth of notes about this. 4 of those pages are my own thoughts and gatherings about fandom and rough drafts of possible questions and ventures I should persue. 3 of those pages are completely filled with notes from this thesis.

Basically what I've gotten from the first 12 pages is what fandom is, what it involves and how it has evolved. There have been three generations of study: 1950s-1980s: the beginning of scholary investigation on fandoms, 1990-1999: media fans, 2000 to present: cyberfandom. However even the concept of fandom predates all of this. Nevertheless, the thesis gives me great information about what each generation entails and includes great examples of fandoms and prominent scholars for each era.

1950s-1980s:
Literary works, fanzines (unofficial fan magazines)

• Harry Warner Jr.
  Fandom historian and a fan himself. Noted the increasing of the blurred lines and crossover between science fiction and fantasy genres

1990-1999
More visual texts: film, television, comics/graphic novels. Media fans/mediafen who are starting to "shape the face of science fiction and fantasy on television through their dedication and inspiring love for the show and genre." Crossing over from just a personal hobby and obsession into the realm of reality and production (large scale fan campaigns and support)

• Forest Ackerman
  Coined term: sci-fi. Devoted fan turned professional writer and editor, investigated the progression of sci-fi as a genre in literature, film and TV
• John Tulloch
  Explains the relationship between producers and the audience. Investigates growing influence, power and authority of fans on the production of siginifcant shows (Doctor Who, Star Trek). This has grown more evident with the developement of techonology and communication
• Camille Bacon-Smith
  Talks about the fan community and the growing amount and influence of female fans (fanfiction helping them play out their fantasies and desires)

2000-Present
Cyberfandom, emphasis on the role of the internet for both the fans and how fandom operates.

• Henry Jenkins
  Explains relationship between fans with the television and film productions with the media culture (Production compant/actors etc.).
  "Textual Poachers": the emergence of ratists and authors who taker original material and create their own texts. This is said with affection though - in a positive light.
  "Fandom: a community of hardworking authors and artists trying to become closer to their favourite stories, films, television via reproduction."
  Significant emphasis on the growth in participatory nature of fandom.

Fan culture studies can further be divided into 3 areas of research:

• The historical documentation of individual fandoms
• Exploration of the cultural reasoning for and issues that occur due to fan activites
• The analysis of fan productions as cultural artifacts.

• (historical aspect of fandom -> consumer analysis of fan culture -> culture research on reasons behind fan productions)

Most of the notes I've just typed up are direct quotes from the thesis. I just summarised so that it can be understood more easily in layman terms. For more in depth information and a general great, geeky read, click this link or just the title for the full thesis. I don't claim to own any of this material or ideas.