Fantasy Amateur Press Association
Encyclopedia
The Fantasy Amateur Press Association or FAPA ("FAP-uh") is science fiction fandom
's longest-established amateur press association
("apa"). It was founded in 1937 by Donald A. Wollheim
and John Michel
. They were inspired to create FAPA by their memberships in some of the non-science fiction
amateur press associations, which they learned about from H. P. Lovecraft
.
Like other APAs, FAPA is primarily an agency for distributing to its members publications published by its members at their own expense. FAPA has "mailings" every three months. Members are required to be active in some way — writing or publishing — and produce at least eight pages of activity a year. There are annual elections (August) of a secretary-treasurer and official editor. Other officials have included Official Critics, a Laureate Committee, President, Vice-President, and ballot counters. The first two positions were abandoned by the mid 1940s, but a teller for the annual officer elections continues to be appointed by the secretary-treasurer. In 2009, the positions of President and Vice-President were also eliminated. The President Emeritus is the author Robert Silverberg
, who was the last serving President and who has been an active member of FAPA longer than any other current member.
FAPA's original constitutional limit was 50 members to accommodate publishers using hectograph
s. There were 21 members listed on the roster of the first mailing in August 1937; it took until the November 1938 mailing to fill the 50-member roster. The membership limit was raised to 65 in 1943 and has remained at that level ever since.
The early years of FAPA were stormy with party politics and sociological feuds (as recounted in the late Jack Speer
's pioneering fan history, Up to Now). In 1947, Speer reformed the constitution, and the Insurgents quashed the last inactive OE, Elmer Perdue. Since then official troubles have mostly not disturbed FAPA, and red tape has been held to a minimum. The constitution was again revised in 1958 (also by Speer) to incorporate amendments, bylaws, and practices adopted since 1947. Another major revision occurred in 2001 under the oversight of Robert Lichtman (Secretary-Treasurer since 1986 and still holding that office), clarifying and conforming constitutional requirements with actual practice.
During the '50s and '60s FAPA was so popular and membership so sought after that the waiting list grew to monumental proportions, for a period of time exceeding the number of membership slots on the FAPA roster. A waiting list fee was instituted to cover the cost of sending the Fantasy Amateur to so many fans awaiting membership, and a requirement that waiting listers periodically acknowledge receipt of the Fantasy Amateur was begun in order to weed out those who lost interest during the long wait. By the '70s the waiting list became much smaller, and in recent years (since the mid '90s) has disappeared altogether. Additionally, the number of members has also shrunk as existing members died or otherwise dropped off the roster. As of February 2011, there were 32 active participants.
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...
's longest-established amateur press association
Amateur press association
An amateur press association is a group of people who produce individual pages or magazines that are sent to a Central Mailer for collation and distribution to all members of the group.-Organisation:...
("apa"). It was founded in 1937 by Donald A. Wollheim
Donald A. Wollheim
Donald Allen Wollheim was an American science fiction ' editor, publisher, writer, and fan. As an author, he published under his own name as well as under pseudonyms, including David Grinnell....
and John Michel
John Michel
Field Marshal Sir John Michel GCB, PC was a British Army officer.-Military career:Educated at Eton College, Michel was commissioned into the 64th Regiment of Foot in 1823. In 1835 he was appointed Aide-de-Camp to General Sir Henry Fane in India...
. They were inspired to create FAPA by their memberships in some of the non-science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
amateur press associations, which they learned about from H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
.
Like other APAs, FAPA is primarily an agency for distributing to its members publications published by its members at their own expense. FAPA has "mailings" every three months. Members are required to be active in some way — writing or publishing — and produce at least eight pages of activity a year. There are annual elections (August) of a secretary-treasurer and official editor. Other officials have included Official Critics, a Laureate Committee, President, Vice-President, and ballot counters. The first two positions were abandoned by the mid 1940s, but a teller for the annual officer elections continues to be appointed by the secretary-treasurer. In 2009, the positions of President and Vice-President were also eliminated. The President Emeritus is the author Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg is an American author, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple nominee of the Hugo Award and a winner of the Nebula Award.-Early years:...
, who was the last serving President and who has been an active member of FAPA longer than any other current member.
FAPA's original constitutional limit was 50 members to accommodate publishers using hectograph
Hectograph
The hectograph or gelatin duplicator or jellygraph is a printing process which involves transfer of an original, prepared with special inks, to a pan of gelatin or a gelatin pad pulled tight on a metal frame.-Process:...
s. There were 21 members listed on the roster of the first mailing in August 1937; it took until the November 1938 mailing to fill the 50-member roster. The membership limit was raised to 65 in 1943 and has remained at that level ever since.
The early years of FAPA were stormy with party politics and sociological feuds (as recounted in the late Jack Speer
Jack Speer
John Bristol Speer was an attorney, practicing law for over 60 years; a judge; and a member of the Washington House of Representatives....
's pioneering fan history, Up to Now). In 1947, Speer reformed the constitution, and the Insurgents quashed the last inactive OE, Elmer Perdue. Since then official troubles have mostly not disturbed FAPA, and red tape has been held to a minimum. The constitution was again revised in 1958 (also by Speer) to incorporate amendments, bylaws, and practices adopted since 1947. Another major revision occurred in 2001 under the oversight of Robert Lichtman (Secretary-Treasurer since 1986 and still holding that office), clarifying and conforming constitutional requirements with actual practice.
During the '50s and '60s FAPA was so popular and membership so sought after that the waiting list grew to monumental proportions, for a period of time exceeding the number of membership slots on the FAPA roster. A waiting list fee was instituted to cover the cost of sending the Fantasy Amateur to so many fans awaiting membership, and a requirement that waiting listers periodically acknowledge receipt of the Fantasy Amateur was begun in order to weed out those who lost interest during the long wait. By the '70s the waiting list became much smaller, and in recent years (since the mid '90s) has disappeared altogether. Additionally, the number of members has also shrunk as existing members died or otherwise dropped off the roster. As of February 2011, there were 32 active participants.
Members
Notable members over the years have included:- Forrest J AckermanForrest J AckermanForrest J Ackerman was an American collector of science fiction books and movie memorabilia and a science fiction fan...
- Gregory BenfordGregory BenfordGregory Benford is an American science fiction author and astrophysicist who is on the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine...
- James BlishJames BlishJames Benjamin Blish was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. Blish also wrote literary criticism of science fiction using the pen-name William Atheling, Jr.-Biography:...
- Robert BlochRobert BlochRobert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer, primarily of crime, horror and science fiction. He is best known as the writer of Psycho, the basis for the film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock...
- Marion Zimmer BradleyMarion Zimmer BradleyMarion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series. Many critics have noted a feminist perspective in her writing. Her first child, David R...
- Charles Burbee
- F.M. Busby & his wife Elinor
- Terry CarrTerry CarrTerry Gene Carr was a U.S. science fiction author, editor, and teacher.Terry Carr was born in Grants Pass, Oregon...
- Jack Chalker
- Louis Russell ChauvenetRuss ChauvenetLouis Russell "Russ" Chauvenet was a champion chess player and one of the founders of science fiction fandom.-Chess:...
- Willis ConoverWillis ConoverWillis Clark Conover, Jr. was a jazz producer and broadcaster on the Voice of America for over forty years. He produced jazz concerts at the White House, the Newport Jazz Festival, and for movies and television. By arranging concerts where people of all races were welcome, he is credited with...
- Gordon EklundGordon EklundGordon Eklund is a Nebula Award-winning, American science fiction author whose works include the "Lord Tedric" series and two of the earliest original novels based on the 1960s Star Trek TV series. He has written under the pen name Wendell Stewart, and in one instance under the name of the late E. E...
- E. Everett EvansE. Everett EvansEdward Everett Evans was an American science fiction author and fan.His works included the novels Man of Many Minds , The Planet Mappers , Alien Minds , and the posthumously-published collaboration with E. E. "Doc" Smith Masters of Space ; and the collection Food for Demons...
- Richard E. GeisRichard E. GeisRichard E. Geis is an American erotica writer and science fiction fan and writer from Portland, Oregon who won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1982 and 1983; and whose science fiction fanzine Science Fiction Review won the 1969, 1970, 1977 and 1979 Hugo Awards for Best Fanzine...
- Steve GreenSteve Green (journalist)Steve Green is a former newspaper reporter turned freelance journalist, who has also written short fiction and poetry...
- Dean GrennellDean GrennellDean A. Grennell was an American firearms expert, a writer/editor, and active science fiction fan. He was the managing editor of Gun World magazine and editor of the science fiction fanzine Grue....
- Jim HarmonJim HarmonJames Judson Harmon , better known as Jim Harmon, was an American short story author and popular culture historian who wrote extensively about the Golden Age of Radio. He sometimes used the pseudonym Judson Grey, and occasionally he was labeled Mr...
- Lee HoffmanLee HoffmanLee Hoffman, born Shirley Bell Hoffman, was an American science fiction fan, an editor of early folk music fanzines, and an author of science fiction, Western and romance novels.In 1950-53, she edited and published the highly-regarded science fiction fanzine, Quandry...
- John-Henri HolmbergJohn-Henri HolmbergJohn-Henri Bertilson Holmberg is a Swedish author, critic, publisher and translator, and a well-known science fiction fan. In the early 1960s he edited Science fiction Forum with Bertil Mårtensson and Mats Linder and published over 200 science fiction fanzines of his own, in addition to his...
- Ben Indick
- Damon KnightDamon KnightDamon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, critic and fan. His forte was short stories and he is widely acknowledged as having been a master of the genre.-Biography:...
- Francis Towner Laney
- David LangfordDavid LangfordDavid Rowland Langford is a British author, editor and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter Ansible.-Personal background:...
- Bob LemanBob LemanRobert J. Leman was an American science fiction and horror short story author, most associated with The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction...
- Robert Lichtman
- Robert A.W. Lowndes
- Richard Lupoff & his wife Pat
- David McDanielDavid McDanielDavid Edward McDaniel was a US science fiction author, who also wrote spy fiction, including several novels based upon the television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E..- Biography :...
aka "Ted Johnstone" - Judith MerrilJudith MerrilJudith Josephine Grossman , who took the pen-name Judith Merril about 1945, was an American and then Canadian science fiction writer, editor and political activist....
(under maiden name Judy Zissman) - John MichelJohn MichelField Marshal Sir John Michel GCB, PC was a British Army officer.-Military career:Educated at Eton College, Michel was commissioned into the 64th Regiment of Foot in 1823. In 1835 he was appointed Aide-de-Camp to General Sir Henry Fane in India...
- Sam MoskowitzSam MoskowitzSam Moskowitz was an early fan and organizer of interest in science fiction and, later, a writer, critic, and historian of the field.-Biography:...
- Bruce PelzBruce PelzBruce Edward Pelz was a US science fiction fan. He was highly active in the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society and a major SMOF, co-chairing the 30th World Science Fiction Convention. He also wrote filksongs and was a master costumer.- Early life :Pelz spent most of his childhood in New York...
- Elmer Perdue
- Frederik PohlFrederik PohlFrederik George Pohl, Jr. is an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years — from his first published work, "Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna" , to his most recent novel, All the Lives He Led .He won the National Book Award in 1980 for his novel Jem...
- Frank M. RobinsonFrank M. RobinsonFrank M. Robinson is an American science fiction and techno-thriller writer.-Biography:Robinson was born in Chicago, Illinois. The son of a check forger, Frank started out working as a copy boy for International Service in his teens and then became an office boy for Ziff-Davis...
- Milton A. RothmanMilton A. RothmanMilton A. Rothman was a United States nuclear physicist and college professor.He was also an active science fiction fan and a co-founder of the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society...
- William RotslerWilliam RotslerWilliam "Bill" Rotsler was an American cartoonist and graphic artist; author of several science fiction novels and short stories, and television and film novelizations, and non-fiction works on a variety of topics, ranging from Star Trek to pornography; a prominent member of science fiction...
- Julius SchwartzJulius SchwartzJulius "Julie" Schwartz was a comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in the Bronx, New York...
- George Scithers
- A. Langley SearlesA. Langley SearlesA[rthur] Langley Searles was an American chemist, a science fiction enthusiast and bibliographer and historian of the field, from Bronxville, New York....
- Robert SilverbergRobert SilverbergRobert Silverberg is an American author, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple nominee of the Hugo Award and a winner of the Nebula Award.-Early years:...
- Dick SmithDick Smith (software)Dick Smith is a Chicago, Illinois-based software engineer, computer consultant and a science fiction fanzine publisher.-Science fiction fandom:...
- 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....
- James Taurasi
- Bjo TrimbleBjo TrimbleBetty Jo Trimble , universally known as Bjo ,is a significant figure in the history of science fiction fandom...
& her husband John - Wilson TuckerWilson TuckerArthur Wilson "Bob" Tucker was an American mystery, action adventure, and science fiction writer, who wrote professionally as Wilson Tucker....
- Harry Warner, Jr.Harry Warner, Jr.Harry Warner, Jr. was an American journalist. He spent 40 years working for the Hagerstown, Maryland, Herald-Mail....
- Ted WhiteTed White (author)Ted White is a Hugo Award-winning American writer, known as a science fiction author and editor and fan, as well as a music critic...
- Donald A. WollheimDonald A. WollheimDonald Allen Wollheim was an American science fiction ' editor, publisher, writer, and fan. As an author, he published under his own name as well as under pseudonyms, including David Grinnell....