SFera
Encyclopedia
SFera is a science fiction
society
from Zagreb
, Croatia
. It was founded in 1976, thus marking the beginnings of organised science fiction fandom
in the region.
SFera is the official organiser of SFeraKon
, the annual Croatian science fiction convention
. Since 1995, it also publishes annual collections of science fiction stories of Croatian authors. The founder of the collection series and its first editor was Darko Macan
. SFera's own fanzine
, Parsek, has been published since 1977.
Although Croatia today has number of science fictions societies and conventions, as well the annual short fiction anthologies, SFera remains the major national society. Since mid-1970s, its members and founders - among them Krsto A. Mažuranić, Damir Mikuličić, Neven Antičević, Ivica Posavec - were included in organisation of almost every major initiative in Croatian science fiction, including the Sirius monthly magazine (awarded two times as the best European science fiction magazine, in 1980 and 1984), which was founded and partially edited by SFera's members, then the Futura magazine, which was edited by Krsto A. Mažuranić, and also various attempts at local science fiction publishing, as well many fandom activities. Today, when it's not a publisher or an organiser, SFera remains the patron or initiator of various science fiction activities in Croatia, especially small press publishing as science fiction literary journal Ubiq, the series of books by winners of the SFERA Award (Biblioteka SFERA), or the anthology of the Croatian science fiction stories 1976-2006 Ad Astra. The major Croatian science fiction portal (and its online fanzine) NOSF is also run by the SFera members.
and its recipients were, among others, World Fantasy Award
winner Zoran Živković
, for his two-tome Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, Predrag Raos, Darko Macan
, Igor Kordej
, Darko Suvin
, and Aleksandar Žiljak
.
in 1972, organised by the Zagreb student gallery SC, the American Library of Zagreb, and the Belgrade Student Cultural Centre (SKC).
In 1986, SFeraKon was actually held as the Eurocon
convention under the name Ballcon. The 1992 Eurocon was also meant to be held in Zagreb, but the venue was changed to Freudenstadt
, Germany
, because of the war
. The 1998 SFeraKon was also the 1998 Euroconference.
The guests of the convention, among others, were Frederik Pohl
, Jack Williamson
, Harry Harrison
, Joe Haldeman
, Brian W. Aldiss, James Gunn
, Bob Shaw
, Richard D. Nolan, Sam Lundwall
, Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri, Gianfranco Viviani, Gerald Webb, , Martin Easterbrook, Robert Silverberg
, Karen Haber
, Guy Gavriel Kay
, Walter Jon Williams
, Lois McMaster Bujold
, Ken MacLeod
, Michael Iwoleit, Michael Swanwick
, Bruce Sterling
, Richard K. Morgan, and R. Scott Bakker
, while the 2010 guest of honour will be Ian McDonald.
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...
society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
from Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. It was founded in 1976, thus marking the beginnings of organised science fiction fandom
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...
in the region.
SFera is the official organiser of SFeraKon
SFeraKon
SFeraKon is an science fiction convention that takes place in Zagreb, Croatia every year at the end of April. Organised by SFera, it is the largest and the longest running science fiction convention in southeastern Europe....
, the annual Croatian science fiction convention
Science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
. Since 1995, it also publishes annual collections of science fiction stories of Croatian authors. The founder of the collection series and its first editor was Darko Macan
Darko Macan
Darko Macan is a Croatian author and illustrator who has created and collaborated on comics, essays and science fiction and fantasy...
. SFera's own fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
, Parsek, has been published since 1977.
Although Croatia today has number of science fictions societies and conventions, as well the annual short fiction anthologies, SFera remains the major national society. Since mid-1970s, its members and founders - among them Krsto A. Mažuranić, Damir Mikuličić, Neven Antičević, Ivica Posavec - were included in organisation of almost every major initiative in Croatian science fiction, including the Sirius monthly magazine (awarded two times as the best European science fiction magazine, in 1980 and 1984), which was founded and partially edited by SFera's members, then the Futura magazine, which was edited by Krsto A. Mažuranić, and also various attempts at local science fiction publishing, as well many fandom activities. Today, when it's not a publisher or an organiser, SFera remains the patron or initiator of various science fiction activities in Croatia, especially small press publishing as science fiction literary journal Ubiq, the series of books by winners of the SFERA Award (Biblioteka SFERA), or the anthology of the Croatian science fiction stories 1976-2006 Ad Astra. The major Croatian science fiction portal (and its online fanzine) NOSF is also run by the SFera members.
SFERA Award
Introduced in 1981, the SFERA Award is the only national award for the SF genre in Croatia. Until 1991, the award was given for the area of the whole former YugoslaviaSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
and its recipients were, among others, World Fantasy Award
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
winner Zoran Živković
Zoran Živkovic (writer)
Zoran Živković is a writer, essayist, researcher, publisher and translator from Belgrade, Serbia , where he still resides.-Biography:...
, for his two-tome Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, Predrag Raos, Darko Macan
Darko Macan
Darko Macan is a Croatian author and illustrator who has created and collaborated on comics, essays and science fiction and fantasy...
, Igor Kordej
Igor Kordey
-Career:While his best-known work is featured in New X-Men, he has a very diverse repertoire, moving between traditional pencils and inks to fully painted panels. Because of his speed as an artist, at his peak, he was producing artwork for three or four monthly books at the same time...
, Darko Suvin
Darko Suvin
Darko Ronald Suvin, FRSC is a Yugoslav-born academic and critic of Jewish descendance, who became a Professor at McGill University in Montreal — now emeritus...
, and Aleksandar Žiljak
Aleksandar Žiljak
Aleksandar Žiljak is a science fiction and fantasy writer and illustrator from Zagreb, Croatia. In 2006, he co-edited Ad Astra, an anthology of Croatian SF stories, which covers period from 1976 to 2006, and he co-edits Croatian literary SF journal Ubiq.Žiljak is the winner of five SFERA Awards,...
.
SFeraKon
The annual Croatian science fiction convention, SFeraKon, is held in Zagreb since 1979, nowadays usually in the last week of April. It's the longest-running and the biggest annual science fiction convention in South-Eastern Europe, usually attended by 600-800 people. SFeraKon was initiated by the First Exhibition of Science Fiction (Prvi sajam naučne fantastike), held in Zagreb and BelgradeBelgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
in 1972, organised by the Zagreb student gallery SC, the American Library of Zagreb, and the Belgrade Student Cultural Centre (SKC).
In 1986, SFeraKon was actually held as the Eurocon
Eurocon
Eurocon is an annual science fiction convention held in Europe. The organising committee of each Eurocon is selected by vote of the participants of the previous event. The procedure is coordinated by the European Science Fiction Society. The first Eurocon was held in Trieste, Italy, in 1972. Unlike...
convention under the name Ballcon. The 1992 Eurocon was also meant to be held in Zagreb, but the venue was changed to Freudenstadt
Freudenstadt
Freudenstadt is a town in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is capital of the district Freudenstadt. The closest population centres are Offenburg to the west and Tübingen to the east ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, because of the war
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
. The 1998 SFeraKon was also the 1998 Euroconference.
The guests of the convention, among others, were Frederik Pohl
Frederik Pohl
Frederik 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...
, Jack Williamson
Jack Williamson
John Stewart Williamson , who wrote as Jack Williamson was a U.S. writer often referred to as the "Dean of Science Fiction" following the death in 1988 of Robert A...
, Harry Harrison
Harry Harrison
Harry Harrison is an American science fiction author best known for his character the Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! , the basis for the film Soylent Green...
, Joe Haldeman
Joe Haldeman
Joe William Haldeman is an American science fiction author.-Life :Haldeman was born June 9, 1943 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His family traveled and he lived in Puerto Rico, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Bethesda, Maryland and Anchorage, Alaska as a child. Haldeman married Mary Gay Potter, known...
, Brian W. Aldiss, James Gunn
James Gunn (author)
- Further reading :James E. Gunn The Listeners, BenBella Books, ISBN 1-932100-12-1 -External links:*...
, Bob Shaw
Bob Shaw
Bob Shaw, born Robert Shaw, was a science fiction author and fan from Northern Ireland. He was noted for his originality and wit. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980...
, Richard D. Nolan, Sam Lundwall
Sam Lundwall
Sam Jerrie Lundwall is a Swedish science fiction writer, translator, publisher and singer. He translated a number of science-fiction-related articles and works from Swedish into English.n]]...
, Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri, Gianfranco Viviani, Gerald Webb, , Martin Easterbrook, 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:...
, Karen Haber
Karen Haber
Karen Haber is a science fiction and non-fiction author and editor, as well an art critic and historian. She is the author of nine novels including Star Trek Voyager: Bless the Beasts, and co-author of Science of the X-Men...
, Guy Gavriel Kay
Guy Gavriel Kay
Guy Gavriel Kay is a Canadian author of fantasy fiction. Many of his novels are set in fictional realms that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Justinian I or Spain during the time of El Cid...
, Walter Jon Williams
Walter Jon Williams
Walter Jon Williams is an American writer, primarily of science fiction.Several of Williams' novels have a distinct cyberpunk feel to them, notably Hardwired , Voice of the Whirlwind and Angel Stationn...
, Lois McMaster Bujold
Lois McMaster Bujold
Lois McMaster Bujold is an American author of science fiction and fantasy works. Bujold is one of the most acclaimed writers in her field, having won the prestigious Hugo Award for best novel four times, matching Robert A. Heinlein's record. Her novella The Mountains of Mourning won both the Hugo...
, Ken MacLeod
Ken MacLeod
Ken MacLeod , is a Scottish science fiction writer.MacLeod was born in Stornoway. He graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in zoology and has worked as a computer programmer and written a masters thesis on biomechanics....
, Michael Iwoleit, Michael Swanwick
Michael Swanwick
Michael Swanwick is an American science fiction author. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he began publishing in the early 1980s.-Biography:...
, Bruce Sterling
Bruce Sterling
Michael Bruce Sterling is an American science fiction author, best known for his novels and his work on the Mirrorshades anthology, which helped define the cyberpunk genre.-Writings:...
, Richard K. Morgan, and R. Scott Bakker
R. Scott Bakker
Richard Scott Bakker is a Canadian fantasy author. He grew up on a tobacco farm in the Simcoe area. In 1986 he attended the University of Western Ontario to pursue a degree in Literature and later an MA in Theory and Criticism...
, while the 2010 guest of honour will be Ian McDonald.