Niekas
Entry updated 19 February 2024. Tagged: Fan, Publication.
US Fanzine (1962-?2001) edited from New Hampshire by Ed Meskys (1936-2021) alone for the first five issues, when it was a small, personal fanzine circulated through an APA; then with Felice Rolfe and Anne Chatland from #6, Chatland dropping out after #8. Under Meskys and Rolfe, Niekas established itself as a large and variegated magazine containing a mixture of articles, but with particular emphasis on Fantasy and J R R Tolkien. Al Halevy's "Glossary of Middle Earth" was first published in Niekas. The magazine ceased publication with #20 in 1968, only to be revived with #21 in 1977. At the time of this encyclopedia's second edition in 1993, Meskys – by now blind – was listed as editor-in-chief and Mike Bastraw as editor and designer. The late issue #44 (1998), a Dark Fantasy special, gave Meskys as publisher and Joe R Christopher as (guest) editor; #46, with emphasis on Games and Sports, was dated February 2001; #47 and #48 are recorded by Fancyclopedia 3 with dates not given.
The title Niekas is Lithuanian for "nothing" or "nobody", Ed Meskys being of Lithuanian extraction. Contributors included Don D'Ammassa, Piers Anthony, Isaac Asimov, Anthony Boucher, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Algis Budrys, Avram Davidson, Philip K Dick, Raymond Z Gallun, Jack Gaughan, Harry Harrison, Sam Moskowitz – notably in a long postal Interview conducted by Jeffrey Elliot and filling the special issue #43a (September 1991), guest-edited and introduced by Fred Lerner – Ray Nelson, Andre Norton, Alexei Panshin, Jerry Pournelle, Mike Resnick, Donald A Wollheim and Roger Zelazny.
Niekas won the Hugo for Best Fanzine in 1967. [PR/RH/DRL]
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