FAPA
Entry updated 15 June 2026. Tagged: Community, Fan.
The commonly used acronym for the Fantasy Amateur Press Association, formed in 1937 in the USA by John B Michel and Donald A Wollheim to facilitate distribution on an APA basis of Fanzines published by and for members; it was the first of many such groups in sf Fandom (created in the pattern of older non-fan "amateur journalism" or "ajay" APAs which the founders had learned of from H P Lovecraft), and still continues. Early contributors included E J Carnell, Francis T Laney, Robert A W Lowndes, Sam Moskowitz, Frederik Pohl, Wilson (Bob) Tucker, Harry Warner Jr (from 1939 to his death in 2003) and Richard Wilson. The Official Organ of FAPA, which lists members and contributions, discusses APA business and so forth, is The Fantasy Amateur; this first appeared in the second mailing (Spring 1938), edited by Pohl and carrying "The President's Message" from Wollheim.
Many other fans/authors with entries in this encyclopedia also participated at one time or another, including John D Berry, Gregory Benford, Robert Bloch, Sandra Bond, Marion Zimmer Bradley, F M Busby, Terry Carr, Jack Chalker, Juanita Coulson, Robert Coulson, Richard E Geis, Bruce Gillespie, Rob Hansen, Lee Hoffman, Earl Kemp, David Langford, Judith Merril, Ray Faraday Nelson, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Larry T Shaw, Bjo Trimble, Ted White, Walt Willis and C S Youd (see John Christopher). Current members include Gordon Eklund and Robert Silverberg.
Bob Pavlat's FAPA Book (six issues in FAPA 1972-1978, not collected as a single volume) catalogued and commented on the first 96 FAPA mailings from 1937 to 1961 [see under links below]. [PR/SHB/DRL]
links
- Fancyclopedia 3
- The Fantasy Amateur at Fanac.org
- FAPA Book at Fanac.org
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