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Hansen, Rob

Entry updated 29 July 2024. Tagged: Author, Fan.

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(1954-    ) UK fan, active in Fandom since the mid-1970s, who has edited and co-edited numerous Fanzines including his debut production Epsilon (18 issues 1976-1985) and Pulp (19 issues 1986-1991); his artwork has appeared in many fanzines including his own. He was the 1984 TransAtlantic Fan Fund delegate (see Fan Funds). From 1987 he has released the results of extensive research on the history of UK fandom, beginning with The Story So Far: A Brief History of British Fandom 1931-1987 (1987 chap), a synoptic account published by Conspiracy '87, the 1987 UK Worldcon. This initial sketch was considerably expanded with assistance from Vince Clarke – who had preserved many records of his own early fan involvement from the 1940s to 1960 – and others. The resulting history appeared in fanzine format as Then (1988-1993 4vols); the main narrative (excluding source notes and letters of comment from the paper editions) was made available on line in the 1990s and, with minor revisions and corrections, assembled as Then: A History of Science Fiction Fandom in the UK: 1930-1980 (2015 ebook). A more thoroughly revised and considerably expanded edition, incorporating – amid much other new material – researches published by Hansen in Relapse, is Then: Science Fiction Fandom in the UK: 1930-1980 (2016), which won a FAAn Award as best special publication. Source notes from the four-volume edition are here restored and much expanded.

Rob Hansen wrote and updated fan-related entries for the 1993 edition of this encyclopedia. He continues to prepare a series of texts assembling archive material relevant to the history of Fandom, often with his own context-setting commentary. Examples to date by specific authors are Temple at the Bar (coll 2017 ebook; rev 2022), comprising the Fanzine writings of William F Temple; The Frank Arnold Papers (coll 2017 ebook), being the mostly unpublished nonfiction of Frank Edward Arnold; and True Rat: The Beast of Leroy Kettle (coll 2018 ebook; rev 2022), humorous fanzine writings by Leroy Kettle. The anthology Then Again: A UK Fanhistory Reader 1930-1979 (anth 2019 ebook) with Vince Clarke brings together fanzine articles casting further light on the stated era of fandom, many selected by Clarke before his death (hence the editorial credit) and used as source material for Then, to which this volume is a companion. Challenging Moskowitz: 1930s Fandom Revisited (anth 2019 ebook; exp 2024) assembles versions of 1930s fan history that differ from or cast new light on Sam Moskowitz's account in The Immortal Storm: A History of Science Fiction Fandom (essays Fall 1945-Fall 1953 Fantasy Commentator; 1951 mimeograph; rev 1954); contributors include Jack Speer and Harry Warner Jr. Homefront: Fandom in the UK 1939-1945 (anth 2020 ebook) explores how UK fandom maintained its lines of communication during World War Two. Bixelstrasse: The SF Fan Community of 1940s Los Angeles (anth 2021 ebook; rev 2022) examines a peculiarly intense and turbulent period of Los Angeles fan activity. 1957: The First UK Worldcon (anth 2022 ebook; rev 2022) and 1965: The Second UK Worldcon (anth 2023) describe and provide historical context for the indicated Worldcons. Beyond Fandom: Fans, Culture & Politics in the 20th Century (2023) explores the activities of sf fans in various careers unrelated or only distantly related to fandom. [For further titles see Checklist below.]

For his long-term contributions to Fanzines and Fandom Hansen received the FAAn Award for lifetime achievement in 2023. [DRL]

see also: British Fantasy Society Bulletin; Eastercon; Futurian War Digest; Ken McIntyre; Nova Awards.

Robert Clive Hansen

born Cardiff, Glamorgan: 9 November 1954

works (selected)

nonfiction

series

Then

  • Then #1 (London: privately printed, 1988) [nonfiction: chap: covering the 1930s and 1940s: Fandom: Then: pb/collage]
  • Then #2 (London: privately printed, 1989) [nonfiction: covering the 1950s: Fandom: Then: pb/collage]
  • Then #3 (London: privately printed, 1991) [nonfiction: covering the 1960s: Fandom: Then: pb/collage]
  • Then #4 (London: privately printed, 1993) [nonfiction: covering the 1970s: Fandom: Then: pb/collage]

individual titles

works as editor

series

British SF Conventions (in order of publication)

individual titles as editor

single-author collections as editor

links

previous versions of this entry



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