Fantasy Fan

Infobox Magazine
title = The Fantasy Fan


image_size = 200px
image_caption = "The Fantasy Fan" Vol 1 No 10, cover dated June 1934
editor = Charles D. Hornig
editor_title = Editor
staff_writer =
frequency = Monthly
circulation = 60
category = Fiction, Literature
company =
publisher = Charles D. Hornig
firstdate = September 1933
finaldate = February 1935
finalnumber = Vol 2 No 6
country = Flag|United States
language = English
website =
issn =

"The Fantasy Fan" was a monthly American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine first published in September 1933, which was discontinued 18 issues later in February 1935. The magazine was edited by Charles D. Hornig.

Overview

"The Fantasy Fan" was considered one of the premier sources of weird and fantasy literature during its short duration, regardless of it being an amateur production.Citation | last = Moskowitz | first = Sam | author-link =Sam Moskowitz | publication-date =1974 | date =1954 | year = | title =Immortal Storm: A History of Science Fiction Fandom | edition = | volume = | series =Classics of Science Fiction | publication-place =Westport, CT | place = | publisher =Hyperion Press | pages =18-20 | page = | id = | isbn =978-0883551318 | doi = | oclc = | url = | accessdate = .] While maintaining a small circulation, approximately sixty copies per issue, it represented a mixture of news, articles, stories, poems, and miscellany connected to weird fiction.Citation | last = Pavlat | first = Bob | author-link =Robert Pavlat | last2 =Evans | first2 =Bill | author2-link =William Evans (writer) | publication-date =1965 | date = | year = | title =The Fanzine Index | edition = | volume = | series = | publication-place =New York | place = | publisher =Pisor | pages = | page =37 | id = | isbn = | doi = | oclc = | url = | accessdate =.] Citation | last = Joshi | first = S.T. | author-link =S. T. Joshi | last2 =Schultz | first2 =David E. | author2-link =David E. Schultz | publication-date =2001 | date = | year = | title =An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia | edition = | volume = | series = | publication-place =Westport, CT | place = | publisher =Greenwood Press | pages =90-1 | page = | id = | isbn =978-0313315787 | doi = | oclc = | url = | accessdate =.] Included within "The Fantasy Fan" was a column entitled 'The Boiling Point' which devolved to acrimonious letter exchanges between several of the magazine's regular contributors, including H.P. Lovecraft, Forrest J. Ackerman and Clark Ashton Smith; though this column was terminated with the February 1934 issue.Citation | last = Joshi | first = S.T. | author-link =S. T. Joshi | last2 =Schultz | first2 =David E. | author2-link =David E. Schultz | publication-date =2001 | date = | year = | title =An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia | edition = | volume = | series = | publication-place =Westport, CT | place = | publisher =Greenwood Press | pages =90-1 | page = | id = | isbn =978-0313315787 | doi = | oclc = | url = | accessdate =.]

First publication of several works by noteworthy authors resided in "The Fantasy Fan", included Lovecraft, Smith, Robert E. Howard, August Derleth, and Robert Bloch. Perhaps one of the magazine's greatest achievements, though, was the serialization of the revised version of Lovecraft's "Supernatural Horror in Literature" (October 1933-February 1935); the serialization proceeded until it had reached the middle of Chapter VIII and the magazine folded. The Fantasy Fan also saw the first publication of Lovecraft's stories: "The Other Gods" (November 1933) and "From Beyond" (June 1934) as well as reprints (from amateur papers) of "Polaris" (February 1934) and "Beyond the Wall of Sleep" (October 1934); it also published the poems "The Book" (October 1934), "Pursuit" (October 1934), "The Key" (January 1935), and "Homecoming" (January 1935) from "Fungi from Yuggoth" cycle. The October 1934 issue was dedicated to Lovecraft.Citation | last = Joshi | first = S.T. | author-link =S. T. Joshi | last2 =Schultz | first2 =David E. | author2-link =David E. Schultz | publication-date =2001 | date = | year = | title =An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia | edition = | volume = | series = | publication-place =Westport, CT | place = | publisher =Greenwood Press | pages =90-1 | page = | id = | isbn =978-0313315787 | doi = | oclc = | url = | accessdate =.]

After the demise of The Fantasy Fan, numerous attempts were made to revive or succeed it, but no magazine truly filled its place as a news organ, a forum for the expression of fan's views, and a venue for work by distinguished writers in the field.Citation | last = Joshi | first = S.T. | author-link =S. T. Joshi | last2 =Schultz | first2 =David E. | author2-link =David E. Schultz | publication-date =2001 | date = | year = | title =An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia | edition = | volume = | series = | publication-place =Westport, CT | place = | publisher =Greenwood Press | pages =90-1 | page = | id = | isbn =978-0313315787 | doi = | oclc = | url = | accessdate =.]

Notes and references