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Into The Hive Mind: The Hitchhiker's Guide To Fandom And Nerd Culture

Christine Bancroft |
November 20, 2012 | 3:05 p.m. PST

Columnist

So you've decided to take a look into fandom life. Maybe you've just stumbled across something whilst meandering in the vast annals of the Internet. Maybe you've just joined Tumblr and don't understand what's going on 90 percent of the time on your Dashboard. Maybe you have started watching a show or reading a book and want it to become a bigger (potentially all-consuming) part of your life. 

No worries. Don't be afraid. We're going to take a little trip down the rabbit hole, and hopefully, this column will serve as a sort of how-to guide for fandom life. 

What is fandom, anyway?

Fandom, according to the dictionary, is the group singular form of "fan", which is described as: a person who as a strong interest in or admiration for a particular sport, art form or famous person.

Those familiar with the modern fandom will tell you that it is a community of people who are fans of a particular subject. It may include creative or exploratory work, such as writing, clothing, photography, art, analysis and discussion. The term fandom was first used in 1903. 

Creative work, including fan fiction ("fic") and fan art, were first documented as early as 1887. 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" stories were believed to be the first works of fiction to have an organized and active fandom.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" stories were believed to be the first works of fiction to have an organized and active fandom.
The word "fandom" allegedly came from an abbreviation of "fan kingdom", but others will allege that it means "fan dominion", referring to the distinct community created around subjects. 

The first fandom is believed to have been started in the late 19th century surrounding Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" stories. Upon the death of the eponymous character, Victorian men and women were noted to have worn black armbands in mourning for the fictional detective's death in the story "The Final Problem."  

Fandoms have been known to collect and organize for the behalf of their subject; Sherlock Holmes was brought back to life after such a public outcry following his death, Doyle was forced to return to writing the stories in 1903. Notably, the 2002 Joss Whedon show "Firefly", which was cancelled after only 14 episodes, had such an avid fanbase that the 2005 movie "Serenity", a follow-up to the show, was commissioned. Such behavior is called "fan activism". 

But what's the point? 

Fandoms create a sense of community—people with similar interests can express themselves in a safe environment without being judged or criticized. 

It is occasionally spoofed as a sort of religion, in that fandom can eventual become a dominant part of a fan's life. Others liken fandoms to cults—fans protect their fandoms, there is often an unspoken rule that "what happens in fandom stays in fandom" and with the often-bizarre traditions and customs of each separate fandom, perhaps the analogy isn't so far off from a religious cult. 

Fandom is a place for inspiration without judgment, genuine and pure creation for the sake of creation and expression of passions and interests with like-minded people. 

For some, it's a hobby used to pass the time. For others, it's a form of escapism. It serves as a social network for people, namely introverted young people, to connect with others who are predisposed to be friendly and open-minded. Most importantly, it describes a community that helps people be a part of something more than themselves, and be comfortable with expressing their beliefs, ideas, work and, most importantly, themselves, with others. 

So where can I sign up?

David Karp, the creator of the popular blogging website Tumblr, a hub for fandoms, is pictured here at the New York Tech Expo.
David Karp, the creator of the popular blogging website Tumblr, a hub for fandoms, is pictured here at the New York Tech Expo.
Currently, the top locale for finding fandom-related content is on the social blogging site Tumblr. Livejournal and Blogspot are also popular with fandom bloggers, but Tumblr is considered the most inclusive of sites simply due to its easy-to-use interface and its widespread community. Virtually all fandoms are represented, from the obscure to the so-called "Holy Trinity of Fandoms" represented by variations and adaptations of the "Sherlock Holmes" stories, BBC's long-running science fiction show "Doctor Who" and the CW's "Supernatural".  

Information can be found on various media-related Wikia communities, in which fans can find character biographies, episode guides, trivia and other topics of interest, and are highly recommended for nervous and incipient fans. 

TV Tropes, an online forum originally started for writers and critics, is a massive wiki for patterns, archetypes and other analytic content that can give insight for details within shows. While it is informative for all media (going past fandom culture and becoming a possible educational resource), one must take warning: like all wikis, this site has the potential to become one of the biggest time wasters on the Internet. For those who have tabbed browsing, note that the author of this article once had 91 tabs open on her computer, all of which were TV Tropes pages.

In addition, if one prefers are more face-to-face approach to fandom, fan conventions can be the perfect place in to interact with other fans, authors, actors or creators. They go from the informal café meet-up to the more expensive but more popular conventions, namely, the annual San Diego Comic-Con, held every summer. Comic-Con International is known for being a hub for fandom-revered celebrities; panels are offered and Q&A, trailers, teasers and trivia offered in different parts of the convention hall. In past years, Comic-Con has become more and more "mainstream", and therefore more crowded and expensive, but also more extensive and with more of a variety of shows, movies and fandoms represented overall. 

For fandoms, the advent of the Internet has opened countless doors. Never before has there been such accessibility, such awareness and openness. 

Fandom is what you make it. You can choose to enter a fandom full force, participate in conventions, write or read fic or draw art, suffer from the wild emotions and passions well-known to the veteran fans…or not. It's up to you. So let yourself indulge as little or as much as you want. 

Next week, we'll take a look at the rules and vocabulary of fandom, in this veritable self-help handbook for the fledgling fan. 

Reach Columnist Christine Bancroft here. Follow her on Twitter here.



 

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