M The letter mu in the Greek alphabet; and according to Churchward, the
Greek alphabet slightly distorted becomes a Mayan song describing the
sinking of the land of Mu. Interesting...?
MACROCOSM The mundane, nonfannish world. Them Out There. Distinguished from
fandom, the Microcosm.
MAD A comic book (put out by Entertaining Comics) and then a freely
illustrated magazine (published by Wm Gaines), noted for the high level of
its satiric and artistic work. This, which lampooned popular movies, TV shows,
books, other comics and all like that in a farcical, slapstick, but by no means
unintelligent way, became a fannish vogue in 1953-54 with the florescence of 7th
Fandom. Chief MADmen in our little world were Larry Stark (acknowledged as EC's
Number One Fan), DAG, and Bob M Stewart.
MAD DOG (Ellison) When general revulsion at the juvenile antics of the 7th
Fandomites led to various overt actions aimed against them, Harlan
Ellison, the "founder" of the movement, inveighed against such underhanded deeds
by the old tired hasbeen fans. They were using dirty tactics, but, he added, it
was too late to do anything about it. Seventh Fandom was doomed, because "the
mad dogs have kneed us in the groin." Some speculation followed on such
questions as how high a dog would have to be to knee Ellison in the groin, and
whether the dogs were mad before coming into contact with the 7th Fandomites.
MADGE (Villette) The first pet name for a fanzine on record, for IMAGINATION!
MAFIA PRESS House-name for publishing enterprises of Dean A Grennell -- taken
in jest from Redd Boggs' Gafia Press, not a reference to
mimeographers' hands. Both the original and parody are initialese; gafia is
defined earlier in this volume, and Mafia is from "Morte alla Francia Italia
anela!"> ["Death to the French is Italy's cry!"], a slogan used by the
Sicilians in their rebellion against the French Angevins whom the popes had
called in to replace the Hohenstaufen monarchs of southern Italy about 1282.
Bet they never expected to be of interest to fandom.
MAGAZET (Ackerman) Portmanteau-word for a news-sheet sort of fanzine.
MAILING The bundle mailed at definite intervals by an Amateur Press
Association, containing the magazines sent in during the previous
chronon for distribution to the membership. In the APAs publication produced by
the individual members at their own expense (for the fun of it, and for
exchanges) are sent to the person designated as mailing manager (Official Editor
or Association Editor, in fandom) who on a designated date sends a copy of each,
with the official organ he puts out, to every member; postage is paid by
the treasury. This constitutes the "mailing"; it is capitalized when referring
to a particular one, like the August Mailing or the Eighty-Eighth Mailing. For
purposes of tabulation, postmailings are regarded as part of the mailing they
follow chronologically.
In fan APAs it is required that publications to be distributed with the
mailing represent "to a substantial extent" the work of a member, that
sufficient copies for all members be provided, and that they be duplicated by
some means giving "identical" copies.
MAILING COMMENTS are comments -- i e short notes as distinguished from
formal review or criticism -- on the contents of a previous
mailing of an APA and published in a later mailing (rather than, say, mailed
direct to the members concerned). Reviewing a mailing in a magazine postmailed
to the same mailing is frowned upon.
Jack Speer began this custom in the Third FAPA Mailing and mighty was the
success thereof. A few of the unenlightened who maintain that comments on
comments are too much like diminishing spirals for their taste have been
adequately dealt with by Vernon McCain, who remarked that if they never
commented on comments it must be pretty difficult to carry on a conversation
with them.
Since, from their nature, all the intended audience may be assumed to know
what they're about, MCs can easily become a very inner-circle feature of an APA,
and commentzines or -sections may often make the short descent to mere
collections of notes. Mailing comments were the feature that led Sam Merwin to
describe SAPS as a system of interlocking mailboxes.
MANUSCRIPT BUREAU The mundane APAs usually have an office for supplying the
printers with material sent in by writers, and it was assumed
that FAPA needed one. In early 1938 Moskowitz, who had become the most prolific
fan writer and was frequently called on for material, announced a service
whereby he would receive mss from fan writers and supply to publishers on
request as much material as they might need. It was suggested that this bureau
be hooked up to FAPA, which at that time wasn't getting as much stuff for the
mailings as it needed; but this idea was ruled out by the V-P. When New Fandom
was established, the Manuscript Bureau became one of its most active parts, and
supplied quite a lot of material to new and struggling fanzines, especially
those in the Cosmic group. With the coming of Third Fandom the Bureau ceased to
be heard of; individzines have little need for such service.
The N3F has a Manuscript Bureau which is much used by its fanzine-
publishing members like Racy Higgs, but of it least said is soonest mended.
MAPA (1) Maine Amateur Press Association, a proposed fan publishing group (Ed
Cox, Russ Woodman, Norm Stanley and Philip Gray) which never came into
existence but whose imprimatur was used by Ed on some of his fmz. Usually the
word is met as uncapitalized (2) mapa, which is as much as to say mundane APA.
MARXISM The set of sociological theories worked out by Karl Marx, which form
the basis of the Communist Party's program, various other more or less
revolutionary doctrines, and in fandom the proposals of the Michelists.
Marxism holds that the course of history is determined by economic forces
which create a dominant class and an opposing class. The clash between these
leads to the emergence of a new society with a new dominant class -- after which
the process is repeated. It was held that the present world is governed by the
unproductive Capitalists, but as technology develops the exploited classes will
come to feel a unity against their oppressors, and resist them by various means
-- revolution, unionization, social legislation, etc. The Marxists desire that
this revolution or whatever be led by men who know what to do next; in the
extreme case, to set up a "dictatorship of the proletariat" which will establish
a temporary socialistic society until people have become reeducated and fit for
pure communism.
MASTERSET A ditto carbon plus a sheet of master paper, made in one unit.
(They are also available separately.)
MASTHEAD The formal heading of a fanzine, on the cover, contents page, or/and
first page, which gives the name of the magazine in large distinctive
letters; volume and number, date, and similar information.
MERCER'S DAY The 31st of April. Archie Mercer once absentmindedly set a
voting deadline, in OMPA, for 31 April, and Walt Willis, noting
that he as OMPA President had power to deal with all emergencies ("...not just
OMPA emergencies -- all emergencies!") decreed that thereafter the 1st
May would be known as 31 April, to be followed immediately by 2 May.
MERGER PLAN The plan, rife in early 1952, to combine FAPA and SAPS into one
APA. SAPS feared that their group would be swallowed rather than
integrated, and threw the idea out when it came to a vote. It never got beyond
the talking stage in FAPA.
MFS The Minneapolis Fantasy Society. It seems to have been existent and
producing Silly Stories back in 1938, but came into action in fandom only
around 1942. They plugged for the convention after the Pacificon, and later for
a centrally located con instead of the postponed Pacificon, but before the war
had gone far for the USA began losing members to the armed forces and to Shangri-LA.
Members often retained the MFS tag in addition to that of any new local they
joined. MFS fans included Phil Bronson, Oliver Saari, Morrie Dollens, John
Gergen, Samuel D Russell, and Manson Brackney. They were altogether lovely, but
slightly whacky.
The club, which had died of absences in 1943, was revived in December 1946
by Cliff Simak and John Chapman, under the name of Tomorrow Incorporated; by 27
December 1947 another revival (under the old MFS name) was necessary. Dale
Rostomily, Phil Bronson, Gergen, Simak, Carl Jacobi, Poul Anderson, Noel Loomis,
Redd Boggs, Kenny Gray and Rich Elsberry were initiates. They specialized in
heavy discussions and fangabbing; most had broadened interests beyond SF, which
was the club's downfall. It ceased activities in the early 50s tho never
officially dissolved.
MICHELISM ("MISH-el-ism") At the Third Eastern in October 1937, Don Wollheim
read a speech written by John Michel, which denounced the "Gernsback
Delusion" and declared that stf had made idealists and dreamers of fans, since
it is the best form of escape literature ever invented. Since we cannot escape
from the world, science-fiction has failed in not facing the realities being
fought out in Madrid and Shanghai [and later in other locations we'll leave you
to fill in as events unprogress] and in the battles between reaction and
progressive forces at home and abroad. "THEREFORE: Be it moved that this, the
Third Eastern Science Fiction Convention, shall place itself on record as
opposing all forces leading to barbarism, the advancement of pseudo-sciences and
militaristic ideologies [referring to the racist notions of Naziism], and shall
further resolve that science-fiction should by nature stand for all forces
working for a more unified world, a more Utopian existence, the application of
science to human happiness, and a saner outlook on life." Hot debate followed
and the motion was defeated 12 to 8 (the 8 being the Futurians, voting en bloc).
To further the movement, soon named "Michelism", its advocates formed the
Committee for the Political Advancement of Science Fiction, which armed itself
with slogans like "Save Humanity with Science and Sanity" and "Lift the Embargo
on Loyalist Spain". (The former motto was not a reference to the null-A text,
but a call for education and intelligence.) They distributed radical pamphlets
at the Newark Convention and thru FAPA, and published an issue or two of SCIENCE
FICTION ADVANCE, which included articles on contemporary issues by writers from
Jack Speer (for the conservatives) to Josef Stalin (for the...oh, you knew?)
A few American allies like Ackerman and Rothman rallied to the cause;
intensive opposition came from moderating liberals like Speer, personal enemies
such as Moskowitz, and rank and file fans who just didn't believe in mixing
politics and stf. Such names as beard-and-bomb boys (from the antique American
notion that all radicals were bomb-throwing anarchists), Bolos or Brooklyn
Bolsheviki (from Moskowitz' definition of the movement; and the location of
Michel, and later the Ivory Tower, in the borough of Brooklyn) were tagged on
the Michelists.
At the time everybody tried his hand at defining Michelism. Moskowitz' was
the shortest: "-It is Communism."- (At that time Soviet Communism was still
called "Bolshevism", hence the nicknames cited above.) Lowndes said it was a
state of mind which began with discontent at what science-fiction now is,
proceeds thru the question, What is our purpose?, to the answer that we should
not reject our dreams, but try to make them realities. Wollheim, after some
early pronunciamentos like: "MICHELISM is the belief that science-fiction fans
should actively work for the realization of the scientific socialist world-state
as the only genuine justification for their activities and existence..." finally
described the Michelists' attitude1938 thusly: "They understood that
fans who were trying to realize science-fiction thru many channels and diverse
methods in the general sociological field were on the correct road and should be
aided and encouraged. Those who were socialists and those who were only mild
Esperantists were both on the right track."
Proselytizing efforts in FAPA ended when the Quadrumvirs resigned, after a
year, in a feeling of temporary defeat, but Doc Lowndes, and to a lesser extent
the others, kept plugging at the line and modifying and adapting the program to
changing conditions. With the Exclusion Act, and eventually the war against the
Axis Powers, fan feeling toward the Michelists moderated somewhat. The movement
was considered a thing of the past by 1942, tho new fen under such banners as
the Intellectual Brotherhood of Pro-Scientists, Animalist Party, etc, carried on
what might be called Michelism in Lowndes' definition.
Michelism in a sense was an overflow into fandom of the active opposition
to Naziism that appeared in the democracies in the late 30s, and which
manifested itself in seeking for policies of active resistance to totalitarian
aggression -- a search which led some into getting mixed up with Communism thru
the total lack of a strong program on the part of the democratic powers. After
the Michelist speech, sociological discussion came into fandom to stay, but it
is impossible to assign relative weights to Michelism and other broader forces
in this development. The Michelists themselves probably antagonized more people
than they converted.
MICHIFEN Fans in Michigan, nacherly. Most of them live in or near Detroit,
if you can call that living, tho formerly the MSFS blanketed the
state. Their chief recent organization, the Detroit SFL, is a notorious example
of how not to run a local fanclub.
The Detroit fans were visitors at the old Slan Shack in Battle Creek, but
didn't form the Detroit Science Fictioners till 1943. In 1945 they became the
Hyperboreans, who discussed small amounts of stf and played a lot of chess. Ben
Singer broke up the club by leaving atheistic pamphlets lying about the meeting-
place (a public library) and by some atheistic tirades in public. When Art Rapp
and Bill Groover met the remnants of the Hyperboreans 30 January 1948 the
Michigan Science-Fiction Society was formed, Singer doing most of the
organization work. (George Young promptly formed the name "Misfits" for the
group.)
The uniqueness of the MSFS among Michifan groups lay in attempting to
provide fan activities for everybody in the state, not just the Detroit area.
During its two years of life MSFS members coined expressions (Fanspeak, Real
Soon Now), pioneered in fannish publishing and philosophy (Spacewarp,
Sexocracy), set fashions for the Microcosm ("Home of the Original Helicopter
Beanie") and were involved in such antics as Singer's attempt to cross the
Canadian border during a Red hunt carrying a prominently displayed copy of
Banish Gods From the Skies and Capitalists from the Earth. After the
Blowup and Rapp's resignation local Detroiters formed the DSFL, which existed in
a fashion for several years, giving off splinter groups like the Morgan Botts
Foundation. Return of some members from service after the Korean War led to a
renascence in which the 1959 convention was held in the Motor City. What will
come after your scholiast knows not.
MID-WEST FANTASY FAN FEDERATION An organization of states in the American
Mid-West, formed at the Michiconference in
1941, which set up the Illinois Fantasy Fan Federation (replacing the Illinois
Fantasy Fictioneers), Michigan ditto, Indiana ditto, and Ohio ditto. In 1942
tentacles took in the MFS and Smarje's Midwest Fan Society. The state
organizations had practically no activity and consisted mostly of "locals" of
one or two people. The MWFFF itself had little function aside from holding the
Michi[gan]conference. But this regional setup inspired the ill-starred Battle
Creek Plan that brought on an N3F interregnum.
MIDWESTCON A weekend affair in the early summer, so far held in Ohio...
originally at Beatley's on Indian Lake, later at Bellefontaine, and
finally at a giant motel in Cincinnati. Don Ford and Doc Barrett covered
themselves with much egoboo by organizing this gathering at which program is
kept to a minimum and fangabbing runs rife. It was forced to move its site to
Bellefontaine after a rather crude affair in 1954 (the blame for which was laid
on the 7th Fandomites, with what justice your Herodotus has been unable to
determine), then to Cincinnati when the gathering became too big for
Bellfontaine's facilities. It has thus far been an annual event to be sought by all
knowing fans.
MIMEO A system of reproduction in which ink is i hate you little mimograf
forced thru a waxed-fibre stencil; the with gooey cylinder of ink
commonest kind of duplicator used in fandom. i hate you little mimograf
The name is applied to any gadget using the and what is more i think
method described, even the flatbed models and you hate, too...
the contraption Walt Willis rigged up to use
with his printing press, which inked a linoleum block and pressed this against
the stencil and paper. (Originally only the AB Dick rotary machines were
"mimeographs", but their trademark appears to be public domain now.) Tho not in
the same league with the mCLASS=""
mimeos have attained notable heights of cruelty to struggling young fans, as Bob
Briggs records in the verse at right. The number of copies from mimeoing is
limited only by the durability of the stencils (somewhere in the thousands;
naturally fans don't run off anywhere near that many). Multicolor mimeoing
requires different colored inks, a different pad for each, and a different
stencil cut for each color; and each copy sheet must be run -- carefully
positioned -- thru the mimeo once for each color that's to go on it, so that
multicolor mimeo work is attempted only rarely. But such folk as the Decker
Dillies, Ted White, and Jean Young have produced notable mimeo color work. A
special sort of mimeo multicolor work is Vicolor.
MIMEOGRAPHER'S HANDS Monochrome hektographer's hands, but not so serious
since it only lasts a few months.
MINIATURE MAILING Occasionally a whole group of APAzines will miss the
deadline, and rather'n wait till next quarter they are sent
out by the official editor or a private group in a bundle which, however, is a
postmailing and dispatched by the OE as a private member, not an official.
MINT A book (not usually a magazine) in the perfect condition in which it
came from the publisher. Strict collectors insist that this word be
applied only to books never opened or read.
MISS SCIENCE FICTION At the CinVention, the Hydra Club rang in on us a
cheesecake model. (Dave Kyle seems to have been
responsible) who had been promised that she'd be declared "Miss Science Fiction"
and would be available for the usual lightly-clad photos. The general
indignation was voiced by Milt Rothman, who declared that if this was a sample
of what they could expect from New York (which was bidding for next year's con)
Portland would have his vote. The move was justified on the ground that
all publicity is good publicity (a doubtful claim anyway, and hardly one to
appeal to fans). Objection to it was founded on (1) the fact that fandom
didn't sponsor it -- it was dropped into the con with no notice; (2) the
model's exhibition of model-type stupidity about stf; (3) the sort of people it
would attract; not that fans don't enjoy Beautiful Unclad Damsels in picture and
person, but as publicity such things are identified with middlebrow and lower
types of people. Fans, as individualists of some intelligence and education and
critics of standardized morality, rank as highbrows (yes, SaM, even when they
drive trucks) and could not attract compatible types by cheesecake publicity.
MODERN MYTHOLOGY (JWCampbell) The type of pure fantasy found notably in
Unknown Worlds; presumably the name derived from the
combination of modern-and-supernatural elements which formed the background for
most of Unk's stories. Don't confuse this with Mythos.
MONEY Worshipped by some misguided fen who argue that with Money one can buy
Beer. An outstanding partisan is Pete Graham who, however, disclaims the
honor of being his ghod's prophet. "Money is the only true ghod," he proclaims,
"and he is his own profit."
MOON DEEDS On the back of your membership card in the ChiCon II Society was a
deed reading like this: "The Chicago Science Fiction Society
assigns you exclusive colonization right to the property on the Moon encompassed
by the crater Herschel, which is located in the Second Quadrant of said body.
Valid in perpetuity." [This was Lee Hoffman's.] The deed was not really valid,
despite the last sentence, tho George Washington University once gave out Moon
Deeds that were legally effective. Quitclaims, they were.
MOVIES There have been fantastic movies from the very beginning of the motion
picture industry, but unfortunately most of these have been of a type
weird, or more often horror (in intent; really ludicrous in effect). Stfnal ones
such as "Just Imagine" and various of the post-1950 breed have usually been
burlesques, anti-scientific, or pseudo-science. "Things to Come" and
"Destination Moon" are the outstanding serious works; fans also enjoy such
fantasies as "Lost Horizon", "The Day the Earth Stood Still", and even some
of Disney's. Special Appreciation went to "Tales of Hoffman". Ackerman is the
chief movie authority of scientifandom, the others like Wilson, Marconette, and
the Queensies went in for the flicks in a big way. Such organizations as
Sykora's Scientifilmakers have attempted to make amateur stf movies with little
success. Several fan movies have been shot at fan gatherings. Mention should
be made of the Phillies' efforts under the former category. Eminent makers of
movies of fans are the Liverpool group, Mersey & Deeside (MAD -- John Owen,
Eddie Jones, John Roles, Norm Shorrocks, and Norm Weedal).
MUNDANE Non-fannish. Pertaining to the Outside World.
MUSIC For uncertain reasons nearly all fans are great collectors of records
and listeners to all types of music; some are accomplished musicians.
Classicists, according to polls, are in a majority, tho jazzfans have progressed
greatly since the days when Laney could refer to Perdue as "about the only other
fan who shared my interest in jazz." At the drop of a hat fans will go off into
a discussion of likes and dislikes among composers, pieces, and types, and
frequently spend the better part of an evening listening to the visitee's
collection of records. Many articles have been published about fantasy in music
-- usually meaning fantastic operas or other story-behind-the-music, tho some
claim that certain music, like Scriabin's 9th (Black Mass) Sonata, is
fantastic in itself. Recordings from the soundtracks of "Things to Come" and
"Tales of Hoffman" are also well-known fantasy platters.
MYOB ("my-ob") Initialese for "Mind Your Own Business". Used by the anarchic
Gands in Eric Frank Russell's "...And Then There Were None". Adopted
generally in fandom, especially by avoidists (who named their projected APA
MYOB) for a few years in the early 50s.
MYTHOS The environment and background of a stfantasy story -- or, more
properly, of a series. Several, such as the Lovecraft, Oz, Lensman,
Conan, and Shaver Mythos, have become well-known enough to be burlesqued or
otherwise used in fan and pro writing.
Updated January 8, 1999. If you have a comment or question about these Web pages please send a note to the Fanac Webmaster. Thank you.