Janus/Aurora
My name is Rebecca Wireman (B.A. in Media and Communication Studies; Minor in Gender and Women’s Studies, 2018). My essay focuses on the feminist SF fanzine Janus, which later became known as Aurora. I was interested in discovering how women in fandom during the 70s and 80s were able to give voice to women SF authors and fans. I cover topics such as temporality in Janus/Aurora, the first feminist SF convention, and how feminist SF can be applied to academic studies.
Fandom’s Effect on Society
Hi, I’m Marzuq Hakim (B.S. in Computer Science, 2021). My essay discusses some of the early conflicts within SF fandom, namely SF’s relation to politics and social progress; and to what extent science should be emphasized within SF. I also examine the early works of Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov within zines to portray their perspectives on these conflicts, as well as how SF fandom has evolved with respect to how it addresses those conflicts.
Cosmag
Hi, I’m Ashley Mitchell (B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2020), I wrote my essay on the evolution of the fanzine Cosmag. I chose this topic because I developed a passion for Cosmag and how it gave power to its readers’ voices, letting them shape the zine. I want others to explore the fanzines because I believe they will fall for them as easily as I did.