A Donut for Tom Paris: Identity and Belonging at European SF/Fantasy Conventions
A Donut for Tom Paris: Identity and Belonging at European SF/Fantasy Conventions
Fan conventions are events organized by fans of a particular genre such as science fiction (sf), often focusing attention on particular films, series, or celebrities. Audiences gather to meet actors, authors, or other figures and to discuss their favourite texts amongst each other or with their creators. This chapter shows how fans contribute to offline communities rather than the online communities. It combines an ethnography of offline sites with the methods and theories of the humanities to provide a better understanding of both cult and sf audiences. The chapter analyzes three European sf/fantasy cons as pivotal research sites which are broadly representative of continental sf fandom and the attendant construction of fan identity. They show how sf fandom can be played out through different performative stances, thus illustrating the diversity of that fandom and indeed of the genre itself. To specify these three local field sites, the events are connected to three fan figures: the nostalgist, the collector, and the autograph hunter.
Keywords: fan conventions, cult films, cult cinema, science fiction, cult film audiences, sf fans
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