As Long As Conditions Permit: Science Fiction Fanzines During World War II
This exhibition in Special Collections and University Archives, drawn from the M. Horvat Collection of Science Fiction Fanzines, examines the World War II era as it was recorded by science fiction fans. The fanzines they created provide a unique view of the difficult war years through the small-scale voice of intelligent, like-minded individuals. While today we often see this as a time when communities rallied around a common global cause, a study of the insular and sometimes eccentric response to the war in a subculture such as science fiction fans demonstrates how complicated everyday life could be on the home front and in the military.
The exhibition also displays the development of the fanzine format, and the early years of organized fan activity. These first enthusiasts started to produce their own publications in the 1930s, which came to be called fanzines. Fanzines were homemade and copied on mimeograph or hectograph machines, resulting in crude, stapled newsletters and pamphlets. As science fiction grew in stature and fandom developed, tensions in Europe and the Pacific escalated into World War II, beginning with Hitler’s invasion of Poland in September, 1939. The war was unlike any other, and fandom was caught up in the events even as it attempted to continue its pre-war activities.
Located on the third floor of the Main Library, the exhibit is free of charge and open to the public during regular building hours. To view more materials in the Horvat Collection, you can visit Special Collections and the University Archives, open weekdays from Monday - Thursday: 8:30 - 5:30 pm, Friday: 8:30 - 5:00 pm. You may also view a selection of covers and tables of contents from the collection online through Iowa Digital Library.
