Filk Books

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A songbook of filk songs. Some books include lyrics only; others include sheet music for some or all of the songs. The term hymnal has been used for a number of filk books, particularly those intended for group singing (like church hymnals).

The earliest filk books were produced on duplicating machines and haven't always lasted well. Photocopying is most common today. The books often use comb binding so they can lie flat when opened.

Early filk books paid little attention to copyright. Since the 1980s, publishers have been more careful about getting permission to include songs.

The following is a very incomplete list of filk books.

Date Book Editor or Publisher Notes
1938 Science Fiction Internationale John Michel For the Newark Convention
1940 Science Fiction Song Sheet I Jack Speer (as by John A. Bristol‏‎) For Chicon 1, the 2nd Worldcon
1957 Songs from Space For Loncon
1960 The Stf & Fantasy Songbook Hal Shapiro For Pittcon
1965–69 The Filksong Manual Bruce Pelz
1969 The Ballads of Spacemen Ed Chamberlain
Minneapolis in '73 Filksong Book Jim Young
1970s Filthy Pierre's Microfilk Erwin S. Strauss
1973 Filksongs Disclave '73 For Disclave 17
1975 Minihymnal HOPSFA
HOPSFA Hymnal HOPSFA There were three editions
1975–6 Middle Earth Songbook Ruth Berman and Ken Nahigian
1976 NESFA Hymnal NESFA There are multiple editions and volumes
1978 On and On into the Night Margaret Middleton
1980 The Westerfilk Collection Jordin Kare/Off Centaur Publications 2nd edition published in 1996 by Wail Songs
1982 Slime Devil Songbook Denebian Slime Devils
Westerfilk II Catherine Cook, Jordin Kare and Teri Lee Published by Off Centaur Publications
Rec-Room Rhymes Omnibus Roberta Rogow
1982–6 Bayfilk Songbook
1985 Slime After Slime Denebian Slime Devils
1983–97 ConChord Songbook
1986 Songs from the Isenfiri Karen Everson For the Shire of Isenfir
1987 The Old Grey Wassail Test Gytha North, Sue Mason
1988 On Filkley Moor Gytha North
1991 Stave the Wails Bob Laurent and Heather Rose Jones
1993 The Golden Gait Songbook Barry Gold, Lee Gold, Lynn Gold
Consenting Adults of Darkover Marion Zimmer Bradley
1994 Star Songs Larry and Meredith Kirby
1995 Under Loch and Key (of Maybe) Lissa Allcock
1998 In the Key of Piracy Gary McGath For Bucconeer
1999 Zander's Little Book of Filks Zander Nyrond
2001 The Incomplete Leslie Fish Beth Friedman
Bitter Lemmings Tom Holt
...And Then 3 Come Along Together Gytha North
2005 Under Filk Wood Alison Richards
Unknown Dasfolk Filk-Rock DASFA
The Galactic Bard Dave Luckett and Craig Hilton
Labyrinth of Shadows Lawrence Dean
The Little Rat Who Filked Craig Hilton
New York Conspiracy Hymnal Greg Costikyan
The Rat Tale Songbook Craig Hilton
Songs and Ballads Dave Luckett


Publishing