He was an Old Fan, and Tired
A phrase that captured fannish imagination after appearing in several (mainly British) fanzines.
In Eye 3, Christmas 1954, "Charles Grey" (E. C. Tubb) began his faanfiction story "Requiem" with the phrase.
A second story in that issue, on a similar theme, "Death of a Fan" by Don Allen, begins "He was an old fan. Tired and old." An editorial note claims that the story was written and submitted without knowledge of Tubb's similar piece: "We thought the comparison interesting enough to run both stories."
In the same issue, Ken Bulmer used it as the first line of a third faanfic tale, "The History Of A Fate Too Hideous To Contemplate", "written with knowledge of the coincidence and the opening quote-line, but nothing else."
This multiple usage of the phrase suggests that it may already have been a running joke -- whether in fanzines, or purely among social London fandom, awaits further research. Alternatively, the editors of Eye may simply have seen the opportunity to parlay the term into a fannish catchphrase.
It appears again as the lead in to the June 1960 ish of Vin¢ Clarke's Science Fantasy News, reminiscing over defunct newszines. (Clarke had been co-editor of Eye.)
He was an old fan, and tired. His rheumy eyes blinked at the telescreen, but his thoughts were in the past... "Arrrgh ... I remember ... ! remember there was Fantasy Magazine, and Science Fiction Times, Novae Terrae used to publish news items too, by a young fella named Carnell, there was S & SFF Review and Stfanews and STF News and Stefnews; there was Science Fiction Newscope, and something else that sounded like all the rest.. it was published in the end when the editor thought that the new[s] justified it ... big ' eaded ... then there was Straight Up and Scientifiction and Science Fantasy Review and Contact and FANAC and Skyrack and... " He was interrupted as the telescreen flashed a warning rod; an excited announcer appeared. "Flash! Scientists have confirmed that the Moon is falling towards the Earth!" The old fan heaved himself upright, toothless gums champing with excitement. "Ah, now," he cried. "Now there might be another Science Fantasy News."
| Fanspeak | 1954— |
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