Small Mammal

Small Mammal was a long-running newszine edited by Martin Easterbrook, later with his wife Margaret Austin, and distributed randomly at London First Thursday meetings. Originally it was aimed at University of London's SF club but, as Then notes, there was a significant overlap. The title was explained in the first issue:

When the dinosaurs died out they were rep[l]aced by the small mammals. So it appears is the way with fanzines. Back in the mists of time, about a year ago, there was a fanzine called OUR FAIR CITY whose purpose was to communicate the good word of science fiction among the students of London University. In time it became massive and sluggish. It could never reach a deadline in time to snare the more interesting articles. Indeed to produce any action at all it seemed that it would have to be supplied - with an extra brain in its rear end, or perhaps a kick.
In order to overcome its difficulties SMALL MAMMAL was evolved, intended to be a monthly news listing of all the SF events in London; films, parties, lectures and even rumours of the future appearance of OUR FAIR CITY, which indeed is not dead but only lurking in the undergrowth waiting to strike unexpectedly.

(However, OFC never appeared after March 1976; apparently some of the material intended for it were published in the first issue of Small Mammal.)

The British Fanzine Bibliography for the 1980s mentions "no information on the many missing issues", so it is not clear what hiatuses it may have had, and how many there were after the last documented one in 1995. Later issues were not numbered.

Is­sue	Date	Pa­ges	Notes
1	October 1976	14	Much longer than the following issues: After the first pink news sheet (the department announcing upcoming events was called "Event Horizon"), the following white pages contain (among other smaller items) "THE BRITISH FANTASY SOCIETY AN INTRODUCTION By David Sutton (Vice-President)" p. 3; British Science Fiction Association 4; The British Interplanetary Society 5–9 and Review Section 10–14 by Malcolm Davies, Alan Farmer and [unsigned, possibly Easterbrook as it mentions "at the time of going to print"]. Editor Easterbrook, with address at Physics department, Royal Holloway College, Egham, Surrey. "Deadline to be the last Thursday of every month (1 week before the ’One Tun' meeting). For last minute news (and only that please 1‘ve got to work sometime) ring me on Egham […]"
2	November 1976	2
3	December 1976	2
4	February 1977	2
5	March 1977	2
11	October 1977	2
13	January 1978	2
15	March 1978	2
16	April 1978	2
17	May 1978	2
18	June 1978	2
19	July 1978	2
20	August 1978	2
21	September 1978	2
22	October 1978	2
23	November 1978	2
25	December 1978	2
26	(February 1979)	2	"alias ShadowFax Publication 31". Date not explicit but clear from context and contents. "should not be confused with the cheap imitation put out by some drunk before Christmas." Item on Frank Arnold, keeper of the visitors' book at the One Tun, who was missing for a time and turned out to be hospitalised.
30	June 1979	2	Promotes Worldcon Scandinavia in 1983 bid at the editorial address. "This has been ShadowFax publication 36 from the Harrow SF Group, … Northolt, Middx UB5 4UB. Land of the midnight Pun."
(0)	(July? 1979)	2	Titled Ice and Iron Zero: "Published from Kiruna Sweden. Two new UK records: Having finally given in to the English penchant for silly records the above replaces the usual SMALL MAMMAL this month in order to claim the record for most northerly fanzine (do I hear any challenge from Alaska?). Thus ICE AND IRON (zero) brings a new motto to fanzine publishing "If you can’t do it well do it in strange places”. Record claim number two goes to show that you caU t get away from fans anywhere. The world's northernmost fan meeting is hereby claimed for Kiruna on May 17th 1979. Participation was select consisting of myself (Martin Easterbrook in case you know anyone else who types this badly) and Alan Farmer, a convention going British fan considering working in Kiruna." Event Horizon starts with "29 JUNE - Friday - The Northern Tun" in Leeds, but this may be a belated report of it happening?
31	(August 1979)	2	ShadowFax Publication 37. Promotes Worldcon Scandinavia in 1983 bid at the editorial address. Australian fan in London Randall Flynn looking for accommodation.
32	(September 1979)	4	"Dynamic alter ego of ShadowFax Publication 38". Unusually many short news items: "final great event of an excellent Worldcon was the news that Frank Arnold, prime mover of the TUN meetings, had won the trans Atlantic return air ticket in the L5 Society lottery. Frank’s health won’t stand up to the trip unfortunately"
… long lacuna in records to be filled …
	(April? 1983)	2	"A ShadowFax Publication." No number even here (had the editor lost count?) OR date, not even events listing that would help, but mostly con report from Albacon II (and a brief from the March Empathicon); would he have managed it in four days? Blue paper.
	March 1986	2	"From Martin & Margaret", i. e. Easterbrook and Austin, now with address from Grange Park, Swindon. No number, only date. Includes conrep from Mexicon 2.
	September 1986	2
	January 1989	2
	September 1989	6	"A ShadowFax Publication", unnumbered again. First sheets, blue and green, have various con news with a US/Worldcon focus and a trip report: "Since I was in Boston for SIGGRAPH, one month before the Worldcon, I took a week off and spent a large portion of it with NESFA as they prepared for NOREASCON." Last pink has more usual news content.
	December 1989	2
	September 1995	2

• Small Mammal online at fanac.org

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Publication

1976—

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