This page covers Greater Detroit including the city itself, but also the surrounding suburbs such as Oak Park, Southfield and Troy, Michigan. It additionally includes Ann Arbor (which see for its own article) and Detroit-associated events.
History[edit]
During the 1950s through the ’70s, at least, Detroit was a fannish powerhouse. In more recent years, the center of fannish activity has moved outwards to the nearby college town of Ann Arbor.
The Detroit fans were visitors at the old Slan Shack in Battle Creek, but didn't form the Detroit Science Fictioneers till 1943. In 1945, they became the Hyperboreans, who discussed small amounts of stf and played a lot of chess. Ben Singer broke up the club by leaving atheistic pamphlets lying about the meeting-place (a public library) and by some atheistic tirades in public.
When Art Rapp and Bill Groover met the remnants of the Hyperboreans 30 January 1948 the Michigan Science Fiction Society, a state-wide, though Detroit centered club, was formed, Singer doing most of the organization work. (George Young promptly formed the name "Misfits" for the group.)
After the Blowup and Saginaw-based Art Rapp's resignation from the MSFS, local Detroiters formed the DSFL, which existed in a fashion for several years, giving off splinter groups like the Morgan Botts Foundation. Return of some members from service after the Korean War led to a renaissance in which Detention was held in the Motor City.
In the late 1960s and ’70s, Detroit fandom centered on the Wayne Third Foundation.
The list below includes conventions held in Greater Detroit, clubs, and notable life events for prominent Detroit-related fans.
A Detroit Timeline
|
Year |
Events
|
1941 |
Bridges and Richard Kuhn begin pubbing Eclipse
|
1943 |
Detroit Science Fictioneers formed
|
1944 |
SI/ASFA founded in Detroit
|
|
Detroit Hyperborean Society club formed
|
1946 |
Andy Porter born
|
1947 |
Carl Lundgren born
|
1948 |
Michigan Science Fiction Society (Misfits) formed
|
|
Detroit Hyperborean Society club ends
|
|
DeCon held
|
|
Larry Tucker born
|
1949 |
DSFL formed
|
|
Roger Sims discovers fandom
|
1950 |
Martin Alger coins “Real Soon Now”
|
|
Randy Bathurst born
|
1952 |
Detroit in '53 Worldcon bid fizzles
|
1954 |
Detroit in 1955 Worldcon bid fails
|
mid-50s |
Beerfandom founded by Art Rapp
|
1957 |
Octocon founded as a collaboration among fans in Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland and Cincinnati
|
1958 |
Detroit in '59 Worldcon bid wins at Solacon beating Big 'D' in '59 and Chicago: 1959
|
1959 |
Detention (Worldcon) held
|
|
TAFF winner John Berry visits
|
late 50s |
Misfits has become a bowling league
|
1960-65 |
The Fanzine Foundation operated by Alan J. Lewis and stored in Detroit by Howard DeVore
|
mid-60s |
Wayne Third Foundation founded
|
1964 |
Cleveland in '66 bid begins as an inchoate thing including Detroit
|
1965 |
Detroit Triple Fan Fair held
|
1966 |
Tricon (Worldcon) held in Cleveland with Detroit as co-host
|
1968 |
fl Neo-Numenor |
|
|
Hal Shapiro pubs Harlan Ellison: The Man, The Writer
|
1970 |
Dum-Dum Banquet held in Detroit in conjunction with Detroit Triple Fan Fair
|
1970s |
Oak Park High School Science Fiction Club active
|
1973 |
Stilyagi Air Corps founded in Ann Arbor
|
|
Leah Zeldes finds fandom
|
1974 |
A2 Relax Icon held in Ann Arbor
|
mid-70s |
Sid Altus becomes active
|
1975 |
ConFusion 13, the first annual, held
|
|
Larry Tucker finds fandom and starts videotaping it
|
|
MiSHAP founded
|
1976 |
Detroit in '79 hoax Westercon bid
|
|
EMUSFS formed
|
|
Martin Alger dies
|
|
AutoClave 1, the first fanzine convention, held
|
|
ConClave I held
|
1977 |
Final Detroit Triple Fan Fair held
|
|
Contagion II held
|
1978 |
Phantasia Press founded
|
late 70s |
Wayne Third Foundation ends as a formal club
|
|
Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association created by Nancy Tucker, Jean Barnard, Larry Tucker and Leah Zeldes
|
1980 |
Detroit in '82 Worldcon bid loses to Chicago in 1982
|
|
FilkCon II (in Toledo) organized by Ann Arbor fans
|
1983 |
Larry Tucker premieres Faans at ConFusion 101
|
|
Detroit in '85 NASFiC bid loses to Austin in '85 at Constellation
|
|
AASFA War
|
1984 |
Genuine ConFusion, the 10th annual and last under the original AASFA auspices, held
|
1985 |
Leah Zeldes Smith moves to Chicago
|
|
ConClave X held
|
1989 |
Phantasia Press shuts down
|
1994 |
ConFusion XX held
|
|
Ditto 7 held in Ann Arbor
|
1995 |
ConClave XX held
|
2000 |
Nancy Tucker Shaw dies
|
|
ConClave XXX held
|
2003 |
Midwest Construction held in Ann Arbor
|
2004 |
ConFusion XXX held
|
|
Mythcon XXXV held in Ann Arbor
|
2005 |
Howard DeVore dies
|
2009 |
Randy Bathurst dies
|
2012 |
Ben Singer dies
|
|
SFRA Conference held in Detroit
|
2013 |
Detroit in 2014 NASFiC bid wins at LSC3 beating Phoenix in 2014
|
|
Larry Tucker dies
|
2014 |
Detcon1 (NASFiC) held
|
|
Legendary ConFusion, 40th annual, held
|
2016 |
Fred Prophet dies
|
|
ConClave 40 held
|
2017 |
The Continuum held
|
2020 |
Tom Barber dies of Covid-19
|
This is a locale page. Please extend it by adding information about the city, state, or country, the history of fandom in this locale, major fans, clubs, conventions, good stories, etc. See Standards for Locales.
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