Celebrity Fen
We present, for your crogglement (“I didn’t know she was a fan!” “He went on to do what?!) a list of famous (or infamous) fen.
These are honest-to-Ghu, one-time or current actifen who became renowned in the macrocosm for their non-stfnal activities. (Hence, it does not include such notables as Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin; Jerry Siegel, creator of Superman; or Janis Ian, who was already a celebrated folksinger when she found fandom.)
This list encompasses people whose involvement in fandom went beyond merely loving sf – and who later became mundane celebrities despite having been fans. The six asterisked are detailed in Rob Hansen's Beyond Fandom: Fans, Culture & Politics in the 20th Century (2023), which deals with a similar topic.
- Martin Andreasson, Swedish politician
- Lionel Blue, U.K. rabbi and broadcaster
- Walter Breen, numismatist, child molester
- Fred Chappell, Poet Laureate of North Carolina
- Russ Chauvenet, U.S. national chess champion and columnist
- Del Close, actor, comedian, improv legend
- Sidney Coleman, theoretical physicist
- Willis Conover, jazz producer and Voice of America broadcaster *
- Br. Guy Consolmagno, Vatican astronomer *
- Dr. Demento, D.J. and radio personality
- Paul Doerr, ostensible serial killer
- Roger Ebert, film critic *
- Edythe Eyde aka Tigrina, lesbian movement pioneer *
- Lenny Kaye, guitarist
- X. J. Kennedy, poet
- Jim Kepner, gay activist and journalist
- Stieg Larsson, Swedish journalist and bestselling crime novelist
- James H. Madole, fascist
- Bob Monkhouse, U.K. comedian, radio and TV personality
- Craig Newmark, Craigslist founder
- Jack Parsons, rocket scientist and occultist
- Charles Norbert Reinsel, murderer
- Bruce Schneier, cryptographer
- Greg Shaw, record label head
- Gene Simmons, rock star
- Dave Van Ronk, folksinger *
- VIP, “Big George” cartoonist
- Paul Williams, music journalist, Crawdaddy! founder *
Please add people to this list only if they:
- Are or were famous in the mundane world. Fame, of course, is relative, and fleeting, but we are looking for fen who more than meet criteria of wikipedia:Wikipedia:Notability (people), let alone Andy Warhol’s. Has your mother heard of them?
- Achieved their fame for things not related to science fiction after becoming active in fandom. By “active,” we mean they engaged in such fanac as regularly attending club meetings or conventions (as ordinary members, not guests), publishing or contributing to fanzines, or corresponding with other fen. We are looking for documented interaction with organized fandom, not just enjoying sf.
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