The Turning Worm
The Turning Worm was a fanzine published by John Piggott from Cambridge, UK, in 1972. All issues were duplicated and without artwork. The first two were essentially perzines while the third and effectively the last added outside contributors. Piggott's Diplomacy fanzine Ethil the Frog said from its 100th issue (November 1987) that it was 'incorporating Fortis Est Rana[1] and The Turning Worm' although this doesn't seem to have made a difference to the contents.
This third issue topped the Checkpoint Fan Poll for Best British Fanzine Single Issue of 1972/1973 . Reviewing it in Checkpoint #24 (October 1972), Peter Roberts noted that Piggott 'has turned to outside contributors for the third issue and has become slightly less of a personal zine. ... John himself contributes some good fanzine reviews. It's devoid of artwork; but well-produced and recommended.' Ian Williams in Maya #5 (December 1972) described it as 'one of the best honest to brilliance straight faanish zines' and in the same issue Maya editor Ian Maule said Piggott had plans to turn the title 'into a Fanac style news and review zine' although nothing came of this.
| Issue | Date | Pages | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 1972 | 4 | 'four duplicated foolscap pages containing an incisive and well-written essay [by Piggott] on what was wrong with British fandom'[2]. |
| 2 | May 1972 | 38 | 'all except the letter column written by editor Piggott, and was a fine example of the quality of zine that UK fans could put out when they tried. It was duplicated, contained no artwork, used a purely typographical layout, and proved the old adage that it’s the words that count'[3]. |
| 3 | August 1972 | 42 | final issue; editorial on Diplomacy, BSFA, misc.; "The Bar's My Destination" (column) by Brian Temple; "How to Produce a Fanzine", by Ian Maule; "The Grooving Gannets" (interview with Ian Williams and Thom Penman); fanzine reviews by Piggott; long lettercolumn; "Towards a More Bootiful Fan Art" (column) by Dave Rowe. |
| Publication | 1972 |
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