What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?
Why don’t American kids dream of being astronauts anymore? In Japan, interest in space is at a historically high level. I get slightly snarky about AKB48.
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How American Airlines Helped Me Gafiate
Gafiate, for those whose Fannish Lexicon isn’t handy, is Fan Speak for the act of ‘Getting Away From It All’. Leaving Fandom. Putting conventions and fanzines and crazy projects and far-flung friends behind you. It […]
On Fatherhood
When I was around six or seven, I discovered my father’s old comic books. He’s an archivist and his closet reflects this–it is a meticulously organized trove of his interests, packed away in folders, binders […]
Steampunk: An Overview of an Up and Coming Genre
Strap on your goggles, fire up the boiler and let’s lift off toward adventure. Its time to tackle the wonderful world of steampunk! So what is steampunk exactly? Surprisingly it is difficult to describe, even […]
The Artful Collector: On Holding Dual Citizenship (Inside and Outside the SF Community)
The world is changing, but some things stay the same. And are perfect just the way they are. The sky, my two little puppy dogs, and many symphonic works are like that. Whether SF/F conventions […]
Sequential Wednedays #9 – Boston, Where Yo’ Con At?
There are few things genuinely more enjoyable than conventions. It’s sprawling enjoyment catered to all your tastes and more if you’re attending the right one. My convention experience is a little bizarre compared to most […]
Acceptance or Exploitation?
Author’s Note: The following post will discuss depictions of sexuality in media. As such, content may not be acceptable for young children. Please read responsibly. In light of Zach’s recent post, I’ve decided to finally […]
Discovering Planet Stories
As a fan of the classic Science Fiction and Fantasy pulp magazines (exemplified by my thrill to be involved here at Amazing Stories), I find myself a bit giddy whenever I stumble upon an old […]
On Fandom Activism and the Logical High Ground
I understand that change is always difficult, regardless of scale. I understand that societal change in particular is a monumental task. I understand that these things happen slowly, and that part of the whole affair […]
A Little Game of Catch
This week I’m fighting my way past drunken skateboarders and striking cab drivers to get a peek at the latest security and surveillance gadgets the world has to offer. I’ve already spoken with some developers […]
The Clubhouse: Roger Ebert, Death of a Gafiate
The death of Pulitzer Prize-winning Chicago film critic Roger Ebert has already been eulogized far and wide. Most of the accolades concentrate, rightfully so, on Ebert’s storied career as a newspaperman and critic and his […]
The Clubhouse: Widowers, fandom’s answer to the limerick
Fans are nothing if not creative and, over the decades, fandom has come up with not only our own jargon and customs, but also our own art forms. We even have a unique verse form, […]
The Empty Art of Onmyodo
We’re all living on borrowed time, but it can take a fox to remind you that what you should fear most may be the very thing you desire. What does moe culture have in common with black magic? A lot, actually.
The Pros and Cons of Comicon
It is the day before the first day of spring. As I sit in my office chair, working at my computer, the giant snow thrower passes by and deposits a massive blast of snow onto […]
Sequential Wednesdays #6 – An Ode to Young Heroes & Unfinished Stories
All good things come to an end is a truth we all know to be unwavering. Knowing that truth, however, doesn’t lessen the blow when something truly remarkable ends unfulfilled. The most recent entrant into […]
The Destroyer is Back!
Amazing Stories isn’t the only thing making a triumphant return in 2013. Sinanju is recently returned to the literary scene, with TWO series of novels. If the word Sinanju doesn’t ring any bells, then you’re […]
Woman, You Make Me Sick and Other Adventures in Freefall
These offputting objects killed the novel. Let’s dance. ‘Cos it’s more fun reading in freefall.
A Blog Horde Interview with C.E. Martin
Welcome to the Amazing Stories BLOG HORDE INTERVIEWS! The ASM Blog Horde is a diverse and wonderful species. I have the privilege of talking with all of them, and I get to share those chats with […]
The Clubhouse: Save your stuff!
I had hoped to bring you a little photo journal of some of the fans I knew in Detroit and Ann Arbor in the ’70s and ’80s, but alas, such limited pictures as I had […]
How to Host a Big Bang Theory Party
When the tv show the Big Bang Theory first appeared, I wasn’t sure I liked it. I mean, weren’t people laughing at the nerdy scientists as often (or more often) than they laughed with them? […]
I Got Them Old Kon-Going Blues Again, Momma.
Forgive me, Janis Joplin, for destroying that wonderful album title of yours. But it is true: the urge to get up and go to a con is growing in me. Fortunately, I can do something […]
Ora Pro Nobis. The Zombies Are Coming
Pope Benedict XVI stunned the world on February 11th by announcing his abdication. In related news on your Amazing Stories channel, the zombie apocalypse is coming. Even Snooki agrees! “One day, I know that the world is going to end with zombies.”
Cat Heaven: Neko-sama in Animanga
There is a small fishing island in Japan, Tashirojima, which has been dubbed “cat heaven” because of the phenomenal amount of stray cats living there – there are more cats than people! It sounds, to […]
The Clubhouse: Looking for fandom — ConFusion at 40, Part 4
Wherefore fandom? Fandom does not equal “the science fiction market.” To be a fan it’s not enough just to be a consumer of science fiction. To be part of fandom you have to participate in […]
Me and My Sofa.
Ah yes, me and my Sofa. I feel confident calling it my Sofa. With a capital S because the sofa I’m referring to, StarShipSofa, is a podcast magazine. And I can call it mine because […]
Adding the Human Element: An Interview With Juliet
All right, so I’ve given you all some abstract thoughts about the anime world, and I’ve even thrown in a review. But I think it’s fair to say that one of the most interesting things […]
The FAAn Awards
Are you a Fan? Of course you are, you’re here! Why not demonstrate your fannishness and take a crack at nominating for the annual Fan Activity Awards? It’s FREE and its FUN! The Fan Activity […]
Halo Jones Interview with Ian Gibson
Before From Hell, before Watchmen, before The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, there was The Ballad of Halo Jones. Co-created by writer Alan Moore and artist Ian Gibson, Halo Jones was a space opera about a young woman who is swept up in […]
Interview: John DeNardo of SF Signal
SF Signal is a phenomenon. This past year at the Chicon 7 Worldcon, the website was nominated in two categories – Best Fanzine and Best Fancast – and walked home with the honors in the […]
The Clubhouse: ConFusion at 40, Part 3
Immortal ConFusion was rather a bittersweet experience. I hadn’t been to the convention in years, although I attended annually from A² Relax Icon in 1974, up through my college years in Ann Arbor, when I […]
About Author
Before launching her career as an award-winning journalist, Leah A. Zeldes first learned the craft of writing in the pages of twiltone fanzines. Today a freelance writer and professional blogger, she is for hire for writing and editing projects of all types.
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