There are many words and abbreviations of special relevance to science fiction. In addition, over the years science fiction fandom has created many new terms. A list of some of these words and abbreviations is provided here for N3F members and for any others who are interested in the history of science fiction and science fiction fandom. Additions and/or corrections are invited.

K

• K-a – Abbreviation for Kappa-alpha. See CAPA-alpha.
• KaCSFFS – Abbreviation for the Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society, the group that sponsors the SF&F Hall of Fame.
• Kahoutek – Something that is built up to be great, but which turns out to be a flop.
• Kalem Club - An amateur journalism club of the 1920s, named such because all the original members had surnames beginning with a K, L, or M. The Kalem Club is considered by some authorities to be the first SF club. H. P. Lovecraft, Frank Belknap Long, and Donald Wandrei were members. Lovecraft referred to the members of the club as “The Gang.”
• Kappa-alpha – See CAPA-alpha.
• Karl Edward Wagner Award - A special award of the British Fantasy Society, presented for lifetime achievement to fantasy. Since 1997 the award has been named for Wagner (1945-1994), a genre writer and editor.
• Kaymar Award – Annual award given by The National Fantasy Fan Federation for work for the benefit of the club and its members. It can only be won once. Originated by K. Martin Carlson (1904-1986), an N3F member who maintained and financed it for 25 years, the first award was given in 1959 to Ray C. Higgs.
• Ken McIntyre Award – An award for best fanzine art, named for British fan artist McIntyre who died in 1969.
• Kipple – Materials with a very important use that is discovered only after they have been thrown out.
• K/S fiction – Genre of fan fiction in which Star Trek’s Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock are sexually involved with each other.
• Kurd Lasswitz Award/Prize - Annual awards, given since 1980, for the best SF published in Germany during the previous year (described as the equivalent of the American Nebulas). An award is also given for the Best Foreign Novel. The awards honor the memory of German SF writer Kurd Lasswitz (1848-1910).
• KYHOOYA – Short for Keep Your Head Out Of Your Armpit.

L

• Lacktivity – Lack of activity, the principal cause of expulsion from an APA.
• L.A.con – The 1972 Worldcon, held in Los Angeles, CA. Frederik Pohl was GoH; Buck & Juanita Coulson were fan Guests of Honor; Robert Bloch was toastmaster; Charles Crayne and Bruce Pelz were Con Chairs.
• L.A.con II – The 1984 Worldcon, held in Anaheim, CA. Gordon R. Dickson was GoH; Dick Eney was fan GoH; Jerry Pournelle was toastmaster; Craig Miller & Milt Stevens were Con Chairs.
• L.A.con III – The 1996 Worldcon, held in Anaheim, CA. James White was GoH; Roger Corman was media GoH; Elsie Wollheim was special GoH; Takumi & Sachiko Shibano were fan Guests of Honor; Connie Willis was toastmistress; Mike Glyer was Con Chair.
• L.A.conIV – The 64th World Science Fiction Convention, held in 2006 in Anaheim, CA. Connie Willis was author GoH; James Gurney was artist GoH; Howard DeVore was fan GoH; and Frankie Thomas was special GoH.
• Lambda Literary Awards – Annual awards given since 1988 by the Lambda Literary Foundation to recognize excellence in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender literature and publishing. The awards are presented in several categories and are not limited to SF/fantasy works.
• Lammy Awards – See Lambda Literary Awards.
• Lamont Award - Name for a variety of awards given at annual Pulpcons for achievement related to the early pulp magazines. The award is named after Lamont Cranston, the most popular alias of the fictional pulp hero, The Shadow.
• Langdon chart – A chart tracing fannish romantic/sexual alliances.
• Langford, David – See Ansible.
• Lan’s Lantern – A Hugo-award winning fanzine published by George “Lan” Laskowski (1948-1999). Many numbers were Special Issues, each one honoring a writer on the anniversary of his 50th year of publishing SF.
• Laser war – A mock battle conducted at cons by SF fans, and waged with weapons that project a beam of light. Sometimes called a “blaster-battle,” these wars were popular during the 1970s, but have been outlawed at most cons today.
• LASFAPA – An APA located in the city of Los Angeles. See APA.
• LASFS – The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, founded in 1934 (making it the oldest local fan group in the United States still in existence). The official fanzine of LASFS is Shangri L’Affaires (aka “Shaggy”).
• “Lay” story – A fan-written story in which the principal action consists of getting the main character (often Captain Kirk or Mr. Spock of Star Trek) into a sexual relationship with a female character.
• LBB – Abbreviation for Little Blue Books, which see.
• LC/lc – Dealers’ abbreviation for a motion picture Lobby Card.
• LD – Abbreviation for the SF club Louisville Dreamers.
• Lensman Award – See Skylark Award.
• Leslie Perri – See Perri, Leslie. See Doë.
• Lettercol – Abbreviation for Letter column, a feature of many prozines and fanzines.
• Letterhack/Letter hack – Someone who writes (and gets published) a large number of LOCs to fanzines and/or prozines. See LOC.
• Letterhacks’ Day – December 19th honors the birthday of SF fandom’s greatest letterhack, Harry Warner Jr. In general, a day to honor all letterhacks. See Letterhack.
• Lettersmanship – The art of answering a letter from another fan in such a manner that the fan will never write again. [Attributed to U.K. SF fan/author Bob Shaw] See Fansmanship.
• Letterwar – An exchange of letters between fans in the pages of a fanzine. Sometimes more than two fans are involved in an acrimonious exchange, and the letterwar escalates into a fan feud. See Fan feud.
• Letter-writing campaign – A concentrated effort by fans to urge renewal of a TV series, when the series has been cancelled. The most celebrated example is the campaign organized by “Star Trek” fans after the cancellation of the series was announced in 1967. Bjo Trimble led a group of fans on the West Coast who wrote thousands of letters to NBC offices, resulting in the renewal of the series.
• Letterzine – A fanzine devoted almost exclusively to the printing of letters by fans.
• LEZ/Lez/LeZ – Abbreviations for Tucker’s fanzine Le Zombie, which see.
• Lez-ettes – A tightly condensed story told in three chapters, created by SF fan/author Wilson “Bob” Tucker. An example is Chapter 1: Vampire; Chaper 2, Mirror; Chapter 3, Long Time No See.
• Le Zombie – Wilson (Bob) Tucker’s most famous fanzine, published on a regular schedule in print form from 1938 until 1948, and still available as an e-zine.
• Lim. Ed. – Abbreviation for the book term limited edition.
• Lime Jell-O – A catch-phrase that originated with SF author Joe Haldeman. Apparently, he once stated that his fondest fantasy, and by extention every fan’s: a bathtub filled with lime Jell-O and nubile women.
• Lining out – The process of writing a story by reciting it to another person, who in turn contributes criticism that improves it. If the criticism is deemed to be especially valuable, the person providing it may even become a collaborator on the story.
• Lino – Abbreviation for interlineation, a quotation or remark reprinted between parallel lines at the top or bottom of a fanzine page.
• Literary – Fiction in printed form, regardless of its merit as literature. See Literary fan.
• Literary fan – A fan whose preferred form of SF is books and magazines, rather than other media (movies, TV, etc.).
• Little Blue Books – Small paper-covered booklets, published by E. Haldeman-Julius (1889-1951) of Girard, Kansas, beginning in 1919. At one time the largest mail-order book publishing house in the world, more than 500,000,000 of these 5¢ books were published in over 2,000 different titles. Several SF stories were published in this format.
• Little Green Men – Mundane synonym for SF aliens.
• Little Men – Short for “The Elves’, Gnomes’ and Little Men’s Science Fiction, Chowder, and Marching Society,” a San Francisco Bay Area SF fan club. The title comes from the comic strip Barnaby. The Society created and awards The Invisible Little Man Award.
• Little Monsters of America – SF fan club formed in 1950 by Lynn Hickman and Wilkie Conner in Statesville, NC. The club was formed for the solace and unification of SF fans who were stared at as if they were little monsters when mundanes saw them reading SF prozines in public.
• Living out of the box – Expression used to describe a dealer at a convention who is using the daily proceeds of sales (from the cash box) to pay for convention expenses.
• LNF – Abbreviation for Little Name Fan, one who has not yet made a significant contribution to fandom. See BNF.
• LMA – Abbreviation for Little Monsters of America.
• LMJ – Short for Loud Mouth Jackass. See Fugghead.
• LOC/LoC/loc- Abbreviations for a Letter of Comment, a letter to a prozine or fanzine, commenting on a particular issue. LOCs are often considered mandatory by fanzine editors who send out free copies of their publications for the expressed purpose of getting feedback on their efforts. Also, LOC was a comics magazine published by New Media Publishing Company in the early 1980s. See Loccers. See Loccing.
• Loccers – Fans who write LOCs to fanzines. See LOC.
• Loccing – Writing LOCs. See LOC.
• LOCcols/LoCcols – Abbreviations for letter of comment columns.
• LOC’D/loc’d – Abbreviation for sending a LOC, which see.
• Locus – Short for Locus: The Newspaper of the Science Fiction Field, published/edited by science fiction BNF Charles N. Brown. Over the years Locus has won many Hugos in the fanzine, amateur magazine, and semi-prozine categories, as well as other awards.
• Locus Awards – Annual awards given in a variety of categories by the magazine Locus, based on a vote of its readership. See Locus.
• Logistics – The committee at a con that handles things, as opposed to people. Logistics provides both needed equipment (projectors, screens, blackboards, etc.) and amenities (pitchers of water, ash trays, etc.) for speakers and panelists.
• Logo – The title layout of a comic strip or magazine as it appears on the cover, masthead, or splash panel.
• Loncon – The 1957 World Science Fiction Convention, held in London. John W. Campbell, Jr. was GoH. Ted Carnell was Con Chair.
• Loncon II – The 1965 Worldcon, held in London. Brian Aldiss was GoH; Tom Boardman was toastmaster; Ella Parker was Con Chair.
• LoneStarCon2 – The 1997 Worldcon, held in San Antonio, Texas. Algis Budrys and Michael Moorcock were Guests of Honor; Don Maitz was artist GoH; Roy Tackett was fan GoH; Neal Barrett, Jr. was toastmaster; Karen Meschke was Con Chair.
• LOTR – Short for Lord of the Rings.
• Lovecraft Mythos – Fictional references created by HPL (e.g., the non-existent Necronomicon).
• Ltd./ltd. – Abbreviation for limited (e.g., limited edition of a book).
• Lunacons – New York area conventions. They vie with the PhilCons for the honor of being the largest and most important cons on the East Coast of the U.S. See Lunarians.
• LUNA Monthly – A SF fanzine (edited by Anne F. Dietz), successor to Luna (edited by Frank M. Dietz, Jr.), which was published briefly in the early 1960s and then again from June 1969 to Spring 1977.
• Lunarians – A New York area SF fan club that sponsors the Lunacons.
• Lustrum – A period of five years. Term is attributed to SF personality Forrest J Ackerman.

There are many words and abbreviations of special relevance to science fiction. In addition, over the years science fiction fandom has created many new terms. A list of some of these words and abbreviations is provided here for N3F members and for any others who are interested in the history of science fiction and science fiction fandom. Additions and/or corrections are invited.

I

• IA – Short for Interplanetary Adventurers.
• IAFA – Abbreviation for The International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts, which see.
• IASFM – Short for Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, which see.
• IBIS – Abbreviation for the Imaginative Book Illustration Society, which see.
• Icarus Award – An award for the most promising newcomer to the fantasy field, given by the British Fantasy Society.
• I Check You To 19 Decimals – Translates as “You are absolutely right!” [from “Doc” Smith’s Lensman series]
• Ideatripping – Going as far as possible with a simple idea. Attributed to fan Dan Goodman.
• IE – Abbreviation for Insurgent Element.
• IF/If- A prozine that later merged with Galaxy. Also known as If: Worlds of Science Fiction, If Science Fiction, and Worlds of If. Also, short for Irish Fandom, a group once active in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
• IFA – Abbreviation for the International Fantasy Award. Also, at one time, the Indian Fantasy Association. See International Fantasy Award.
• IFF – Short for the Illini Fantasy Fictioneers.
• IguanaCon – The 1978 Worldcon, held in Phoenix, Arizona. Harlan Ellison was GoH; Bill Bowers was fan GoH; F. M. Busby was toastmaster; Tim Kyger was Con Chair.
• Ilford Science Literary Circle – The first SF group of British fandom, which held its first meeting on October 27, 1930.
• Illo – Short for illustration. See Illos.
• Illos – Abbreviation for illustrations, the fan and/or pro artwork appearing in a SF prozine or fanzine. Story illos depict events in a particular story; fillos are decorative pieces placed here and there to fill up otherwise empty space.
• Imagination – This SF prozine (October 1950–October 1958) was known for its friendly and chatty departments. In particular, “Fandora’s Box,” a fan column conducted by Mari Wolf (and later by Robert Bloch). At the time Wolf was Mrs. Rog Phillips. From March 1948 to March 1953 Phillips (pen name of Roger Phillips Graham) conducted a similar department, “The Club House,” in Amazing.
• Imagination! – Early SF fanzine that was the forerunner of Voice of the Imagi-Nation (VOM), which see.
• IMAO – Abbreviation for the expression In My Arrogant Opinion, used in fanzines and other apa publications. See IMHO.
• IMHO – Abbreviation for the expression In My Humble Opinion, used in fanzines and other apa publications. See IMAO.
• Immortal Storm, The – An early history of SF fandom written by Sam Moskowitz.
• Imprint – A division within a publishing house that specializes in a particular genre, or that publishes a certain type of book and has its own logo. Within an imprint, there may be different lines or series, each distinguished by its own characteristic design or logo.
• Incompl. – Abbreviation for incomplete, used by dealer’s to describe a collectible item that has some part missing.
• Infintesimags – Extremely small mags, with just the bare essentials (from Jack Speer).
• Inkpot Awards – Annual awards presented at the San Diego ComicCon for achievement in comic arts, animation, film/TV, science fiction/fantasy, and service to fandom.
• Inside – A SF fanzine edited/published by Jon White, predecessor to Riverside Quarterly.
  Inside and Science Fiction Advertiser – Hugo-award winning SF fanzine (1955/for Amateur Publication), edited by Ron Smith.
• Insurgents – The fun-loving crowd in fandom, happy rebels who defy authority.
• Interaction – The 2005 Worldcon, held in Glasgow, Scotland. Guests of Honor were Christopher Priest, Robert Sheckley, and Jane Yolen. Fan Guests of Honor were Greg Pickersgill and Lars-Olov Strandberg. This was the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention.
• InterApa – An international APA, started in 1964.
• International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts – An organization devoted to the study of the fantastic as it appears in literature, film, and the other arts. Often abbreviated as IAFA.
• International Fantasy Award – Created in 1951, the IFA was the first award in the SF/fantasy genre, and was given in both fiction and nonfiction categories. The awards were discontinued in 1958.
• International Science Fiction Guild – The ISFG was created by Wilson Shepard of Oakman, Alabama in 1934, with the first issue of the society’s Bulletin bearing the date of May-June 1934.
• Intersection – The 1995 Worldcon, held in Glasgow, Scotland. Samuel R. Delany was GoH; Gerry Anderson was media GoH; Les Edwards was artist GoH; Vin¢ Clark was fan GoH; Peter Morwood & Diane Duane were toast mr.& mrs.; Vincent Docherty and Martin Easterbrook were Con Chairs.
• Interzone – A semi-professional magazine published in the UK, beginning with an issue dated Spring 1982. Originally published by an unpaid collective of eight people, the SF magazine still is being published today in a slick format. David Pringle was editor and publisher for 22 years, stepping down in 2004 when Andy Cox became editor/publisher.
• Into – Fan slang for “interested in,” probably borrowed from Hippie slang of the 1960s.
• Invisible Little Man Award – Award for service to the SF field created and given by The Elves’, Gnomes’, and Little Men’s Science Fiction, Chowder and Marching Society of Berkeley, California. The first recipient was George Pal in 1951.
• Isaac Asimov Award – Sponsored by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts and Asimov’s Science Fiction, The Isaac Asimov Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing is given annually for the best SF short story by a college undergraduate. The Award honors the award-winning writer/editor Isaac Asimov.
• Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine – Abbreviated IASFC, this Davis Publication prozine , first issue dated Spring 1977, was created as a SF counterpart to the company’s mystery titles that also featured prominent names in the titles– Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. All three magazines are now published by Dell Magazines of New York and IASFC is now titled Asimov’s Science Fiction.
• ISFCC – Abbreviation for the International Sci-Fiction Correspondence Club.
• ISFG – Short for the International Science Fiction Guild, which see.
• Ish – Short for an issue of a fanzine. See annish.
• Italia Awards – Awards administered by World Science Fiction Italia. World SF is an international association of people with a professional interest in the field of science fiction: authors, editors, publishers, translators, academics, bibliographers, musicians, film-makers, artists, librarians, critics–anywhere in the world. It was founded in Dublin in 1976 and began operation at the 1978 Dublin meeting.

J

• Jacket - See dust jacket.
• Jack Gaughan Memorial Award, The – Award presented annually at the Boskone conference to the most promising new artist in the SF field. The award honors SF artist Gaughan (1930-1985). See Boskone.
• JAFA – Short for the Junior Amateur Fantasy Association.
• JAM/jam – Short for Jacket and Mint, used in referring to a book that has its dust jacket and is in mint (fine) condition.
• James Tait Black Memorial Prize -  Scotland’s oldest book awards, given annually for Fiction and Biography, written in English and originating with a British publisher during the previous year.
• James Tiptree Jr. Memorial Award – See Tiptree Award.
• James White Award – Original short story competition for non-professional writers throughout the world, presented for the first time in 2000. The award, sponsored by the SF magazine Interzone, honors SF fan/writer James White (1928-1999), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. White is known primarily for his “Sector General” series of books.
• Jiant Jack – Nickname of BNF fan John B. (Jack) Speer (1920-2008).
• J. O. Bailey Award – See Pilgrim Award.
• Joe Fann – A typical fan. The term originated in Bob Tucker’s fanzine, Le Zombie.
• Joe Phan – Alternate spelling of Joe Fann, which see.
• John Bristol – Pseudonym used by SF fan Jack Speer in his prankster days.
• John W. Campbell, Jr. Memorial Awards – Awards that honors the best SF novel of the preceding year. The award is named for the well-known editor/writer who was one of the founding fathers of modern SF.
• Jophan – Character in The Enchanted Duplicator by Willis and Shaw (from Tucker’s Joe Fann, which see) and in many other works of fan fiction.
• Journeyman costumer – The division of costuming judging, between that of “novice” and “master,” which see.
• Judging – The evaluation of costumes in a variety of categories at a convention masquerade. See Novice, Journeyman, and Master costumer.
• Juffus – A nickname for Jack F. Speer, originating from the time when he wrote his initials j’f's.
• Julie Award – Award presented annually at Dragon*Con for “universal achievement spanning multiple genres” and named for Julius Schwartz. “Julie” Schwartz was co-founder of the first SF fan magazine, the first Worldcon, and the world’s first SF literary agency. The initial recipient of the award was Ray Bradbury in 1998.

There are many words and abbreviations of special relevance to science fiction. In addition, over the years science fiction fandom has created many new terms. A list of some of these words and abbreviations is provided here for N3F members and for any others who are interested in the history of science fiction and science fiction fandom. Additions and/or corrections are invited.

B

• B – Short for Barbarian.
• Backcover/bacover – The back cover of a fanzine or prozine.
• Backwater – An area isolated from the rest of fandom.
• Badge – The name tag issued with your membership at a con. Such a badge serves the dual purpose of admitting you to con functions and of introducing you to other fans.
• BAE – Abbreviation for Books Are Everything!, which see.
• Ballantine Books – Publishing company founded in 1952 by Ian and Betty Ballantine. Ballantine’s first SF book was The Space Merchants (1953) by Frederik Pohl and Cyril M. Kornbluth. Ballantine went on to establish a prestigious line of SF books, many of which were published simultaneously in hardback and paperback and illustrated by Richard M. Powers.
• Balrog Award – Named for the creature from Tolkien’s award-winning book, Lord of the Rings, the Balrog Awards were given in a variety of categories from 1978 until they were discontinued in 1985.
• B&W/b&w – Abbreviations for black and white illustrations. See Black and White.
• BAPA – Abbreviation for British Amateur Press Association.
• Bardic circle – A filk-sing (sing-along) where chairs are arranged in a circle, with each member of the circle taking a turn in rotation. The songs are supposed to be authentic ballads.
• BArea – The San Francisco Bay Area: Berkeley, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, etc. The fans of the area are known as BAreans.
• Baycon – The 1968 Worldcon, held in Oakland, CA. Guest of Honor was Philip José Farmer; fan Guest of Honor was Walter J. Daugherty; Robert Silverberg was toastmaster; Bill Donaho, Alva Rogers, and J. Ben Stark were Con Chairs.
• BAYOR – Abbreviation for Buy At Your Own Risk.
• BC – Short for the Bohemia Club.
• Bcr/bcr – Abbreviation for backcover/bacover, which see.
• Beanie – Cap worn by SF fans, usually with a propeller on top. This image of a typical SF fan was created by SF author, artist, and fan Ray Faraday Nelson.
• Bedsheet – Approximately 8½ by 12 inches in size. At various times several SF magazines have been published in this format, including Amazing, Wonder, Fantastic Adventures, ASF, and Unknown Worlds.
• BEM/Bem – Abbreviation for Bug-Eyed Monster, a cliché alien villain, often pictured on the covers of pulp magazines menacing a human female.
• Bennies – Fannish term for benefits, especially to SF club members (e. g., discounts on books given by book stores to members of certain organizations).
• Beowulf Poll – The 29th issue of the fanzine Sun Spots, edited by Gerry de la Ree, published in September, 1947, to coincide with the 5th Worldcon, carried the results of the Beowulf Poll, in which fans ranked all the works of Heinlein, Kuttner, Campbell, de Camp, Doc Smith, Wells, Weinbaum, Merritt, and Lovecraft.
• Better Little Book – See BLB.
• BFA – See British Fantasy Awards.
• BFCG – Abbreviation for Buffalo Fantasy Collectors Group, which see.
• BFL – Short for the British Fantasy Library.
• BFLg – Short for Buffalo Fantasy League.
• BGB – Abbreviation for the Bubble-Gum Brigade, a term used to describe pre-teen fans.
• Bheer – SF fan term, originally for beer, now for any alcoholic beverage. Apparently this spelling originated as the result of a typo.
• Bhoys – Male SF fans.
• Biapans – Members of two APAs, which see.
• Bid – Some conventions, such as the Worldcons, move to a different site each year. The people, facilities, and city campaigning for such a convention make a bid and the members of the committee involved are called the bidcom.
• Bidcom – Short for bid committee. See Bid.
• Bidding number – The number assigned to someone who wishes to bid on artwork at a convention. Often the number is the number of the bidder’s membership, as recorded on his or her badge, to make certain the only bidders are members of the convention.
• Big Foot art – Comic book/strip art featuring cartoon-like or “big foot” characters.
• Big Heart Award – Another name for the E. Everett Evans Award.
• Big Hearted Howard – A nickname for SF fan Howard DeVore, of Detroit, Michigan. DeVore was a member of N3F and famous in fan circles for his publication The Hugo, Nebula and World Fantasy Awards, a reference work that has seen several editions.
• Big Little Book – See BLB.
• Big Little Times – Fanzine published by The Big Little Book Collector’s Club of America, devoted to the BLB, which see.
• Big Pond Fund – A scheme organized by American SF personality Forrest Ackerman to bring British fan/pro Ted Carnell to Cincinnati in 1949. This effort led to a similar fund in 1952 to bring Irish fan Walt Willis to Chicago. Dur to the success of these special funds, the TAFF came into existence.
• Big Three – Originally the three best-selling prozines: Amazing, Astounding, and Wonder Stories. The lineup has changed many times over the years, but for a long period of time it was Astounding/Analog, F&SF, and Galaxy. Later used to refer to the three most prominent writers of SF’s Golden Age: Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein.
• Biolog – Department of brief biographical sketches in ASF, beginning in the February 1977 issue. The department began as a monthly feature and was conducted by SF fan and photographer Jay Kay Klein who usually included a photograph of his subject with each sketch. The department has appeared on a sporadic basis in recent years.
• BIS – Abbreviation for the British Interplanetary Society.
• Bjohn – Collective nickname by which science fiction BNFs Bjo and John Trimble are known.
• Black and White – Comics that are printed only in black and white, as opposed to full-color. Black and White comics are cheaper to produce than those in color. Often abbreviated as B and W or B&W.
• Blad – A promotional brochure.
• BLB – Abbreviation for Big Little Book (later known as a Better Little Book), a miniature hardcover edition of a comic book originally published in the 1930s and 1940s and sought by collectors today. Derived from the comic strips of the day, BLBs had color covers with black and white interior pages that alternated text and illustration. While most of the stories had their origins in previously published syndicated newspaper comics, others were taken from movies, radio, and popular real and fictional characters. Many were SF/fantasy.
• Blister – Term used by some dealers to describe the protective plastic bubble that encases an action figure.
• Blog – An alcoholic punch, sometimes served with dry ice. There are no specific ingredients. The creation of blog is credited to Liverpool fans in the 1950s. More recently, short for weblog, the Internet term for an editorial.
• Blog and Crotted Greeps – Fannish terms for “nectar and ambrosia,” a liquor and a snack favored in the British Isles.
• Blogging – Fierce or potent (from British fandom).
• Bloody Colonials – British fans’ term for Americans and Canadians.
• Bloody Provincials – British fans’ term for British fans living outside of the London area.
• BNF – Big Name Fan, a person who has made significant contributions to fandom.
• BNFF – Big Name Female Fan. See BNF.
• BNN – Big Name Neo, a person who is not quite a BNF, which see.
• Bodrio – A worthless fanzine, a crudzine.
• Boggle – To bewilder.
• Bolega – Mythical fannish liquor.
• Bookazine – Dealer’s term for a SF novel published in a magazine format.
• Book fans – SF fans who insist they only read science fiction, as opposed to those fans who watch it on TV or films.
• Books Are Everything! – A fanzine, published/edited by R. C. and Elwanda Holland of Richmond, Kentucky, devoted to collectors of paperback books. The first issue was dated January 1988; the last issue was dated October 1995. Many SF/fantasy authors and books were featured during BAE’s run of 30 issues.
• Booga Booga – A fan expression, possibly derived from Boogie, that has no real meaning.
• Bootlegzines – Fanzines that have been reproduced without permission of the original publisher/editor, and offered for sale at exorbitant prices.
• BoSh – Short for SF author Bob Shaw.
• Boskone – Annual regional SF convention held in New England, the name based on a pun that equated Boston Conference with Boskone, the villainous culture in E. E. Smith’s famous Lensman series. The first Boskone was held in 1941.
• Bounce back offer – Term used to refer to a premium offer that is advertised by an insert in the box of the premium that was ordered (e. g., a Buck Rogers premium is received by the person who sent off for it; along with the premium the person receives an ad for another premium, one that is available only to those people who received the first premium).
• Bow-tie – The emblem of the SMOF.
• Bradbury Award – Award presented by the SFWA, beginning in 1992, for excellence in screen writing. It is named for author Ray Bradbury.
• Brandco – Short for Buck Rogers and Company.
• BRE – Short for a British reprint edition of any SF magazine, usually one from the United States.
• British Fantasy Awards – The British Fantasy Society presents annual awards for the best fantasy works of the year. The award for the best novel, established in 1971, is named after August Derleth; the Icarus Award, established in 1987, is for the most promising newcomer to the field. See August Derleth Award.
• British Science Fiction Association – Formed in the 1950s, the BSFA publishes the journal Vector and runs the British Science Fiction Awards, which see. Abbreviated as BSFA.
• British Science Fiction Awards – Annual SF awards presented since 1969 by the BSFA in a variety of categories.
• British Science Literary Association – The second national SF association in England, launched by Walter Gillings to replace the Ilford Science Literary Circle after it went into recess in the summer of 1931.
• BSFA – See British Science Fiction Awards. Also, the abbreviation of the British Science Fiction Association and the British Science-Fantasy Association.
• BSFS – Short for the British Science-Fantasy Society.
• BSLA – Abbreviation for the British Science Literary Association, which see.
• Bundles – Large mailings or other distributions of fanzines.
• Bram Stoker Award – An annual award, given in several categories, to recognize outstanding achievement in horror and dark fantasy, chosen by members of the Horror Writers of America (HWA). The award is named after the Irish novelist, Abraham (Bram) Stoker (1847-1912), famous as the author of Dracula (1897). Several SF personalities have received life achievement awards from the HWA, including Fritz Leiber, Jack Williamson, and Gahan Wilson.
• Brass Tacker – A SF fan who published LoCs to “Brass Tacks,” the letter column in ASF.
• Brass Tacks – The letter column in ASF.
• BRE – Abbreviation for British Reprint Edition (of a U. S. magazine).
• Btw/btw – Abbreviation for “by the way,” used in fanzines and other apa publications.
• Bucconeer – The 1998 Worldcon, held in Baltimore, Maryland. C. J. Cherryh was GoH; Milton A. Rothman was fan GoH; Stanley Schmidt was editor GoH; Michael Whelan was artist GoH; Charles Sheffield was toastmaster; Peggy Rae Pavlat was Con Chair.
• Buck Rogers – SF character created by American writer Philip Francis Nowlan (1888-1940). Anthony (Buck) Rogers first appeared in the story “Armageddon 2419” in the August 1928 issue of Amazing Stories. This story was followed by “The Air-Lords of Han” in the March 1929 Amazing. Nowlan later collaborated with artist Dick Calkins on the 1st SF comic strip, “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” that ran from 1929 until 1967. The strip was originated by John Flint Dille, president of the National Newspaper Service Syndicate, Chicago. Deriders of SF once referred to it as “that Buck Rogers stuff.”
• Buffalo Fantasy Collectors Group – An organization of genre collectors located in Buffalo, New York.
• Bug-Eyed Monster – See BEM.
• Burned out – Fannish synonym for GAFIA (which see), usually used when a fan has taken on more obligations than s/he can handle and withdraws from fandom.
• The Burroughs Bibliophiles – See The Burroughs Bulletin.
• The Burroughs Bulletin – Fanzine founded in 1947 by Vern Coriell, at that time a traveling circus performer. The Burroughs Bibliophiles, a literary society devoted to the life and work of Edgar Rice Burroughs, was created in 1960 (ten years after the death of ERB), and now publishes the Bulletin. The current editor is George T. McWhorter, who took over the publication in 1990. At that time McWhorter was curator of the Burroughs Memorial Collection, an archive of 70,000+ books and related materials, at The University of Louisville.
• The Burroughs Newsbeat – An Edgar Rice Burroughs fanzine published by Kevin Hancer for forty-seven issues during the 1970s. It was revived in October 2002 (issue #48) by James Van Hise.

There are many words and abbreviations of special relevance to science fiction. In addition, over the years science fiction fandom has created many new terms. A list of some of these words and abbreviations is provided here for N3F members and for any others who are interested in the history of science fiction and science fiction fandom. Additions and/or corrections are invited.

A

• Ā – See Null-A.
• AAPA – Abbreviation for American Amateur Press Association, which see.
• ABA – Abbreviation for the American Booksellers Association
• ABCs of SF – After the death of Heinlein (one of the “Big Three” of SF’s Golden Age: Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein), critics spoke of the ABCs of SF (Asimov, Bradbury, and Clarke).
• A. Bertram Chandler Award – An award for “Outstanding Achievement in Australian Science Fiction,” established in 1991 by The Australian Science Fiction Foundation. The name honors the Australian SF writer A. Bertram Chandler (1912-1984).
• ABO – Abbreviation for Aboriginal Science Fiction, a SF prozine published from 1986 until 2001.
• AC/ac – Suffix used to denote activity. Also, when capitalized, the abbreviation for The Alien Critic, which see.
• ACBA – The Academy of Comic Book Arts.
• ACBFC -The Academy of Comic-Book Fans And Collectors.
• ACC – Abbreviation for SF writer Arthur C. Clarke.
• ACCA - Abbreviation for the Arthur C. Clark Award, which see.
• Ace Double/s – Paperback books published by Ace Books, Inc., founded in 1953. The format consisted of two titles bound together, back-to-back, giving the reader two books for one. There was an SF line and a mystery line, all edited by long-time SF personality Donald A. Wollheim. Some titles related to fandom are included in the SF Ace Double line (e. g., Barry Malzberg’s [as by K. M. O’Donnell] Dwellers of the Deep, 1970/SF fans save the universe!).
• Acid free – Book papers which contain no free acid and have a pH value of 6.0 or greater.
• Acidity – Acidity is probably the single most important factor affecting the permanence of archival materials such as book paper. It is defined as the condition in which the concentration of hydrogen ions in an aqueous solution exceeds that of hydroxylions. See Acid free.
• Ack-Ack – Forrest J Ackerman’s nickname when he was in the Army. When he reached the rank of sergeant, he was also known as Sgt. Ack-Ack.
• Ackermanese – The writing style of Forrest J Ackerman, characterized by simplified spelling, puns, neologisms, etc.
• Ackermansion – Forrest J Ackerman’s house. Also called the Ackermuseum.
• Ackermuseum – See Ackermansion.
• Acolyte – Francis T. Laney’s fanzine.
• Actifan – Someone actively engaged in the activities of fandom (a “trufan,” as opposed to a “fakefan”).
• Activity – Any effort in fandom to do fannish things. In an APA, activity refers to the publication of a minimum number of pages per year (in order to retain membership). See APA.
• Activity Requirement – The required amount of material needed to maintain membership in an APA.
• Adams Award – See Douglas Adams Award.
• Ad Lig – Fannish ad lib.
• ADS – See August Derleth Society.
• Adultzine – A fanzine that contains material not suitable for minors.
• Advent: Publishers, Inc. – A Chicago publisher, run by SF fans, that specializes in nonfiction books about SF rather than SF itself.
• Adzine – A fanzine consisting principally of advertisements.
• AE – Abbreviation for Association Editor or APA Editor.
• AFF – Short for The Atlanta Fantasy Faire, which see.
• AG – Short for All Girls.
• AGoH – Artist Guest of Honor. Some genre conventions have an AGoH.
• Agberg – Fan name of SF author Robert Silverberg.
• Age statement – A written declaration that the purchaser of a fanzine is over 18 years of age (or, in some cases, over 21).
• AggieCon - Annual SF convention held in College Station, Texas.
• Ah, Sweet Idiocy Day! – March 16, commemorating the birthday of Francis Towner Laney, a SF fan who wrote a famous fannish article with the title of “Ah, Sweet Idiocy.”
• AJAY/AJ/Ayjay – Short for Amateur Journalism, AJAY (or Ayjay) is the name given to the hobby by the “mundane” amateur press associations. See APAs.
• AKA/A.K.A./Aka/aka – Abbreviations for also known as (used to indicate an author writing under a pseudonym, a fictional character with more than one name, a story with two different titles, etc.).
• AKICIF – Abbreviation for the phrase All Knowledge Is Contained In Fandom, a reference to the wide interests of SF fans and their penchant for collecting trivia.
• Algol/Starship – Andrew Porter’s fanzine Algol, which later changed its name to Starship, and still later became the magazine Science Fiction Chronicle. Algol won a Hugo in 1973 for best fanzine (tied with Alien Critic, edited by Richard E. Geis).
• Alien Critic, The – Richard E. Geis’ fanzine, winner of the 1974 Hugo for best fanzine.
• Alternate history – Sub-genre of SF in which actual historical events are changed, producing different future events, often of a startling nature. Also called Alternate worlds and Alternative history. Examples: Philip K. Dick’s Man in the High Castle, Christopher Priest’s The Separation.
• AMA/Ama/ama – Prefix used in many words to denote something of amateur status (e. g., ama-heroes for amateur heroes).
• Amateur – Not a professional, i.e., a fan.
• Amateur Correspondent – Formerly titled Science Fantasy Correspondent, Amateur Correspondent was edited by Corwin F. Stickney, published during the 1930s, and devoted to “the amateur fantasy-writer”.
• Amateur Magazines – In SF/fantasy and associated fields these amateur publications are popularly known as “fan” magazines or “fanzines.” Over the years thousands of these amateur magazines have been published throughout the world. Fanzine Index, compiled/edited by Bob Pavlat and Bill Evans, lists some 2,000 titles from the beginning of such publications until 1952. This index was reissued in 1965 by the late Harold Piser.
• Amateur Journalism – Fan publishing activities in a variety of genres. The term predates and partially inspired SF fandom’s APAs. See AJAY.
• Amateur Press Association/Alliance – A group of people who publish fanzines. Usually abbreviated as APA.
• Amazing – Usual name for the first all-science fiction magazine (beginning April, 1926), considered by most critics to be the most important SF magazine to be published in that it gave the genre a home and a name. Originally (and most recently) titled Amazing Stories, the magazine has carried the titles of Amazing Science Fiction, Amazing Science Fiction Stories, and Amazing/Fantastic at various times during its long history. The most recent version suspended publication with the April 2005 issue. In March 2006 the current publisher announced that the magazine would no longer be published.
• American Amateur Press Association (AAPA) – A nation-wide non-profit organization of amateur journalists founded in 1936, whose purpose is the promotion of amateur writers and the circulation of their work among the membership.
• American Rocket Society – Organization that built, used model rockets. At one time the Society was close to SF fandom.
• &rea – Fannish visual pun/abbreviation for the name Andrea.
• Amra – Hugo winning SF fanzine (1963 & 1967/Amateur Publication), edited by George Scithers.
• AMZ – Abbreviation for the SF magazine Amazing Stories. See Amazing.
• André Norton Award – The André Norton Fantasy/SF Short Story Award, named for the prolific SF author, is part of a Florida state writing contest that started in 1989. Also, the name of an award, beginning in 2006, given by the SFWA for “outstanding young adult science fiction or fantasy.”
• Anglofan – A fan from Britain. See Anglofandom.
• Anglofandom – British fans, fanzines, clubs, conventions, etc., closely allied with American fandom but different from it.
• Animation cel – The original art painted on a sheet of clear plastic used in the production of an animated cartoon. Fans of comic art often collect animation cels.
• The Analytical Laboratory – A department of Astounding/Analog that rated stories in each issue as determined by a poll of readers. Beginning in 1953 the top story in each issue was given a cash bonus by editor John W. Campbell, Jr. The “AnLab” reported on each issue for thirty-eight years–from March 1938 through October 1976–and covered twenty-five hundred fiction items. Although it was dropped with the February 1977 issue, it was revived in 1979 as an annual poll–in which Analog readers picked their favorite stories, fact articles, and covers from the previous year – The creators of these fan favorites are honored each year with AnLab Awards.
• AnLab – Abbreviation for “The Analytical Laboratory,” which see.
• AnLab Awards – See AnLab.
• Annish – An anniversary issue of a fanzine, usually containing extra pages and features.
• Ann Radcliffe Awards – A category of awards once presented by The Count Dracula Society for outstanding achievements in television, cinema, and literature in the fields of SF, fantasy, and horror. The awards were named for Mrs. Ann Radcliffe, an 18th Century gothic writer.
• Ansible – Hugo-winning fanzine (1986), edited by Dave Langford (who has also won multiple Hugos for best fan writer). Publishing note: Ansible was revived with issue #51 in October, 1991. Including 9 irregular “half issues,” thrown in for special occasions, that’s 130 issues since its return, 180 in all.”
• Anthony Awards – Awards for mystery writers named for SF/mystery author and critic Anthony Boucher (pseudonym of William Anthony Parker White).
• ANZAPA – An APA that serves fans in both Australia and New Zealand.
• AOF – The Oklahoma Alliance Of Fans (1967-1983).
• AOY/A.O.Y. – Abbreviations for All Our Yesterdays, the title of both a fan publication and a book by Harry Warner, Jr.
• APA/Apa/apa – Amateur Press Association (or Alliance). A group of people who publish fanzines and send them to an official editor who mails a copy of each to each member in a regular bundle. Members comment on each other’s fanzines in a kind of group discussion. Usually some definition of minimum activity (minac) is required to maintain membership. Plural of APA is APAE.
• APAE – Plural of APA, which see.
• Apa-Eros – An apa concerned with sex. See APA-69 Classic. See APA.
• Apa-F – The first weekly, local club apa, written by Dave Van Arnam, that lasted for 69 mailings. See APA.
• Apa-45 – An APA whose membership is limited to those fans born in 1945 or later. See APA.
• Apa-50 – An APA whose membership is limited to those fans born in 1950 or later. See APA.
• Apa-H – An apa about and in the form of hoaxes.
• Apahack – A person who belongs to several apae at the same time, especially when that activity consists of most of his/her fanac. See APA.
• Apa-L – An apa associated with the club LASFS. See APA.
• Apa-Lambda – An apa on gay issues. See APA.
• Apalogia – An apa, the title being a combination of/pun on the word apology. See APA.
• Apan – A member of an APA, which see.
• Apanage – An apa on children’s literature. See APA.
• Apa-NESFA – An apa run by the New England Science Fiction Association. See APA.
• Apa-nu – An apa based in the city of New York. See APA.
• Apa-Pi – An apa based in the city of Berkeley, CA. See APA.
• Apa-69 Classic – An apa devoted to sexual topics. See APA.
• Apa-Q – An apa based in Queens, New York. See APA.
• Apa-X – Also known as Apex, this was the first “secret” invitational apa. See APA.
• Apazine – Any fanzine distributed through an APA, which see.
• Apex – See Apa-X.
  Apocryphals – Items carried by fans at conventions as good-luck charms, decorations, etc., many of which can be considered works of art. Some cons offer prizes for the most original apocryphals.
• APPLE – An apa devoted to home crafts. See APA.
• ARA – Short for American Rocketry Association.
• Archtypal collector – The collector who collects just for the sake of collecting.
• Ariel – An art-oriented fanzine, sub-titled “The Book of Fantasy,” this large-size semi-professional publication began publication Autumn 1976. A total of four issues were published, with the final issue dated October 1978.
• The Arkham Collector – A 10-issue booklet published by Arkham House, beginning with a Summer 1967 issue. Contents included stories, poems, essays, and news from the field. August Derleth was editor until his death in 1971, at which time publication ceased.
• Arkham House – A specialty SF, fantasy, and horror book publisher. Arkham House was founded in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei for the expressed purpose of keeping the works of H. P. Lovecraft in print.
• ArmadilloCon – A science fiction convention held annually in Austin, with several hundred attendees. The primary focus of ArmadilloCon is literary science fiction, but other topics are also featured: art, animation, science, media, and gaming. Every year, dozens of professional writers, artists and editors attend the convention.
• Armed Services Editions – The paperback reprint books given free to servicemen during World War II. Some were SF/fantasy titles, including several books by H. G. Wells. Often abbreviated as ASE.
• Army of Goons – Phrase used by author Robert Bloch to describe juvenile fans.
• Art show – An exhibition of SF/fantasy artwork at a con for both pro and fan artists.
• Arthur C. Clarke Award – The Arthur C. Clarke Award honors the best SF novel published in the United Kingdom in the previous year. The first award, presented in 1987, went to The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.
• Arthur Ellis Awards – Often called “The Canadian Edgars,” the Arthur Ellis Awards are juried awards given annually since 1983 by Canada’s national association of mystery-fiction writers. Jurors are all active members of the Crime Writers of Canada.
• Artzine – A fanzine specializing in art: original illustrations, comic art and cartoons, book/magazine cover art reproductions, or other art.
• Artwork – Fans became interested in artwork through newspaper comic strips and the covers and interior illustrations of SF and comic magazines. Today most fanzines are illustrated in some fashion, and some are devoted almost exclusively to artwork. Both professional and amateur artwork is collectible.
• Articlezine – A fanzine specializing in articles.
• A.S.B./a/s.b. – The Usenet newsgroup alt.sex.bondage, and, by extension, anyone who enjoys sado-masochistic sexual games, sometimes played at conventions.
• ASE – Abbreviation for Armed Services Editions, which see.
• ASF – Abbreviation for Astounding Science Fiction. See Astounding/Analog.
• ASFA - Abbreviation for the Association of Science Fiction Artists, which see.
• ASFA Quarterly – The official publication of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. See Association of Science Fiction Artists.
• ASFCC – American Aci-Fiction Correspondence Club.
• ASFSFA – Abbreviation for The American Society for Science Fiction Audio.
• Ashcan copy – A preliminary, mock copy of a new publication made up for the sole purpose of establishing copyright.
• Asimov’s Science Fiction – One of the major SF magazines being published today. It is currently published ten times a year (two double issues) by Dell Magazines. It began as Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, usually abbreviated as IASFM, with Volume 1, Number 1 dated Spring 1977.
• As is (or As found) – Dealer’s term to indicate that an item has some sort of damage and is being sold in the condition in which it was found.
• Associational/association copy – Often a collectible is made even more valuable because of its associational value. A book may have belonged to a famous person and contain his bookplate or be signed off to another famous person, a magazine may be signed by the editor/writer/artist, original artwork may be inscribed, etc.
• Association of Science Fiction Artists – A professional organization of SF illustrators that promotes the interests of SF artists, also known as the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. Usually abbreviated as ASFA.
• *- – - – -* – Asterisks, used in fanzines to denote side comments (e. g., *snicker*).
• Astounding/Analog – Astounding (later Analog) Science Fiction, originally launched in 1930 as Astounding Stories of Super-Science, was the premier SF magazine of SF’s Golden Age. The magazine has gone through several variations of format and name, but either Astounding or Analog has always been the principal word in the title. The current title is Analog Science Fiction and Fact. It is published 10 times a year (two double issues) by Dell Magazines.
• The Atlanta Fantasy Faire Award – Established in 1982, the AFF Award is presented annually for lifetime achievement in the fields of SF, fantasy, horror, comics, and related fields, in any medium. Past recipients include SF personalities Forrest J Ackerman, Greg Bear, Robert Bloch, and Julius Schwartz.
• ATom – Nickname for SF BNF/fan artist Arthur Thompson, who died in 1990. Thompson won the Rotsler Award for 2000.
• Auction – In order to pay for conventions and other fan gatherings, auctions of collectibles are often held. The materials auctioned off consist of art, fanzines and prozines, manuscripts, books, etc. See Auction Bloch.
• Auction Bloch – An auction at conventions at which fans bid for the time of professionals. Named for writer Robert Bloch (1917-1994).
• August Derleth Award – Award for the best fantasy novel given each year by the British Fantasy Society. The award is named in memory of the American author/editor/publisher August W. Derleth (1909-1971).
• August Derleth Society – Established in 1978, the ADS promotes the works of August W. Derleth, prolific Wisconsin writer and co-founder of Arkham House. See August Derleth Award.
• Aurora Award - Since 1991 the name for the Canadian SF and Fantasy Achievement Awards, also known as the Prix Aurora Awards. Formerly known as the Casper Award.
• Aussiecon – The 1975 World SF Convention, held in Melbourne, Australia. Ursula K. Le Guin was the pro Guest of Honor. Susan Wood and Michael Glicksohn were fan Guests of Honor.
• Aussiecon Three – The 1999 Worldcon, held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. George Turner and Gregory Benford were Guests of Honor; John Bangsund was toastmaster; Peter Middlemiss was Con Chair.
• Aussiecon Two – The 1985 Worldcon, held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Gene Wolfe was GoH; Ted White was fan GoH; David Grigg was Con Chair.
• Australian ballot – A type of preferential balloting used by various SF organizations, including the fan funds, which guaranties a majority winner.
• Australian Science Fiction Review – SF magazine published during 1966-1969, edited by John Bangsund. It was nominated for Hugo Awards (Best Fanzine) in 1967 and 1968.
• Author Emeritus Program/Award – An award presented by the SFWA, beginning in 1995, to recognize senior writers in the SF and fantasy genres who have made significant contributions to the field. Recipients have been Emil Petaja, Wilson “Bob” Tucker, Judith Merril, Nelson S. Bond, Philip Klass (William Tenn), Daniel Keyes, Robert Sheckley, Katherine MacLean, Charles L. Harness, and William F. Nolan.
• Avon Fantasy Reader – This digest, a companion publication to the Avon Science- Fiction Reader, was edited by Donald A. Wollheim. Eighteen issues were published on an irregular schedule during 1947-1952. See Avon Science-Fiction Reader.
• Avon Science-Fiction Reader – Published as a companion to Avon Fantasy Reader, this saddle-stapled digest appeared on an irregular schedule for a total of three issues during 1951-1952. It was edited by Donald A. Wollheim. See Avon Fantasy Reader.
• AWA – Abbreviation for A Woman’s Apa. See APA/Apa/apa.
• Awards – Many awards are given out by the various fandoms. The principal award of SF fandom is the Hugo.