Feminist scholar
Adrianne Wadewitz cited
Janeites, the devotees of 19th century author
Jane Austen, as the earliest example of fandom subculture, beginning around 1870. Another early example was fans of the literary detective
Sherlock Holmes, holding public demonstrations of mourning after Holmes was "killed off" in 1893, and creating some of the first
fan fiction as early as about 1897 to 1902. Outside the scope of media,
railway enthusiasts are another early fandom with its roots in the late 19th century that began to gain in popularity and increasingly organize in the first decades of the early 20th century. A wide variety of modern organized
Western fan
subcultures originated with
science fiction fandom, the community of fans of the
science fiction and
fantasy genres. Science fiction fandom dates back to the 1930s and maintains organized clubs and associations in many cities around the world. Fans have held the annual
World Science Fiction Convention since 1939, along with many other events each year, and has created its own
jargon, sometimes called "
fanspeak". In addition, the
Society for Creative Anachronism, a medievalist re-creation group, has its roots in science fiction fandom and was founded by members thereof. Many science fiction and fantasy authors such as
Marion Zimmer Bradley,
Poul Anderson,
Randall Garrett, and
Robert Asprin have been members of the organization. in
New York City in 1956 Media fandom split from science fiction fandom in the early 1970s with a focus on relationships between characters within TV and movie media franchises, such as
Star Trek and
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. Fans of these franchises generated creative products like
fan art and
fan fiction at a time when typical science fiction fandom was focused on critical discussions. The
MediaWest convention provided a video room and was instrumental in the emergence of
fan vids, or analytic music videos based on a source, in the late 1970s. By the mid-1970s, it was possible to meet fans at science fiction conventions who did not read science fiction, but only viewed it on film or TV.
Anime and manga fandom began in the 1970s in Japan. In America, the fandom also began as an offshoot of science fiction fandom, with fans bringing imported copies of Japanese
manga to
conventions. Before anime began to be licensed in the U.S., fans who wanted to get a hold of anime would leak copies of anime movies and
subtitle them to exchange with friends in the community, thus marking the start of
fansubs. While the science fiction and anime fandoms grew in media, the
Grateful Dead subculture that emerged in the late 1960s to the early 1970s created a global fandom around
hippie culture that would have lasting impacts on society and technology. clicking pictures with
Swifties Music fandom in the 20th century coincided with the rise of popular music culture, and revolves around the collective enthusiasm and dedication of fans towards specific musical artists, bands, or genres. Common forms of engagement for music fandoms include attending concerts, creating
fan art, participating in online communities, and consuming media related to their preferred artist. These communities play an important role in promoting and supporting the careers of artists, as well as shaping cultural trends within the music industry. Some popular examples of music fandom include
Beatlemania,
Swifties,
Deadheads, and
Barbz. The
furry fandom refers to the fandom for fictional
anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. The concept of the
furry originated at a
science fiction convention in 1980, when a drawing of a character from
Steve Gallacci's
Albedo Anthropomorphics initiated a discussion of anthropomorphic characters in science fiction novels, which in turn initiated a discussion group that met at science fiction and
comics conventions. Many furries create
fursonas as personalized animal characters representing themselves. According to a 2020 survey in
The New Science of Narcissism, 95% of furries have a fursona. The
brony fandom refers to the fanbase of the animated television series
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, which emerged in late 2010 and early 2011 on the imageboard
4chan before spreading to other
online communities. The fandom adopted the name
brony, a
portmanteau of
bro and
pony. Bronies have developed their
own distinctive vernacular, organize numerous
fan conventions, and engage in a
culture of charitable activities. They commonly create personalized pony characters representing themselves called
ponysonas (similar to furries and their fursonas), produce
fan fiction,
fan art, and
original music inspired by the show. The brony fandom notably includes
military personnel who have incorporated pony imagery into their units, and has attracted both media attention and academic study for challenging traditional
gender norms around entertainment consumption. Additional subjects with significant fandoms include
comics,
animated cartoons,
video games,
sports, music, films, television shows,
pulp magazines,
soap operas, celebrities, and
game shows. ==Participating in fandom==