Fourth Edition
Edited by Robert Runté

Yes, francophone fandom¹is more than slightly different from its anglophone counterpart, quite simply because it has crystallized around a science-fiction that is more than slightly different.

Our annual convention, Boréal, which started in '79, has always been more serious than the average anglophone con. The emphasis has been on serious panels, discussions of the difficulties québécois sf writers face, questions on the role of criticism in the field . . . At Boréal '88, a series of seminars, given by many North American and European theorists, preceded the con proper.

So, are we a bunch of dour intellectuals, bent on the armchair dissection of sf as High Literature? Not on your life. We know how to have fun: the costume party at Boréal '88 was full of abandon, dancing and alcohol... But still, the mood isn't the same as at anglo cons.

English-language science-fiction is in flowering health, and Canadian sf is doing better and better. But québécois sf has always been... almost an anomaly. Given a small readership, distribution problems, isolation from the North American mainstream and also from France (problems faced by all french-language literature in Québec, but felt even more acutely by sf), it has always been somewhat fragile. Consider that the maximum attendance at a Boréal is around 150... When anglophone fans gather at a con, they can celebrate the success of their sf; when we come together at a Boréal, there's always much discussion of the problems we face; how can they be overcome? Can they be overcome?

It's not surprising, then, that most Québec fans are active. Writers, publishers, critics, essayists... There are very few of them who just read the stuff. The end result is, oddly enough, that on some fronts, francophone fandom is stronger than anglophone fandom.

I'm speaking essentially of the publishing aspect; Requiem/Solaris is in its 15th year, Imagine in its 10th. Those two excellent zines (why call them semi-pro? You can't do any better in terms of circulation or payment rates, in Québec) have been publishing quality fiction, interviews, news and critiques for a long time. In addition, there are many fanzines; and those don't fit the traditional mold, either. Their presentation quality is higher than average, they are strongly focused on sf, they publish general sf, not subgenre fiction. They are, in short, serious. So serious that in fall '89, two people from Samizdat (Claude Pelletier and myself), published a real book: an anthology of original short stories by some of the best-known writers of Qsf.

It would seem there are no subgroups within Québec fandom; no Trekfans, Whofans, or Tolkien nuts. But no wonder; after all, being a fan of Québec sf is pretty much like being a member of a fannish subgroup. Which leads me to the conclusion that there must be a more "generic" francophone fandom... out there. Where? It seems they are scattered. Some can be found in anglophone clubs and cons. The rest remain mysterious... .

QUÉBEC FANDOM:
ZINES, CLUBS, & CONS

Cons

Zines:

Solaris is the oldest of all Qsf publications. It began as a fanzine, Requiem, and evolved into a 52-page full-size bimonthly prozine. It publishes fiction, interviews (often with anglophone writers), book reviews (more like critiques than simple reviews), some articles on the field in general. $16/6 issues. Address: C.P. 25, Succ. A, Hull, Québec, J8Y 6M7.

Imagine... began in 1979, and is mainly focused on fiction. Published 4 times a year, one of the issues will usually be devoted to theoretical articles, analyses and interviews. It has around 100 "digest-sized" pages. Imagine. . . publishes European as well as Canadian writers. It also has some book reviews and a regular column on sf in general and Qsf in particular. $18/4 issues. Address: 1442, av. Royale, St-Laurent d'Orléans, Québec, G0A 3Z0.

Blanc Citron (Lemon White) is a tiny (3"x4") fanzine put out by Mario Gigure. It is a monthly compendium of absurdist humour with a strong dash of sf thrown in. If you like William Gibson cut-out paper dolls and Godzilla, this is the fanzine for you! $6/12 issues. Address: 456, de la Canardire, Québec, Québec, G1J 2B4.

Journal officiel du Club des monstres (Official Monsters Club Paper) is another humourous zine, on the subject of horror. Ever wonder what Prince Charles would look like as a vampire? Same address as above.

Courrier sf is the youngest of our fanzines. Although there are a few items of news and some book reviews, the main emphasis is on fiction, especially by beginning writers. Published 6 times a year by Eddy Szczerbinski, about 32 pages, digest-sized. Address: 283, des rables, Brigham, Québec, J0E 1J0. Subscriptions are $15/6 issues.

FAERIE is a zine devoted to fantasy. It has published fiction and art on the theme, and some articles (hobbit iconography and audio versions of Lord of the Rings, for instance). Severe difficulties appear likely to doom a high-quality publication. Address: Daniel Coulombe, C.P. 251, Lebel-Sur-Quévillon, Québec, J0Y 1X0

Pilone used to be a humour zine, but now has turned into a newszine. It also has a loc section. Published irregularly, but with a lead-time measured in days, it offers the freshest news available. You can't subscribe, only loccers can get an issue. Address: Philippe Gauthier, 197, du Béarn, St-Lambert, Québec. J4S 1L2

SAMIZDAT: Don't expect an unbiased description, I'm literary editor for this one. Published quarterly, it offers news on sf, both local and foreign. Fiction is important as well, and while Samizdat aims to publish beginning writers, some more established Qsf writers will have material published in it in the near future. Samizdat also offers some articles on sf and numerous book reviews. Digest-sized and printed on a LaserWriter, it varies in size from 40 to 80 pages. Address: C.P. 35, Succ. Ahuntsic, Montréal, Québec, H3L 3N5. Subscriptions are $10 for 4 issues.

Protoculture Addicts: The big exception to the rule: an English-language quarterly published by a crazed band of francophones. It is the official Robotech fanzine, and also deals with manga and anime (japanese comics & animated features). It has several hundred subscribers (most of them in the states) and is distributed throughout North America. Address is the same as Samizdat, rates are $9 for 4 issues.

Clubs: at present, the situation is dismal. There are simply no francophone clubs established in Québec. The two that were recently active have lapsed into a coma, and were never large. What may be needed is for a bunch of enthusiasts to organize something big enough that it will gather more members almost by inertia, and become a dominant feature of the Québec fannish realm... So much remains to be done; why don't you become a part of it?

1. It must be noted that Québec is not the only province to harbor francophone fans; as the focus of Canadian francophone sf lies essentially within its frontiers, however, we tend to "conveniently" say Québec sf when we should say Canadian francophone sf.Return to place in text

LE FANDOM QUBCOIS:
UN BREF SURVOL
par Yves Meynard

Oui, le fandom francophone¹ est plus que légrement différent de sa contrepartie anglophone, tout simplement parce qu'il s'est cristallisé autour d'une science-fiction plus que légrement différente.

Notre convention annuelle, Boréal, qui a débuté en 79, a toujours été plus sérieuse que la convention anglophone typique. L'accent a été mis sur les panels sérieux, sur les difficultés auxquelles font face les écrivains de sf québécois, sur le rle de la critique dans le milieu . . . Boréal 88, un colloque rassemblant des théoriciens nord- américains et européens a précédé la convention proprement dite.

Sommes-nous donc une bande d'intellos constipés, affairés disséquer la sf en tant que Littérature? Jamais de la vie. On sait comment s'amuser: le bal costumé Boréal 88 débordait de rires, de danses et d'alcool... Mais malgré tout, le mood n'est pas le mme que dans une convention anglophone.

La science-fiction de langue anglaise est florissante, la sf canadienne se porte de mieux en mieux. Mais la sf québécoise a toujours été une quasi-anomalie. tant donné un public de dimensions réduites, les problmes de distribution, l'isolation des mainstreams nord-américain et franais (des problmes qui s'appliquent toute la littérature francophone au Québec, mais encore plus la sf), elle a toujours été plutt fragile. N'oublions pas que le maximum d'inscriptions un Boréal est d'environ 150... Quand les fans anglophones se réunissent une convention, ils peuvent y célébrer le succs de leur sf; quand nous nous rencontrons un Boréal, il y a toujours beaucoup de discussions sur nos problmes; comment les surmonter - s'ils peuvent l'tre?

Rien de surprenant, donc, ce que la plupart des fans québecois soient des intervenants actifs. crivains, éditeurs, critiques... Il y en a bien peu qui ne font que lire la sf. Le résultat final est que, un peu paradoxalement, le fandom francophone est plus fort que le fandom anglophone sur certains points.

Je parle essentiellement de l'aspect publications; Requiem/Solaris est dans sa 15e année, Imagine... dans sa 10e. Ces deux excellentes revues (pourquoi les appeler semi-pro? On ne peut pas faire mieux en termes de diffusion ou de rétribution d'auteurs au Québec) publient des fictions, des interviews, des nouvelles et des critiques de grande qualité depuis trs longtemps. Ajoutons cela plusieurs fanzines; fanzines qui ne respectent pas la tradition, d'ailleurs. Leur qualité de présentation est nettement meilleure que la moyenne, ils sont centrés sur la sf, ils publient des fictions (de sf générale, pas de sous-genres). Bref, ils sont sérieux. Tellement sérieux que deux membres de Samizdat (Claude Pelletier et moi- mme), publieront l'automne 89, un vrai livre: une anthologie de nouvelles par certains des auteurs de sfQ les plus connus.

Il semblerait qu'il n'y ait pas de sous-groupes dans le fandom québécois; pas de trekkies, de maniaques du Dr. Who, pas d'adorateurs de Tolkien. Rien d'étonnant; aprs tout, tre un fan de sf québécoise, c'est un peu l'équivalent de faire partie d'un sous- groupe fanique. Ce qui m'amne conclure qu'il doit exister un fandom francophone plus "générique" . . . mais o? Il semble qu'ils soient dispersés. On peut en trouver certains dans des clubs et des conventions anglophones. Les autres demeurent cachés...

LE FANDOM QUBECOIS:
ZINES, CLUBS, & CONVENTIONS

Conventions:

Letters Received

Links to other Fan Sites

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