MICHIFEN

from Fancyclopedia 2

Fans in Michigan, nacherly. Most of them live in or near Detroit, if you can call that living, tho formerly the MSFS blanketed the state. Their chief recent organization, the Detroit SFL, is a notorious example of how not to run a local fanclub.

The Detroit fans were visitors at the old Slan Shack in Battle Creek, but didn't form the Detroit Science Fictioners till 1943. In 1945 they became the Hyperboreans, who discussed small amounts of stf and played a lot of chess. Ben Singer broke up the club by leaving atheistic pamphlets lying about the meeting- place (a public library) and by some atheistic tirades in public. When Art Rapp and Bill Groover met the remnants of the Hyperboreans 30 January 1948 the Michigan Science-Fiction Society was formed, Singer doing most of the organization work. (George Young promptly formed the name "Misfits" for the group.)

The uniqueness of the MSFS among Michifan groups lay in attempting to provide fan activities for everybody in the state, not just the Detroit area. During its two years of life MSFS members coined expressions ( Fanspeak, Real Soon Now), pioneered in fannish publishing and philosophy ( Spacewarp, Sexocracy), set fashions for the Microcosm ("Home of the Original Helicopter Beanie") and were involved in such antics as Singer's attempt to cross the Canadian border during a Red hunt carrying a prominently displayed copy of Banish Gods From the Skies and Capitalists from the Earth. After the Blowup and Rapp's resignation local Detroiters formed the DSFL, which existed in a fashion for several years, giving off splinter groups like the Morgan Botts Foundation. Return of some members from service after the Korean War led to a renascence in which the 1959 convention was held in the Motor City. What will come after your scholiast knows not.