Helen Merrick notes that the term ‘virtual’ has become associated almost exclusively with contemporary technologies. However, Merrick suggests that ‘offline’ fan communities in the 1950s were “practicing similar forms of many-to-many communication” as their later online counterparts. Earlier forms of fandom were still able to connect members with a common interest, despite their geographical separation. … Continue reading ‘We was cross-dressing ‘afore you were born!’ Or, how sf fans invented virtual community – Helen Merrick