Science Fiction Fandom Dagon Zine Archive John Boardman APA F Issues on Cold War Politics and Pulp History 1965 to 1968

1965. Boardman, John. Dagon. 1965-1968. These issues document mid-twentieth-century science fiction fandom as a site of sustained intellectual and political engagement, circulated through the APA-F amateur press association network. The publication combines literary criticism, personal correspondence, and commentary on contemporary events, including Cold War politics, civil liberties, religion, and party politics, demonstrating how fan writing extended beyond genre discussion into broader cultural and ideological debate. The archive provides direct evidence of how science fiction readers and critics used small-scale print media to exchange arguments, develop critical frameworks, and situate speculative fiction within larger social concerns.

Archive of eight mimeographed issues of Dagon, published between 1965 and 1968, each consisting of typed and duplicated pages circulated among APA-F members.
[1] Boardman, John. Dagon. No. 27. June 4, 1965. Opens with "Help!" addressing logistical challenges of APA circulation, followed by "Getting Caught Up," including commentary on correspondence and a comparison of Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick's differing intellectual approaches.
[2] Boardman, John. Dagon. No. 37. July 2, 1965. Addresses Soviet anti-Semitism and Jewish identity in Eastern Europe, placing contemporary developments in historical context; includes corrections to prior issues.
[3] Boardman, John. Dagon. No. 40. July 16, 1965. Contains a memorial to Adlai Stevenson and commentary on Vietnam War coverage and domestic political issues, including judicial redistricting in New York.
[4] Boardman, John. Dagon. No. 44. July 23, 1965. Includes discussion of civil liberties and a defense of the American Civil Liberties Union, alongside reflections on nationalism and historical invasion narratives.
[5] Boardman, John. Dagon. No. 46. July 30, 1965. Part of the series "In Days of Old When Pulps Were Bold," examining Planet Stories and authors such as James Blish and Alfred Coppel.
[6] Boardman, John. Dagon. No. 47. August 6, 1965. "Reflections at a Pump Organ" presents a historical critique of Protestant thought and its relation to contemporary political resistance.
[7] Boardman, John. Dagon. No. 53. August 27, 1965. "Learn Nothing and Forget Nothing" critiques post-1964 Republican Party politics; includes continuation of pulp history series focusing on Hugo Gernsback and SF Plus.
[8] Boardman, John. Dagon. No. 75. October 26, 1968. Devoted to a comparison of Barbarella and 2001: A Space Odyssey, examining gender representation and visual spectacle within science fiction cinema.

Produced during a decade marked by the Vietnam War, civil rights activism, and shifting cultural norms, these issues show how science fiction fandom participated in contemporary political and intellectual discourse. The APA format facilitated circulation among a network of readers who engaged directly with one another's arguments, creating a dialogic form of criticism distinct from commercial publishing. Light toning and minor edge wear; overall very good. A concentrated run of a politically engaged science fiction zine documenting the intersection of fandom, criticism, and public debate in the 1960s.