Among science fiction and fantasy,

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

, and

media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...

fans Fan commonly refers to: * Fan (machine), a machine for producing airflow, often used for cooling ** Hand fan, an implement held and waved by hand to move air for cooling * Fan (person), short for fanatic; an enthusiast or supporter, especially wit ...

, a Big Name Fan (BNF) is a member of a fandom who is particularly well-known and celebrated for their writings in

fanzines A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...

, semi-professional magazines and (more recently)

blogs A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

; or for other contributions such as

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

and (in some communities)

fanfiction Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF) is fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by fans, unauthorized by, but based on an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, settin ...

. Some BNFs have also contributed to the franchise itself (''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' is noted for being primarily written and produced by people who were BNFs of the series before it was brought back in 2005). They may have fans of their own, who praise them and seek out their work. BNFs may have their

autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...

s requested at conventions; they are often invited as Guests of Honor at

conventions Convention may refer to: * Convention (norm), a custom or tradition, a standard of presentation or conduct ** Treaty, an agreement in international law * Convention (meeting), meeting of a (usually large) group of individuals and/or companies in a ...

, and in some fandoms may be paid to speak as guests at commercial shows which pay for appearances. The term originated in science fiction fandom, and dates to 1955 or earlier. It was recorded in 1955, in Bob Tucker's ''The Neo-Fan Guide''; other early references include 1959's ''Fancyclopedia II'' and Donald Franson's 1962 work ''A Key to the Terminology of Science-Fiction Fandom''. In its original sense, 'BNF' referred to "one well known within the world of science-fiction fandom".

Discontinued Hugo Award

When the

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...

s were instituted in 1953, one of the categories was "#1 Fan Personality", which has also been referred to as the "BNF Award." This award, which was not revived when the Hugos became institutionalized in 1955, was given to

Forrest J Ackerman Forrest James Ackerman (November 24, 1916 – December 4, 2008) was an American magazine editor; science fiction authors, science fiction writer and literary agent; a founder of science fiction fandom; a leading expert on science fiction, horror ...

. (According to an interim report issued by the Philcon II convention committee while voting was still going on, the next most popular candidate at the time was

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...

; but at the time Ackerman was given the award, he actually physically declined it in favor of Ken Slater, to whom the trophy was later forwarded.)Glyer, Mike"> Glyer, Mike
. "Ackerman's Hugo." ''File 770'' February 10, 2009/ref>

Connotations and usage

Fans report ambivalent feelings towards BNFs. The title BNF also carries a negative connotation of being arrogant and self-important. Accordingly, many people who are deemed BNFs resist being tagged with that designation.

References

{{Reflist Fandom Fanspeak