Tom Ölander (17 August 1945 - 26 August 2002) was one of the main actors to kick-start an active

fannish Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or fandom of people interested in science fiction in contact with one another based upon that interest. SF fandom has a life of its own, but not much in the way of formal organization (although ...

culture in Finland. Jerrman, Toni. "It All Started with Tom Ölander", ''Worldcon 75 Souvenir Book''. 2017. Page 54. He was the prime mover for the second Finnish sf convention King Con in 1989, with the assistance of a boat load of Swedish imports, and regularized the tradition of convention holding by working to institute the biannual Finncon tradition.Engholm, Ahrvid
Dödsfall / Utlandet
Dagens Nyheter. 2002-11-19. Retrieved 2019-01-24. For these efforts he is domestically known as the "father of Finnish Fandom",Finncon 2010
Finncons through the ages
/ref> and internationally as "Finland's Mr. Science Fiction". In recognition of his significant role in the Finnish science fiction fandom, Ölander was a Guest of Honor of Finncon 1989. Besides his local efforts, often worked behind the scenes, his great passion was bridge-building between far-flung corners of international fandom.Peltonen, Leena.

, Aikakone. Retrieved 2019-01-24. Together with Jari Koponen, Olavi Markkanen and Jyrki Ijäs, he formed the editorial board of the first Finnish nationwide science fiction magazine, Aikakone, started in 1981. Ashley, Mike. ''Science Fiction Rebels: The Story of the Science-Fiction Magazines from 1981 to 1990''. Liverpool University Press, 2016. Page 261.

References

1945 births 2002 deaths Finnish editors Finnish science fiction {{finland-bio-stub