was a Japanese

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

fanzine 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) ...

published from 1957 until its 204th issue in 2013. It was Japan's first science fiction fanzine. It was awarded a special

Seiun Award The is a Japanese speculative fiction award given each year for the best science fiction works and achievements during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by , the awards are given at the annual Nihon SF Taikai, Japan Science Fict ...

in 1982 as Japan's oldest science fiction fanzine, and received an honorable mention for Best Amateur Magazine at the 1962

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 ...

History

''Uchūjin'' began publication with the May 1957 issue. Science fiction author and translator

Takumi Shibano was a Japanese science-fiction translator and author. He was a major figure in fandom in Japan and contributed to establishing the Japanese science fiction genre. A native of Kanazawa, Ishikawa, in 1957 Takumi started Japan's first successful s ...

as the founding editor, making it the oldest Japanese science fiction fanzine. Shibano (under the pseudonym ) chaired the after participating in the . The club changed its name to ''Uchūjin'' before the first issue, and focused on science fiction writing, translation, critique, and related topics. Since the first issue, many of its contributors went on to become well-known speculative fiction writers, including Sakyō Komatsu,

Yasutaka Tsutsui is a Japanese novelist, science fiction author, and actor. His ''Yumenokizaka bunkiten'' won the Tanizaki Prize in 1987. He has also won the 1981 Izumi Kyoka award, the 1989 Kawabata Yasunari award, and the 1992 Nihon SF Taisho Award. Writing ...

, Ryū Mitsuse,

Shinji Kajio is a Japanese author of science fiction and fantasy. The film '' Yomigaeri'' is based on Kajio's novel of the same name and he also co-wrote the manga series (2008) with Kenji Tsuruta (who additionally illustrated the series), which was serial ...

Akira Hori Akira Hori (堀晃, born 1944 in Tatsuno, Hyogo) is a Japanese science fiction writer. He has been involved in science fiction since high school and has a degree from Osaka University in engineering. He won the first Nihon SF Taisho Award in 1980 ...

, Kōji Tanaka, Yoshinori Shimizu,

Baku Yumemakura is a Japanese science fiction and adventure writer. His works have sold more than 20 million copies in Japan spread across more than 280 titles. He is published in a variety of formats including feature films, television shows, movies and comic b ...

, and Masaki Yamada. At the first

Nihon SF Taikai The is an annual science fiction convention held in Japan. Each of these conventions is officially the , but they are more popularly known by the official nicknames given to them based on their locations, e.g. TOKON (when it is held in Tokyo) or ...

in 1962 (which Shibano chaired), ''Uchūjin'' held a fifth anniversary party. They also released a self-parody fanzine titled in the same year. Three collections of the best works from the magazine were released. The magazine publishing frequency changed from monthly to annual in 1973, with the 200th issue being published in 2007. The final issue contained memorial tributes to Shibano, including an interview with his widow.

Contributors

The following writers contributed to ''Uchūjin'' over the years: * Kazumasa Hirai * Tadashi Hirose *

Shinichi Hoshi Shinichi Hoshi (星新一 ''Hoshi Shin'ichi'', September 6, 1926 – December 30, 1997) was a Japanese novelist and science fiction writer best known for his " short-short" science fiction stories, often no more than three or four pages in len ...

* Fujio Ishihara * Eisuke Ishikawa * Norio Itō *

* Ichirō Kanō * Sakyo Komatsu *

Tadashi Kōsai Tadashi (Kanji: 正, 禎, 忠, 荘, 匡史 Hiragana: ただし), Japanese masculine name, may refer to : *, the first aikido master to live and teach in the west *, Japanese manga story writer, novelist and screenwriter *, Japanese basketball coach ...

* Aran Kyōdomari *

Taku Mayumura Taku Mayumura ( ''Mayumura Taku'', 20 October 1934 – 3 November 2019) was a Japanese novelist, science fiction writer(ja) Nihon Gensō Sakka Jiten, pp.648-649. and haiku poet. He won the Seiun Award for Novel twice. His novel ''Shiseikan'' (, '' ...

* Hiroshi Minamiyama *

Ryu Mitsuse Ryū Mitsuse ( ''Mitsuse Ryū'', March 18, 1928 - July 7, 1999) was a Japanese novelist, science fiction writer, alternate history writer, historical novelist, and essayist. Mitsuse is the author of ''Hyakuoku no Hiru to Sen'oku no Yoru''. Among his ...

Tsutomu Miyazaki was a Japanese serial killer who murdered four young girls in Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture between August 1988 and June 1989. He abducted and killed the girls, aged from 4 to 7, in his car before dismembering them and molesting their corpses. ...

* Kōsei Ono * Eiichirō Saitō * Hakukō Saitō * Yoshinori Shimizu * Kōji Tanaka * Aritsune Toyota *

* Katsufumi Umehara * Masaki Yamada *

Tetsu Yano Tetsu Yano (Japanese 矢野徹 ''Yano Tetsu''; October 5, 1923 – October 13, 2004) was a Japanese science fiction translator and writer. He began to introduce to Japanese readers the works of US science fiction writers in the late 1940s. He ...

Best collections

Several collections of works from ''Uchūjin'' were published in Japan. * series: Volumes 1-3 (May 1977,

Kodansha is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...

), published for the 20th anniversary of the fanzine * series, published for the 30th anniversary of the fanzine **Volume 1: (December 1987,

Kawade Shobō Shinsha , formerly , is a publisher founded in 1886 in Japan and headquartered in Sendagaya, Shibuya, Tokyo. It publishes the magazine '' Bungei'' and administers the Bungei Prize. History Kawade Shobō Shinsha traces its history to 1886 when a new br ...

, ) **Volume 2: (December 1987, Kawade Shobō Shinsha, ) * edited by

, published for the 40th anniversary of the fanzine **Volume 1 (December 1997, Shuppan Geijutsusha, ) **Volume 2 (December 1997, Shuppan Geijutsusha, )

Awards and honors

''Uchūjin'' has received the following awards and honors:

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Uchuujin Defunct literary magazines published in Japan Doujinshi Science fiction magazines published in Japan Magazines disestablished in 2013 Magazines established in 1957 Science fiction fanzines Science fiction organizations Defunct literary magazines