This week, we interrupt our global fandom safari for a matter of dire urgency! ~~People are wrong on the internet!~~ There is a crisis that only the Doctor, the Winchester brothers, Holmes and Watson can solve (and possibly the Avengers if they aren't busy?)! That's right, this week, we're getting meta and bending the laws of time and space to talk about fans of SuperWhoLock! Next week, we bend the laws of space and time back into place as we travel to Russia to talk about fans of that magical sport (and its fans): Figure skating! ## Episode outline ### Fandom Facts **Fandom Origins:** SuperWhoLock is, unsurprisingly, the crossover between the fandoms of Supernatural, Doctor Who, and Sherlock (with the Avengers sometimes making an appearance). The first tagged SuperWhoLock post (on Tumblr) appeared in August 2011, and the first SuperWhoLock fanfic was tagged on Archive of our own in August 2012 (though it is possible that stories first appeared as early as January 2012 elsewhere). > In SuperWhoLock’s case, this usually involves saving the world from impending apocalypse, something so serious that it only makes sense to enlist as many superheroes as possible to stop it—in this case, the Doctor and his assistants, Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Sam and Dean Winchester, and the angel Castiel. > > — [The Daily Dot - WTF is SuperWhoLock?](https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/superwholock-fandom-supernatural-sherlock/) **Names:** SuperWhoLockian??? **Most Active:** Based on [Google Trends data](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=superwholock) and [Fanlore](https://fanlore.org/wiki/SuperWhoLock), it appears that the fandom was most popular in the summer of 2014 (in particular, mid July 2014 - The month of [DashCon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DashCon)). Interest was maintained from June 2013 to about January 2015 before starting its downward decline again. **Where does fandom live:** Almost entirely on Tumblr **Related fandoms:** Obviously, Sherlock, Doctor Who, and Supernatural are most related ...
You find yourself in the not so distant future; it's a place just a bit different, but in ways you hadn't imagined, and its where you will spend the REST OF YOUR LIFE. ... Alright, we're not all speculative fiction writers, but we do have a special guest, Jen Frankel, to join us to talk about the fandom around it! Next week, we were born to make history... and talk about fans of Yuri!!! on ICE (with special guest, Nikola, of [YOI Wednesdays](https://twitter.com/yoiwednesdays)). ## Where can I learn more about Jen Frankel? If you want to hear more about Jen Frankel and the work she does, why not check out some of the following: - Her website: [jenkfrankel.com](http://jenfrankel.com) - Her podcast: [JFRRS](http://www.jenfrankel.com/jen-frankel-reads-random-shit/) - Her twitter: [@jenfrankel](https://twitter.com/jenfrankel) ## Episode outline ### Fandom Facts **History and Origins:** > Judith Merril, Canadian author, editor, and activist, defined speculative fiction in 1966: “… stories whose objective is to explore, to discover, to learn, by means of projection, extrapolation, analogue, hypothesis-and-paper-experimentation, something about the nature of the universe, of man, or ‘reality’…” > > — [DIYMFA - Defining Speculative Fiction](https://diymfa.com/writing/defining-speculative-fiction) > Speculative fiction is an umbrella genre encompassing narrative fiction with supernatural or futuristic elements. This includes, but not limited to, science fiction, fantasy, superhero fiction, science fantasy, horror, utopian and dystopian fiction, supernatural fiction as well as combinations thereof. > ... > In its English-language usage in arts and literature since the mid 20th century, "speculative fiction" as a genre term is often attributed to Robert A. Heinlein. In his first known use of the term, in ... 1947, Heinlein used it specifically as a synonym for "science fiction"; in a later piece, he explicitly stated that his use of the term did not include fantasy. ...
Combined, we’ve been playing tabletop games (let’s admit it, mostly Dungeons and Dragons) for decades, but what is it about a game that takes it from a good one, to a great one? We try to answer the question “what makes a great tabletop experience?” (And the answer _isn’t_ everyone starting on time… though it should be!). We cover… * The lack of importance of verisimilitude * The importance of not know what to expect * The importance of exploration ...And more! ## Episode Outline **Topics:** Min-maxed characters don’t matter, verisimilitude doesn’t matter, the importance of not knowing what to expect, improv, subverting tropes, making the game your own, plot and narrative, exploration, creating a shared experience, wonderm supporting each other, creating opportunities to grow, not (always) winning… and consequences! ## Where can I get updates? If you want to follow us on social media, we’ve got you covered: * Facebook: [facebook.com/fanthropological](https://facebook.com/fanthropological) * Twitter: [@fanthropologic](https://twitter.com/fanthropologic) And of course, we can be found where all fine podcasts are found (e.g. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2IVp8MBIUyCqlKyZn79iHn), [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210?mt=2), [Google Podcasts](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vZmFudGhyb3BvbG9naWNhbC9yc3MueG1s)). Oh, and here at [fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com) ## What is Fanthropological? Every week, our podcast, Fanthropological, delivers about an hour of fandom-related "fanalysis" covering a different fandom every week and giving you hard data, history, special guests, and, of course, speculation! We cover topics spanning the gamut of anime, manga, comics, video games, comics, movies, books, television, and, in general, geek culture. ## Who are you? We are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek … who also happen to have been best buddies since high school, and all happen to be named Nick. We started the Nickscast as a labour of love, and ...
