Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, dukedom, etc.) refers to a community of keen aficionados who share a common interest in any phenomenon, such as authors, hobbies, genres or fashions. Fandom as a term can also be used to refer to the single interconnected network of these individual fandoms, many of which overlap. For an alternate meaning, see Fan (implement). ... The word author has several meanings: The author of a book, story, article or the like, is the person who has written it (or is writing it). ... A hobby is a spare-time recreational pursuit. ... A genre is a division of a particular form of art according to criteria particular to that form. ... The term fashion applies to a characteristic means of expression or presentation; fashions may follow trends, in which they gain or lose popularity. ...

Fans (or the plural fen) typically are interested in even minor details of the object of their fandom; this is what differentiates them from those with only casual interest. Fans of Janet Jackson, at Music Music The word fan refers to someone who has an intense, occasionally overwhelming liking of a person, group of persons, work of art, idea, or trend. ...

The objects of a fandom typically relate to the arts, sports or entertainment. For example, it would be unusual to refer to an accountant who is very interested in the details of accounting as a "fan" of accounting.

Members of a fandom associate with one another, often attending fan conventions (such as science fiction conventions), and publishing and exchanging fanzines. Today, these communities are often online, especially for less well-known source material. A fan convention, or con, is an event in which the fans of a particular TV show, comic book, or actor, or an entire style of entertainment such as science fiction or anime, gather together to meet famous personalities (and each other) face-to-face. ... Science fiction conventions are gatherings of the community of fans (called science fiction fandom) of various forms of science fiction and fantasy. ... A fanzine (see also: zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular subject for the pleasure of others who share their interest. ...

Some fans also write fan fiction, stories based around the universe and characters of their chosen fandom. Some also dress in costumes ("cosplay") or recite lines of dialogue either out-of-context or as part of a group reenactment. Fan fiction (also spelled fanfiction and commonly abbreviated to fanfic) is fiction written by people who enjoy a film, novel, television show or other media work, using the characters and situations developed in it and developing new plots in which to use these characters. ... The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. ... Cosplay (コスプレ kosupure), a contraction (or portmanteau) of the English words costume and play, is a Japanese subculture centered on dressing as characters from manga, anime, tokusatsu, and video games, and, less commonly, Japanese live action television shows, Japanese movies, or Japanese pop music bands. ... The term dialogue (or dialog) expresses basically reciprocal conversation between two or more persons. ... Reenactors of the American Civil War Historical reenactment is an activity in which participants recreate some aspects of a historical event or period. ...

The term "fandom" is particularly associated with fans of the science fiction and fantasy genres, a community that dates back to the 1930s and has held the World Science Fiction Convention since 1939. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the usage of the term back as far as 1903, with many of its documented references referring to sports fandom. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Fantasy is a genre of art, literature, film, television, and music that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of either plot, theme, setting, or all three. ... A genre is a division of a particular form of art according to criteria particular to that form. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Worldcon, a. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a comprehensive dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP). ...

The term is also commonly associated with anime/manga. Serious fans of this subject are also called otaku. Fat, unshaven, wearing glasses, a ponytail and fantasizing with an anime girl doll, a popular stereotype of an otaku. ...

"Fandom" is also the name of a documentary / mockumentary about a fan obsessed with Natalie Portman. Documentary film is a broad category of cinematic expression united by the intent to remain factual or non-fictional. ... Mockumentary, a portmanteau of mock documentary (also fictional documentary or false documentary), names a film and TV genre, or a single work of the genre. ... Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag (born June 9, 1981 in West Jerusalem), better known under her stage name Natalie Portman, is an Israeli–American actress. ...

See also

• Furry fandom
• Harry Potter fandom
• Science fiction fandom
• Tolkien fandom