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'''National Association for Science Fiction''' (or '''NASF'''), [[New Zealand]]'s first national [[science fiction]] club, was formed in 1976 by [[Wellington]] resident Frank Macskasy. The club expanded over several years and by the early 1980s had branches in Wellington, [[Auckland]], [[Christchurch]] and [[Dunedin]], and was for nearly 15 years New Zealand's only nationwide science fiction fan organisation. |
The '''National Association for Science Fiction''' (or '''NASF'''), [[New Zealand]]'s first national [[science fiction]] club, was formed in 1976 by [[Wellington]] resident Frank Macskasy. The club expanded over several years and by the early 1980s had branches in Wellington, [[Auckland]], [[Christchurch]] and [[Dunedin]], and was for nearly 15 years New Zealand's only nationwide science fiction fan organisation. |
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[[Image:Nasflogo.jpg|thumb|right|140px|The logo of NASF - a [[kiwi]], representing New Zealand, superimposed on a stylised rocket]] |
[[Image:Nasflogo.jpg|thumb|right|140px|The logo of NASF - a [[kiwi]], representing New Zealand, superimposed on a stylised rocket]] |
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Many of the national functions of NASF were later taken up by the [[Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand]] (SFFANZ), which was founded in 2002. |
Many of the national functions of NASF were later taken up by the [[Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand]] (SFFANZ), which was founded in 2002. |
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==Branches== |
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===Dunedin branch=== |
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The Dunedin branch of the [[National Association for Science Fiction]] (NASF) existed from 1978 till the late 1990s. It mainly held meetings in the evening on a fortnightly basis at the Dunedin City Council-run Children’s Library in Stuart Street in central Dunedin, then later the Environment Centre on George Street and the Otago University Club and Societies Building in Albany Street. It also organised social events and outings and ran a small lending library. In February 1978 advertisements were broadcast on a commercial Dunedin radio station inviting people to call a telephone number to find out more about NASF. A membership form was mailed to callers. At least a dozen people attended the first meetings, but it took till the middle of the year for the official formation of the branch. Prior to this, some people had considered forming a breakaway club. Membership in the club waxed and waned on the next two years, with several people holding the positions of president, secretary and treasurer. Despite showing 8mm science fiction films and even occasionally 35 mm, a float in the annual Dunedin parade, occasional guest speakers and cinema outings - increasingly time was spent at meetings mainly discussing ways to attract and retain membership, which fell to single figures. Membership began to increase as an unexpected side effect of some Dunedin members at Norcon in June 1981 winning the rights to hold Octacon in 1982 in Dunedin - a [[New Zealand National Science Fiction Convention]]. Membership rose as new members were partly attracted by being able to work on the convention. Some attendees in turn joined the branch, seeing its membership rise again. There was also a jump in social gatherings with members meeting every weekend and on some week days. By 1983 the Dunedin branch was the most socially active within NASF and with the largest membership outside of the Wellington branch. The momentum continued for more than a decade. Branch members were instrumental in staging two more national conventions in Dunedin in 1986, 1989 and 1994. While Dunedin branch members contributed to the NASF club fanzine Warp, it did not have a regular branch fanzine or newsletter. It did however publish a one off Can’t Think of a Name So We Called it This! in 1982. Several branch members were also members of Aotearapa, or published their own fanzines, including [[Worlds Beyond]]. The result was that Dunedin had a big impact on New Zealand science fiction fandom from the early 1980s till the late 1990s. |
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[[Category:Organisations based in New Zealand]] |
[[Category:Organisations based in New Zealand]] |
Revision as of 11:07, 29 June 2008
The National Association for Science Fiction (or NASF), New Zealand's first national science fiction club, was formed in 1976 by Wellington resident Frank Macskasy. The club expanded over several years and by the early 1980s had branches in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin, and was for nearly 15 years New Zealand's only nationwide science fiction fan organisation.
Members in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin were involved in running national conventions, although none were officially run by NASF, and in many of the fanzines that sprouted up in the late 70s and early 80s, as well as amateur press association Aotearapa. NASF was also a motivating force behind the inauguration of a New Zealand Science Fiction fan awards in the late 1980s (these later renamed the Sir Julius Vogel Awards), and was also the umbrella organisation responsible for the appointing of host sites for national conventions.
At its height in the mid-80s, NASF had a membership of about 150 and a bi-monthly club magazine called Warp. By the mid-1990s the Auckland and Christchurch branches had died off, although there were still club members in those areas. The Dunedin branch and the Wellington branch continued until the late 1990s.
Debate continues on why NASF died, as well as whether it was officially wound up, but it was largely inactive by the mid 1990s and went into indefinite recess in late 1997. The rise of science fiction as a popular genre in the cinema and television, coupled with easier accessibility to science fiction books, magazines, movie and television series on video and later DVD likely contributed to NASF's demise. Considerable infighting within the Wellington and Christchurch branches may also have contributed, along with an unwieldy National Committee. The Phoenix Science Fiction Society was founded in Wellington specifically as an alternative to what was seen as a moribund branch of NASF, draining many active fans away from NASF. Other factors included the growth of the Internet, which made an organised club less relevant. In contrast to when Macskasy formed NASF in 1976, by the late 90s New Zealanders could soak themselves in science fiction without any need to meet other people with the same interest.
Many of the national functions of NASF were later taken up by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand (SFFANZ), which was founded in 2002.
Branches
Dunedin branch
The Dunedin branch of the National Association for Science Fiction (NASF) existed from 1978 till the late 1990s. It mainly held meetings in the evening on a fortnightly basis at the Dunedin City Council-run Children’s Library in Stuart Street in central Dunedin, then later the Environment Centre on George Street and the Otago University Club and Societies Building in Albany Street. It also organised social events and outings and ran a small lending library. In February 1978 advertisements were broadcast on a commercial Dunedin radio station inviting people to call a telephone number to find out more about NASF. A membership form was mailed to callers. At least a dozen people attended the first meetings, but it took till the middle of the year for the official formation of the branch. Prior to this, some people had considered forming a breakaway club. Membership in the club waxed and waned on the next two years, with several people holding the positions of president, secretary and treasurer. Despite showing 8mm science fiction films and even occasionally 35 mm, a float in the annual Dunedin parade, occasional guest speakers and cinema outings - increasingly time was spent at meetings mainly discussing ways to attract and retain membership, which fell to single figures. Membership began to increase as an unexpected side effect of some Dunedin members at Norcon in June 1981 winning the rights to hold Octacon in 1982 in Dunedin - a New Zealand National Science Fiction Convention. Membership rose as new members were partly attracted by being able to work on the convention. Some attendees in turn joined the branch, seeing its membership rise again. There was also a jump in social gatherings with members meeting every weekend and on some week days. By 1983 the Dunedin branch was the most socially active within NASF and with the largest membership outside of the Wellington branch. The momentum continued for more than a decade. Branch members were instrumental in staging two more national conventions in Dunedin in 1986, 1989 and 1994. While Dunedin branch members contributed to the NASF club fanzine Warp, it did not have a regular branch fanzine or newsletter. It did however publish a one off Can’t Think of a Name So We Called it This! in 1982. Several branch members were also members of Aotearapa, or published their own fanzines, including Worlds Beyond. The result was that Dunedin had a big impact on New Zealand science fiction fandom from the early 1980s till the late 1990s.