In my essay, I address science fiction fandom and argue that their myriad fannish activities demonstrates an active engagement, challenging Adorno and Horkheimer’s model of audience as passive. I investigate the history of SciFi fandom, drawing on concrete examples from American SciFi conventions, Italian fanzines, and online blogs to consider how Adorno and Horkheimer might have interpreted this widespread phenomenon were they alive today. Ultimately, I find their critique to be too cynical, too soon, and that SciFi fandom proves that modern audiences are just as critically engaged as ever.
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