DargonZine

DargonZine is a periodically published ezine or online magazine whose origins pre-date the mainstream use of the Internet.[1] Formerly called FSFnet (Fantasy and Science Fiction on the Internet), DargonZine caters to readers of fantasy and science fiction literature and was first published in 1984. It serves as the expressive vehicle of a group of amateur writers collectively known as The Dargon Project. Its establishment date marks it as the longest, continuously produced fantasy-fiction ezine on the internet.[2]

DargonZine releases 4-10 issues a year. Its International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is 1080-9910.

History

DargonZine débuted in December 1984 as FSFnet (Fantasy and Science Fiction on the Internet) on the co-operative university network BITNET, the academic network that existed prior to the mainstream establishment of the Internet. Under the editorial direction of Ornoth Liscomb, FSFnet printed reviews of contemporary fantasy and science fiction works, commentary, and included original, standalone fictional stories penned by subscribers. It attempted to use technology to supplant traditional print-based methods of entertaining and organizing amateur writers. FSFnet was one of the first groups to use the LISTSERV software for mass e-mailing of communications among members.

Eventually a group of FSFnet writers expressed a desire to link their stories within a shared world setting resulting in the formation of the Dargon Project in 1985. Stories written for the Dargon Project would be located in a fictional town called Dargon, set within a world of magic and medieval-level technology.

Initially, Dargon Project stories appeared beside other unrelated member contributions. As more and more stories continued to be written in the world of Dargon, it became clear the direction of the ezine was shifting. Thus, in November 1988, FSFnet was officially renamed DargonZine and eliminated the inclusion of reviews and commentary. From that point forward, all content was to be set in the world of Dargon. Together, FSFnet and DargonZine make one of the longest running electronic magazines on the Internet.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Archived May 16, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 Textfiles.com and John Labovitz's E-zine list

External links

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