English

Alternative forms

• fake fan
• fake-fan

Noun

fakefan ‎(plural fakefans or fakefen)

1. (dated, fandom slang, sometimes pejorative) Someone who socialises with fans but has little or no interest in the subject of the fandom.
   • 1953 May-June, Bloch, Robert, “Sez Y'All”, in Quandry, number 29, page 14:

     I am NOT a fakefan.

   • 1998 July 29, Rich McAllister, “Fanzine names on badges at conventions (was Re: Weapons at Worldcon)”, in rec.arts.sf.fandom, Usenet, message-ID <uyfaf5s47gl.fsf_-_@eng.sun.com>:

     I consider myself basically a fakefan, in the classical sense of somebody who hangs around fanzine fandom but never actually *does* anything like pub an ish or write a LoC. Seems to me that somebody who wanted to come to Corflu but who had no zine name to put on the badge would fit the "fakefan" definition.

   • 2002 November 1, Johan Anglemark, “Re: Non-cons (was Re: Play Nice, Now Re: Troll ...)”, in rec.arts.sf.fandom, Usenet, message-ID <Xns91939888D6533johananglemarkppse@195.58.103.121>:

     I suspect some of the people jumping can't be brought to understand that you really _mean it_ when you say that this is your idea of an enjoyable con. Since they think you are intelligent and fannish types, you must Like What They Like, and probably indulge in gaming, anime and video just to lure fakefen to the con.

References

• Jeff Prucher, editor (2007) Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction, Oxford; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-530567-8, page 56