About File770.com

File770.com is the online version of Mike Glyer’s science fiction fan newzine, reporting on fanzines, sf clubs, conventions, fan funds and fanac. File 770 is named for the party in Room 770 at the 1951 Worldcon that upstaged the convention.

File 770 began life as a mimeographed fanzine in 1978, then joined the desktop publishing revolution in the 1990’s. A File 770 website, reproducing paper issues as webzines, was hosted at CompuServe’s Ourworld community from 2000 until the community was shut down in 2009. Screen captures of the website are available on the Wayback Machine. File 770 produced paper issues every year from 1978 through 2016. eFanzines.com began hosting PDF versions of the paper issues in 2005. The File 770 blog went online on January 15, 2008.

File 770 received the Best Fanzine Hugo in 1984, 1985, 1989, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2016, and 2018.

Mike received the Best Fan Writer Hugo in 1984, 1986, 1988 and 2016.

File 770 and Mike can be contacted at MikeGlyer [at] cs.com

File 770 can be followed on Twitter here: File 770 (@File_770) / Twitter

Banner art: Adapted for File 770 by Taral Wayne.

Discover more from File 770

Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.

56 thoughts on “About File770.com”

  1. So I’ll admit to Googling myself more often these days, looking for any new coverage of my book….and got such a kick out of coming upon File 770. Boffo!–but really that’s you, all those Hugoes, many congratulations. And then that Eric Mayer comment–he dropped me a note a few years ago, the first fan I’d heard from in years. When I got away from it all I guess I really did, sometime halfway through my freshman year in college. Sold my fanzines in graduate school (I think I used the money to buy wine….) and no longer even have copies of my own. Too bad, I suspect my fourteen year-old daughter would like to see them, she’s a big reader of Anne McAffrey and Orson Scott Card, and has gotten me into Game of Thrones, which I very much admire. Mysteries long ago became my genre of choice, but I’ve been dipping back into sf/fantasy just a touch. It’s odd to find that so many of the “mainstream” writers of our day–Michael Chabon et al—were devoted sf readers, and that the books that were once a kind of private world are now bestsellers.

    I’ve had some contact with two people I knew from fandom–do you remember a guy named Chris Couch? He taught at Smith for a few years, pre-Columbian art, and has lately been publishing on Will Eisner. And some email with Michael Carlson, more peripherally involved in the mid-70s, who eventually found a beat living in England and covering the NFL for European newspapers and TV. Also I once Googled John D. Berry–a book designer, lots of work for poetry presses.

    Anyway, there are papers to grade, and this memory trip has for the moment to end. But thanks once more for the plug. Fandom kept me sane all through high school, an escape into a larger world. I’ve got good memories of our correspondence in those years–great to know that faandom is still alive, and that you’re keeping it so.

    all best,

    MG

  2. Published several times a year? That has to be one of the more wildly optimistic statements I’ve heard in fandom for a number of years.

  3. So what’s your suggestion? Maybe change that to, “published only as often as Taral is able to kick Mike’s butt to the finish line”?

  4. Fanzines are a gift. Crabbing at someone because you haven’t gotten your gift yet is Scrooge-ish at best. I’m always happy to get a gift and accept it when it comes.

    David Gerrold said in 1973 in The World of STAR TREK that most fanzines were published with the regularity of a spastic colon and the lifespan of an Italian government. That’s still true, but with all the troubles in the world those are things to be celebrated, not complained of.

  5. @David: All true. But Taral and John Hertz deserve a lot of credit for my publishing any zines in 2012. So my snarky little comment to Taral is really one of those truths said in jest.

  7. Dear Mike-

    I came across your blog doing research for a piece I was writing; you had a link for the covers of some old Houston Yellow Pages phonebooks. I credited your blog for the image. I wonder if anyone has ever collected all of those old hand drawings, and assembled them into an art book. Would be a fine volume, I would imagine.

    Kind regards,

    -brenet

  8. So, I tried to send you email at the address above, which I know has worked before, and it bounced. Twice. Would you kindly email me with your current address? Thanks.

  9. My e-mail address is still the same but I have sent an e-mail as you asked. Hope that helps.

  10. I just read your obit about my dad dated Jan 3,2013. He was best known for his science fiction work, however he prefered to do landscape. He never sold any of his landscape work except prints for a view of Bare Hill across Canadaigua Lake viewed from the top of Bopple Hill Rd. I still have hundreds of them.
    He did a number of entries for the federal Duck Stamp but was never chosen for the stamp.
    He also did a large number of architectural paintings for new buildings in the Rochester, NY area. A picture of the proposed building was required for zoning approval.
    As kids we were drafted to pose for his sci-fi drawings. We would have to pose and not move for what seamed hours, but was probably only a few minutes, while he took photos. He was most interested in the shadows created so that he would get them right on the finished drawing.
    Besides covers he did a large amount of black and white pen drawings for inner pages of sci-fi magazines.

  11. This is odd. It seems that all of File 77 (minus the comments) is showing up here:

    [http://scifikindle.com/]

  12. Hi Mike! I came across this site thanks to a post by Jim Burns at comicbookfanzines, and I said to myself, “Hey, I remember Mike from Gil Gaier’s PHOSPHENE, VERT or GUYING GYRE from back in the ’70s!” Good to see you’re still active and I hope you’re doing well.

  15. Remembering Gil Gaier. Didn’t know him for long. Still in touch with a mutual friend, Preston Lyle Craig.

  16. Apologies – I couldn’t find a contact email address but I thought you might like this snippet. I was following a fark.com link to “The 40 Smartest People of All Time” at BusinessInsider.com – featuring such luminaries as Goethe, Einstein, Leonardo, James Clark Maxwell, Euler, Shakespeare etc. and I get to number 28 and think, “OMG I’ve met Edie Stern!” (In a London pub many years ago. Didn’t know at the time who Joe Siclari or Edie Stern were, but I later found out.) Of course, fandom includes and has included many very smart people, but to show up in a list of the 40 smartest of all time… That’s neat.

    If you do choose to link, no need to mention my pub memory, ’cause I’m sure Edie and Joe won’t remember, but I thought you might be interested in the story.

  17. To Whom It May Concern:

    The more I read about the current Hugo Awards situation, the more I think the Wizard of Oz might have been right — “Pay no attention to the man behind that curtain!”

    I enjoy *reading* good science fiction and fantasy fiction, but knowing more about the people who write it largely lessens that joy.

    Today’s writers seem to think their job is to become notable for themselves, their personalities and, I don’t know, home-life? Whether they enjoy being dog owners or making their own craft cheese?

    Speaking as a *reader*? I could not give less of a damn about any of that.

    It’s the writing. Not the process but the finished product that matters to me.

    I’m not even comfortable being aware that some individual human was somehow involved.

    I want the big magic trick. Not the little guy who made it up.

    So, if you’d like some advice from one of your readers? Get back behind the curtain to do your work. And to do your pathetic petty squabbling.

    Thanks very much for your time.

    With respects,

    – FLW

  18. I would appreciate it if any replies to GMB are attached to one of the Hugo discussion threads rather than turning the “About File 770” page into another of those.

  19. Hey Mike – I’m sitting my favorite local bar ignoring sports on the tv(s) and found F770 on my new smart phone! Wow, now I understand this “Vox Day” thing. Mostly. Great to find you on the web (or, more actually, on my phone. In a spare moment where reading about stuff I’ve been ignoring on FB actually makes sense.)

  21. Mike –
    Thank you for welcoming us into your parlor.

    Prior to the current Hugos kerfuffle I had done no more than look at an occasional post here linked from elsewhere.

    G/d willing and creek don’t rise, I’ll stay ’round and read more.

    I’ll try not to leave too many rings on the tables from the glasses and coffee cups.

  22. This is for Mike Glyer.

    Mr. Glyer, I have a topic of interest that I think you and your readers might be interested in. How do I send it to you so that you could take a look at it so that you can decide for yourself?

    It’s about a page long, and I don’t think it is suited to a post. Perhaps you could look at the long form and boil it down.

    Thank you.

    James Geer

  23. I wanted to write to Thank you for lusting all of these wonderful writings for the public to appreciate. I was looking up Allan Hunter and stumbled on your site. I have some old old pictures b/w of him and his wife at sci/ go fairs in the UK plus artwork that is incredible. My late Husband read sci-Fi since childhood .I appreciate the creative writing .Thank you

  25. Hi Mike,

    Any chance of increasing the default number of comments shown on a thread? Some of your more popular posts regularly get more than 300 posts, and it’s a huge pain going back and forth, seeing only 40 at a time. Not sure if WordPress just lets you increase the number (or offers a “show all” option) but I do know (cuz I just googled) that there’s a number plugins that allow you to do it. Just a suggestion-I love this blog, and especially love the quality of the comments you receive. Just wish it were easier to read/follow them.

    -Daniel B.

  26. Mike, I discovered your site during the summer of Pups and I just wanted to thank you for doing such a fantastic job in the service of fandom at large. You are a patient, fair man and we could use more of those. Thank you.

  27. Mike, please make corrections or additions as follows on the First Fandom and Big Heart Awards.

    In 2013, the Big heart Award was presented to Tom Veal by Dave Kyle and Sue Francis.
    In 2014, the First Fandom Awards were presented by Steve Francis and the Big Heart Award was presented to Vince Docherty by Sue Francis. (Dave Kyle did not attend)
    In 2015, again the First Fandom Awards were presented by Steve Francis and the Big Heart Award was presented to Ben Yalow by Sue Francis (Not Steve Francis. Again Dave Kyle did not attend.)
    Thanks for your attention to this correction.
    Steve Francis

  28. Hi Steve. I have added the information to the pages where the Big Heart Award winners were reported.

  31. I thought this year around I’d get myself an avatar.

    Just caught up with the puppy shenanigans. I think they are quite caught up in their own hypocrisy this year around. They claimed to represent the popular vote last year, which was a laughable claim, that they are now trying to validate by holding an open nomination this year. Funnily enough this open recommendation thread is pretty much going in the direction where many other sites are. Uprooted, Just City, Ken and Xixing Liu and so on. So by trying to actually represent the popular vote, they end up on the same noms that would have been likely to be come up as directed by the secret cabal (aka the majority of Hugo voters). Fun to watch, let’s get the popcorn and see how they manage to shoehorn their conservative agenda in this year.

  32. Mike,

    I wonder if you or your readers can help me.
    40 years less 2 months ago, at MidAmeriCon, I sat in on a reading of a musical version of “The Enchanted Duplicator” — my intro to the classic. It was MCed by Filthy Pierre (Erwin Strauss) who if I recall correctly adapted it to the stage. The others sang the songs and I mumbled along low enough not to disturb them.
    I’ve now spent a couple of hours on the net looking for one song that started: “Roscoe gave fan an arm of iron to help him pub his zine” and had the chorus, “But for a quarter or a loc, somebody else cranks the damn machine. For a quarter or a loc, a quarter or a loc. A quarter or a three-line ell-oh-cee.” Or words to that effect.
    Can anyone point me at the lyrics?
    Thanks in either cas

  33. @Rob Chilson

    Probably not much help but I’m seeing references to it likely either being Phan! or Joe Phan! by Filthy Pierre. It looks like TAFF was selling a copy for a few years ($2.00 a pop). I’m not seeing any current references on their site but you might try reaching out to them. The most recent I’m seeing them mention it is 2007 – 2008 though:

    http://taff.org.uk/news/tytl-03.html

  34. Pingback: 2016 Hugo Award Winners : The Booklist Reader

  35. Hi Mike,

    My name is Anuj Agarwal. I’m Founder of Feedspot.

    I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog File 770 has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 50 Science Fiction Blogs on the web.

    http://blog.feedspot.com/science_fiction_blogs/

    I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of Top 50 Science Fiction Blogs on the internet and I’m honored to have you as part of this!

    Also, you have the honor of displaying the badge on your blog.

    Best,
    Anuj

  36. Loved your Adam West Day story – great description of the events and so many awesome pictures. What a memorable day! Can you contact me regarding the Batman song played during Batman’s arrival downtown? There is a “the rest of the story” story here…

  38. Pingback: Two Doors | File 770

  39. I just found your site and plan to keep checking back. For an SF writer this looks like one stop shopping for “what the hell is going on now?” Which ended up being a lot more than I realized particularly locally. Cheers

  40. Hello there!

    I’d like to get help from your readership. I’m trying to get contact information for Tommie and Mary Williams, phans in Phoenix in the 1970s (and probably also the ’80s).

    Any information???

  41. Dear Mike,

    (I don’t know if this is the right place for this communication, but I can’t find an email for you.)
    I have just begun a free online SF/Fantasy magazine

    http://www.96thofoctober.com

    If you could notice it, and/or suggest any other places that might I would be very grateful

    Jake
    (Rabinowitz, Editor 96th of October)

  42. Dear Mike,
    Highest regards to you.
    Amazon.com lists many 2019 new novels by Barry Longyear, that are sf. Since they are not much listed elsewhere, I think people should know this. At least some are in a series called The War Whisperer…but not all.
    Best, George

  43. Pingback: Pixel Scroll 8/12/20 You Can Pixel Your Friends, And You Can Pixel Your Scroll, But You Can’t Pixel Your Friend’s Scroll | File 770

  44. Mike, could you please consider closing comments on Pixel Scroll 8/27/20, it has long since been unproductive discussion.

  45. Dear Mr. Glyer:

    You may wish to have Cat Eldridge amend her entry for Rock Hudson’s birthday. It should mention his best SF genre appearance, the movie SECONDS (1966). Wikipedia has a good description. Pleasantly enough, SECONDS is a terrific movie.

  46. Hello
    I found your site because I am researching my friend Spike McPhee, who I just this morning found out, he passed away last year.

    Is there anyone who might have the info on how to purchase art works from his estate? He bought a couple of my pieces in the early 80’s and maybe image are in his final collection?!? Even a copy of the WeTransfer file would be appeciated!

    TIA,
    Gabriel

  47. Hi Mike,

    Many thanks for allowing me to guest blog on 770. Really enjoyed putting together something that tied our present world to my robot novel Machinia. Hope your readers enjoy!

    All the best,
    Paul A. Moscarella

  48. Hi, all,

    Since the old r.a.sf.fandom isn't much read, this is the best place I can think of to ask a question. I am *NOT* representing any club, con, etc, just myself.

    So: if someone files a harassment complaint with an organization, and the organization follows all its rules for dealing with such... and the complainant still isn't satisfied, what, morally and/or legally, can/should an organization do?

    I've looked at a couple of anti-harassment policies, and nothing covers this. Given, esp. that almost no fannish organization has the money to spend on lawyers who specialize in this kind of thing - it would bankrupt almost any organization in *very* short order, does anyone have an answer?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.