Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society The World's Oldest SF Club

The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc. (LASFS) is a premier science fiction and fantasy fan society based in the Los Angeles area. As the oldest continuously operating science fiction club in the world, LASFS provides a hub for enthusiasts of the genre, maintaining a rich history and a dedicated community of fans.

Organization and Activities

LASFS is distinguished by its own permanent clubhouse, a rarity among fan organizations. The society continues to hold regular weekly meetings every Thursday, providing a consistent space for discussion and community. For its members, the club maintains a private lending library containing books, videos, and other genre-related materials.

Conventions and Publications

The society has played a pivotal role in the genre's growth, having initiated the regional science fiction convention Westercon and hosting the annual Loscon convention. Additionally, club members have been instrumental in running the World Science Fiction Convention on multiple occasions.

The club's communication and archival efforts are extensive. It publishes an amateur magazine, Shangri L'Affaires (nicknamed "Shaggy"), and hosts the collations of a weekly amateur press association, APA-L. The monthly newsletter, De Profundis, takes its name from the club motto, De Profundis ad Astra ("From the Depths to the Stars"), and is available in PDF format via the club's website.

History of LASFS

The origins of the club date back to 1934, when Hugo Gernsback established the "Science Fiction League." Early meetings were held at the Pacific Electric Building and later at Clifton's Cafeteria. While the League began to fail by 1936, the Los Angeles charter group, led by the enthusiasm of Forrest J. Ackerman, kept the group alive.

In 1939, the group officially broke with the Science Fiction League and renamed itself the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society. During this decade, they began publishing Shangri L'Affaires, which was originally produced using a mimeograph machine—a process where members earned their dues by cranking the machine and collating sheets.

Growth and Influence

World War II served as a busy period for the club, as many fans from across the country visited Los Angeles while en route to the Pacific theater or working in defense industries. In the 1940s, professional authors like Ray Bradbury began writing professionally, and the club became a welcoming space for professional writers and "Members at Large." The club even sponsored "Fanquets" to celebrate members who achieved their first professional sale.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the club continued to evolve. During the 1960s, the counterculture movement brought in new members from Southern California. Notably, in 1968, Bjo Trimble and other LASFS members were instrumental in organizing the nationwide letter-writing campaign that saved Star Trek from cancellation after its second season.

The Permanent Clubhouse

For decades, the club's meeting place, known as "Freehafer Hall," was in public meeting halls that required frequent relocation. The club eventually moved west toward Santa Monica. In 1964, member Paul Turner suggested establishing a building fund to purchase a permanent clubhouse, an idea that was adopted and funded through weekly dues and auctions, eventually leading to the own permanent home for the society.