Editorial

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Last year, when I first mused the notion of reviving Swill, an old droog of mine asked the question -- "Why? Just because it's the 20th anniversary, or because you want to piss off fandom?" At the time, I really didn't have a solid answer. I shrugged and replied, "Mostly, 20th anniversary." And that was that.

I've given the question some thought -- not much, but some -- since then.

Back in 1981, the primary reasons for publishing Swill were:

because it really ticked off SF fandom in Ontario, Canada
because it was fun
because of the local notoriety I received

As I mulled over the re-launch of Swill in the latter months of 2000, the primary reasons for this endeavour were:

pure nostalgia
the hope that it would be fun
miscellaneous reasons

In essence, the revival of Swill was to be a retrospective, an opportunity to gather in and re-connect with some of the old contributors for on final "kick-at-the-can". Nostalgia, period.

However, as the time ticks down toward launch the miscellaneous reasons began to creep forward in prominence.

A nostalgic retrospective just wouldn't be true to the spirit of Swill. In fact, it would be inappropriate to say the least. Swill was a vicious, angry, intentionally offensive, silly, irreverent, and obnoxious series of attacks on the science fiction genre and, in particular, science fiction fandom. Any revival of Swill would have to embody that same spirit...

The problem is, I have changed -- twenty years will do that. I ceased to be a science fiction fan in 1986, undergoing the quiet transformation into a reader. Of the literature that I read, a significant portion continues to be within the genre of science fiction, but I am no longer a science fiction fan.

With the exception of an 18 month period between 1992 and 1993, when I was performing participant observation research on subcultural groups -- including science fiction fandom -- that host annual public special events, I have had no connexion with science fiction fandom. as a part of my life, science fiction fandom has become, well; completely irrelevant. The concerns, ideals, mores, and virtues -- such as they are -- of this subcultural group have ceased to be mine. I have no anger directed toward science fiction fandom, only mild contempt.

A contempt that arises, as the old cliché says, out of my familiarity with the subject group rooted within experience and observation. This contempt is largely not even specific to science fiction fandom, but is shared with other hobby/leisure based subcultural groups that exhibit the same traits of useless tribalism. Still some of this contempt is specific to science fiction fandom and its ideology that the members of this subculture are somehow inherently superior to the rest of us that exist outside of it.

Nevertheless, it is a mild contempt. Mild, as it rarely crosses my mind because I don't ordinarily even think about these subcultural groups, let alone science fiction fandom specifically. Hardly the sort of feeling to use as the foundation for the re-launch of Swill.

And yet... There is something older and deeper that rises out of the backbrain. A primal and primate behaviour that possesses a certain pleasure.

There is a short sequence of film that I used to show when I taught intro Anthropology. In this clip there are two young chimps and some chickens. The first chimp would toss out some feed to the chickens. The chickens would approach the two chimps as they gobbled the feed. When the chickens got within reach, the second chimp would whack the closest chicken with a stick. In a flurry of flapping and clucking the chickens would scatter. The first chimp would toss out some more feed and the chickens -- being chickens -- would once again go after the feed and draw close to the pair of chimpanzees. I have no idea as to how long the two chimps let this loop continue nor do I confess to truly know what these chimps were thinking and feeling. I will offer the opinion that I think that they were playing a game. They were teasing the chickens.

And that is why Swill has returned. The major reason for reviving Swill is so that I can play a game, a game called teasing science fiction fandom. I think that this game will be more akin to disturbing an anthill than teasing chickens -- I'm not certain as to what would make good feed -- but I sure do intend to have some fun. With hope, some of the old contributors will decide to join in the game too.

Swill @ 30 -- thirtieth anniversary site

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