Big Name Fan

{{Short description|Member of a fandom who is particularly well-known}}

Among science fiction and fantasy, comic book, and media fans, a Big Name Fan (BNF) is a member of a fandom who is particularly well-known and celebrated for their writings in fanzines, semi-professional magazines and (more recently) blogs; or for other contributions such as art and (in some communities) fanfiction. Some BNFs have also contributed to the franchise itself (Doctor Who is noted for being primarily written and produced by people who were BNFs of the series before it was brought back in 2005). They may have fans of their own, who praise them and seek out their work.

BNFs may have their autographs requested at conventions;{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} they are often invited as Guests of Honor at conventions, and in some fandoms may be paid to speak as guests at commercial shows which pay for appearances. The term originated in science fiction fandom, and dates to 1955 or earlier.{{Cite book

| first = Francesca

| last = Coppa

| author-link = Francesca Coppa

| editor-last = Hellekson

| editor-first = Karen

| editor-link1 = Karen Hellekson

| editor2-last = Busse

| editor2-first = Kristina

| editor-link2 = Kristina Busse

| contribution = A Brief History of Media Fandom

| title = Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet

| year = 2006

| pages = 41–59

| place = Jefferson, North Carolina

| publisher = McFarland & Company

| isbn = 978-0-7864-2640-9

}}

It was recorded in 1955, in Bob Tucker's The Neo-Fan Guide;

{{cite book

| last = Tucker

| first = Bob

| author-link = Wilson Tucker (writer)

| title = The Neo-Fan Guide

| url = http://www.efanzines.com/NeofansGuide1/index.htm

| access-date = 2006-06-22

| year = 1955

| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060614091932/http://efanzines.com/NeofansGuide1/index.htm| archive-date= 14 June 2006 | url-status= live}} other early references include 1959's Fancyclopedia II{{cite book

|last = Speer

|first = Jack

|title = Fancyclopedia II

|editor = Dick Eney

|url = http://www.sff.net/people/Diccon/CYINDEX.HTM

|access-date = 2006-06-22

|year = 1959

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20011006033408/http://www.sff.net/people/diccon/cyindex.htm

|archive-date = 2001-10-06

}} and Donald Franson's 1962 work A Key to the Terminology of Science-Fiction Fandom.{{cite book

| last = Franson

| first = Donald

| title = A Key to the Terminology of Science-Fiction Fandom

| url = http://fanac.org/Fannish_Reference_Works/FandBook/FandBook.html

| access-date = 2006-06-22

| year = 1962

}} In its original sense, 'BNF' referred to "one well known within the world of science-fiction fandom".{{cite journal

| last = Southard

| first = Bruce

| year = 1982

| title = The Language of Science-Fiction Fan Magazines

| journal = American Speech

| volume = 57

| issue = 1

| pages = 19–31

| doi = 10.2307/455177

| publisher = Duke University Press

| jstor = 455177

}}