Who founded the fanzine Niekas and when was it first published?
Ed Meskys typed the first issue of Niekas in June 1962. He named the publication after a Lithuanian word meaning nothing or nobody while working as a professor at Belknap College.
Questions about Niekas
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What specific subject did Niekas focus on exclusively from its inception?
Niekas devoted every issue to J.R.R. Tolkien because no other fanzine existed covering that specific subject. This decision established the publication as one of the most influential voices in American science fiction fandom regarding his work.
When did Niekas win the Hugo Award for Best Fanzine and what were the losing nominations?
Niekas won the Hugo Award for Best Fanzine in 1967. It lost nominations in both 1966 and 1989 to other publications named ERB-dom and File 770 respectively.
Which famous author wrote a letter to Ed Meskys about The Lord of the Rings during the run of Niekas?
Issue number seven contained a letter written by C.S. Lewis directly to Ed Meskys. That correspondence mentioned The Lord of the Rings and signaled high-level interest in the fanzine.
How long did the original run of Niekas last before it ended in 1998?
The final issue appeared in 1998 after a long run spanning thirty-six years. Issue twenty marked the end of the first phase before the revival in 1977 brought it back to life.