Fans: A Journey into the Psychology of Belonging

Fandom has become a ubiquitous aspect of modern culture. It is part of sports competitions, cosplay parades, fanfiction sites, and the collectibles market, where people can purchase everything from home-run baseballs to paintings by serial killers. Science writer Bond’s (From Here to There: The Art and Science of Finding and Losing Our Way) exploration of the psychology behind fandom uncovers the healthy aspects of finding community and connection, as well as the unhealthy elements that can create obsessive or abusive fans. The book engages more broadly with many subcultures that have already been studied in depth in academic works by the likes of Cornel Sandvoss, Anne Jamison, and Jonathan Gray. Through discussion of these fan cultures—Trekkies, Potterheads, Janeites (lovers of Jane Austen), Furries (people who dress as anthropomorphic animals), the fan bases of various musicians—Bond introduces psychological and anthropological theories to explain the appeal of fandom. Readers might find that the book becomes more sensationalistic in the chapters on therians (people who believe they are animals) and even, disturbingly, fans of mass murderers and serial killers (e.g., Columbiners—devotees of the two students responsible for the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School).