was a Japanese science fiction fanzine published from 1957 until its 204th issue in 2013. It was Japan's first science fiction fanzine. It was awarded a special Seiun Award in 1982 as Japan's oldest science fiction fanzine, and received an honorable mention for Best Amateur Magazine at the 1962 Hugo Awards.
History Uchūjin began publication with the May 1957 issue. Science fiction author and translator Takumi Shibano as the founding editor, making it the oldest Japanese science fiction fanzine. Shibano (under the pseudonym ) chaired the after participating in the .
The club changed its name to Uchūjin before the first issue, and focused on science fiction writing, translation, critique, and related topics. Since the first issue, many of its contributors went on to become well-known speculative fiction writers, including Sakyō Komatsu, Yasutaka Tsutsui, Ryū Mitsuse, Shinji Kajio, Akira Hori, Kōji Tanaka, Yoshinori Shimizu, Baku Yumemakura, and Masaki Yamada.
At the first Nihon SF Taikai in 1962 (which Shibano chaired), Uchūjin held a fifth anniversary party. They also released a self-parody fanzine titled in the same year. Three collections of the best works from the magazine were released. The magazine publishing frequency changed from monthly to annual in 1973, with the 200th issue being published in 2007. The final issue contained memorial tributes to Shibano, including an interview with his widow.
Contributors The following writers contributed to Uchūjin over the years: Kazumasa Hirai Tadashi Hirose Akira Hori Shinichi Hoshi Fujio Ishihara Eisuke Ishikawa Norio Itō Shinji Kajio Ichirō Kanō Sakyo Komatsu Tadashi Kōsai Aran Kyōdomari Taku Mayumura Hiroshi Minamiyama Ryu Mitsuse Tsutomu Miyazaki Kōsei Ono Eiichirō Saitō Hakukō Saitō Yoshinori Shimizu Kōji Tanaka Aritsune Toyota Yasutaka Tsutsui Katsufumi Umehara Masaki Yamada Tetsu Yano Baku Yumemakura
Best collections Several collections of works from Uchūjin were published in Japan. series: Volumes 1-3 (May 1977, Kodansha), published for the 20th anniversary of the fanzine series, published for the 30th anniversary of the fanzine Volume 1: (December 1987, Kawade Shobō Shinsha, ) Volume 2: (December 1987, Kawade Shobō Shinsha, ) edited by Takumi Shibano, published for the 40th anniversary of the fanzine Volume 1 (December 1997, Shuppan Geijutsusha, ) Volume 2 (December 1997, Shuppan Geijutsusha, )
Awards and honors Uchūjin has received the following awards and honors: Year Organization Award title,Category Result Refs 1962 World Science Fiction Society Hugo Award,Best Amateur Magazine 1982 日本ファングループ連合会議(Federation of Science Fiction Fan Groups of Japan) Seiun Award,Special Award (Japan's oldest fanzine)
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