{{italic title}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} [[File:Niekas 20 Bode.jpg|thumb|right|''Niekas 20'' (cover by [[Vaughn Bodē]])]] '''''Niekas''''' (from [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]]: ''nothing'' or ''nobody'') was a [[science fiction fanzine]] published from 1962–1998 by Ed Meskys – also spelled ''Meškys''<ref>{{cite web|title=Society History|work=Mythopoeic Society|quote=When, in 1972, '''Ed Meškys''' was unable to continue running The '''Tolkien Society of America''' (originally the New York Tolkien Society founded by '''Richard Plotz''' in 1965), its assets and memberships were absorbed by The Mythopoeic Society.}}</ref> – of [[New Hampshire]]. It won the 1967 [[Hugo Award]] for [[Hugo Award for Best Fanzine|Best Fanzine]],<ref name="Hugo67">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1967-hugo-awards/|title=1967 Hugo Awards|publisher=World Science Fiction Society|accessdate=2010-09-02}}</ref> and was nominated two other times, losing in 1966 to ''[[ERB-dom]]''<ref name="Hugo66">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1966-hugo-awards/|title=1966 Hugo Awards|publisher=World Science Fiction Society|accessdate=2010-09-02}}</ref> and in 1989 to ''[[File 770]]''.<ref name="Hugo89">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1989-hugo-awards/|title=1989 Hugo Awards|publisher=World Science Fiction Society|accessdate=2010-09-02}}</ref>
For the initial five issues, Meskys – at the time a professor and a member of The Tolkien Society at the now-defunct Belknap College in [[Center Harbor, New Hampshire]] – edited ''Niekas'' by himself, after which he was joined by Felice Rolfe and Anne Chatland. The latter left after issue #8.<ref name=enc>Clute, John and Nichols, Peter. ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1995) {{ISBN|0-312-13486-X}} p.871</ref> By the late 1980s he was editing the fanzine by himself. It originated as an [[amateur press association|apazine]] before being expanding to a full-fledged fanzine. Meskys continued publication when his employment moved to Mankato State University (now [[Minnesota State University, Mankato]]) in [[Mankato, Minnesota]].
Meskys later wrote, "I started a separate mailing-comments zine for the APA, and changed its name to ''Niekas'' and started the numbering over again with the June 1962 issue.... Since there was no Tolkien fanzine being published I decided to devote ''Niekas'' to Tolkien and try to run at least one Tolkien related piece in each issue."<ref>Meskys, Ed. ''The View From Entropy Hall'' #12, cited in [http://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/wiwimod/index.php?page=Niekas "Niekas" Tolkien Collector's Guide]</ref> The fanzine played a prominent role in the early development of [[Tolkien fandom]] in the United States.<ref>[http://efanzines.com/TFR/TolkienFandom2ndEd.pdf Hunnewell, Sumner Gary ("Hildefons Took"). ''Tolkien Fandom Review: from its beginnings to 1964'' Arnold, Missouri: New England Tolkien Society, 2010; pp. 3-4]</ref> Issue #7 included a letter from [[C. S. Lewis]] to Meskys that mentions ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.
In coming years, contributors included [[Piers Anthony]], [[Isaac Asimov]], [[John Boardman (physicist)|John Boardman]], [[Vaughn Bodē]], [[Anthony Boucher]], [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]] ("Bloodthirsty for Power: Vampirism in [[Barbara Hambly|Hambly]]’s ''Those Who Hunt the Night''"), [[Charles N. Brown]], [[Algis Budrys]], [[Avram Davidson]], [[Philip K. Dick]] ("Naziism and the High Castle"), [[Raymond Z. Gallun]], [[Jack Gaughan]], [[Harry Harrison (writer)|Harry Harrison]], [[S. T. Joshi]], [[Clyde Kilby]], [[Tim Kirk]], [[Sam Moskowitz]], [[Andre Norton]], [[Andrew J. Offutt]], [[Alexei Panshin]], [[Diana Paxson]], [[Jerry Pournelle]], [[Darrell Schweitzer]], [[Arthur Thomson (fanzines)|Arthur Thompson (ATom)]], [[Bjo Trimble]], [[Donald A. Wollheim]], [[Roger Zelazny]] ("Song of the Ring", a poem).<ref>Clute and Nichols (1995) for Anthony, Asimov, Boucher, Budrys, Davidson, Dick, Gallun, Gaughan, Harrison, Moskowitz, Norton, Panshin, Pournell, Wollheim and Zelazny, names only</ref>
A "Glossary of Middle Earth" by Al Halevy was an ongoing feature,<ref name= enc /> as was material by Robert Foster, who later published ''[[The Complete Guide to Middle-earth]]'',
In 1968, ''Niekas'' ceased publication after issue #20, but was revived in 1977 for issue #21.<ref name=enc /> By 1995, Meskys – who had become blind – was the fanzine's editor-in-chief, with Mike Bastrow listed as editor and designer.<ref name=enc /> The final issue of ''Niekas'', #48, described itself as published by Meskys and edited by Joe R. Christopher.
==References== {{Reflist}}
[[Category:Defunct science fiction magazines published in the United States]] [[Category:Hugo Award–winning works]] [[Category:Magazines disestablished in 1998]] [[Category:Magazines established in 1962]] [[Category:Magazines published in New Hampshire]] [[Category:Magazines published in Minnesota]] [[Category:Science fiction fanzines published in the United States]]