# SFera > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/SFera > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/SFera.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SFera > Source revision: 1260782602 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Croatian science fiction society}} {{About|the Croatian science fiction society||Sfera (disambiguation)}} '''SFera''' is a [science fiction](/source/science_fiction) [society](/source/society) from [Zagreb](/source/Zagreb), [Croatia](/source/Croatia).{{cite web |url=http://www.esfs.info/esfs-european-sf.html |title=European Science Fiction |website=www.esfs.info |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021208002812/http://www.esfs.info/esfs-european-sf.html |archive-date=2002-12-08}} It was founded in 1976,{{Cite web |last=Krsto |first=Mažuranić |date=July 27, 2024 |title=CroZBiFaniStorija |url=https://sfera.hr/drustvo-sfera/povijest/crozbifanistorija/4/ |access-date=July 27, 2024 |website=SFera}} thus marking the beginnings of organized [science fiction fandom](/source/science_fiction_fandom) in the region.{{cite web|url=http://www.phantazm.net/fiction/science_fiction_in_croatia/introduction.htm#8|title=www.phantazm.net is Expired or Suspended.|website=www.phantazm.net|accessdate=1 September 2018}} SFera is the official organizer of [SFeraKon](/source/SFeraKon), an annual Croatian [science fiction convention](/source/science_fiction_convention). Since 1995, it also publishes annual collections of science fiction stories of Croatian authors.{{cite web|url=http://www.booksa.hr/vijesti/ostalo/838|title=Jubilarno izdanje SFeraKona|website=www.booksa.hr|accessdate=1 September 2018}}{{Cite web |date=July 27, 2024 |title=SFeraKonske zbirke |url=https://sfera.hr/citaonica/sferakonske-zbirke/ |access-date=July 27, 2024}} The founder of the collection series and its first editor was [Darko Macan](/source/Darko_Macan).{{cite web|url=http://www.phantazm.net/fiction/science_fiction_in_croatia/introduction.htm#5|title=www.phantazm.net is Expired or Suspended.|website=www.phantazm.net|accessdate=1 September 2018}} SFera's own [fanzine](/source/fanzine), ''Parsek'', has been published since 1977. Although Croatia today has a number of science fiction societies and conventions, as well the annual short fiction anthologies, SFera remains the major national society. Since mid-1970s, its members and founders - among them Krsto A. Mažuranić, Damir Mikuličić, Neven Antičević, Ivica Posavec - were included in organisation of almost every major initiative in Croatian science fiction, including the ''Sirius'' monthly magazine (awarded two times as the best European science fiction magazine, in 1980 and 1984{{cite web|url=http://www.phantazm.net/fiction/science_fiction_in_croatia/introduction.htm#3|title=www.phantazm.net is Expired or Suspended.|website=www.phantazm.net|accessdate=1 September 2018}}), which was founded and partially edited by SFera's members, then the ''Futura'' magazine, which was edited by Krsto A. Mažuranić, and also various attempts at local science fiction publishing, as well many fandom activities. Today, when it's not a publisher or an organiser, SFera remains the patron or initiator of various science fiction activities in Croatia, especially small press publishing as science fiction literary journal ''Ubiq'',{{cite web |url=http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2009/11/exclusive-interview-aleksandar-ziljak/ |title=SF Signal: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Aleksandar Žiljak |accessdate=2009-12-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013154326/http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2009/11/exclusive-interview-aleksandar-ziljak/ |archivedate=2011-10-13 }} the series of books by winners of the SFERA Award (''Biblioteka SFERA''), or the anthology of the Croatian science fiction stories 1976-2006 ''Ad Astra''. The major Croatian science fiction portal (and its online fanzine) [http://nosf.sfera.hr/ NOSF] is also run by the SFera members. ==SFERA Award== {{main|SFERA Award}} Introduced in 1981, the SFERA Award is the only national award for the SF genre in Croatia.{{cite web|url=http://sfera.hr/sfera-for-foreigners/the-sfera-award/|title=The SFERA Award - SFera|website=sfera.hr|accessdate=1 September 2018}} Until 1991, the award was given for the area of the whole former [Yugoslavia](/source/Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia) and its recipients were, among others, [World Fantasy Award](/source/World_Fantasy_Award) winner [Zoran Živković](/source/Zoran_%C5%BDivkovi%C4%87_(writer)), for his two-tome ''Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'', [Predrag Raos](/source/Predrag_Raos), [Darko Macan](/source/Darko_Macan), [Igor Kordej](/source/Igor_Kordey), [Darko Suvin](/source/Darko_Suvin), and [Aleksandar Žiljak](/source/Aleksandar_%C5%BDiljak). ==SFeraKon== The annual Croatian science fiction convention, SFeraKon, is held in Zagreb since 1979. It's the longest-running and the biggest annual science fiction convention in South-Eastern Europe, usually attended by more than 2000 people.{{Cite web|url=http://sferakon.org/o-nama/english/|title = English}} SFeraKon was initiated by the First Exhibition of Science Fiction (''Prvi sajam naučne fantastike''), held in Zagreb and [Belgrade](/source/Belgrade) in 1972, organised by the Zagreb student gallery ''SC'', the American Library of Zagreb, and the Belgrade Student Cultural Centre (SKC).{{Cite web|url=http://www.art-anima.com/d/eseji/kratakprilog2.html|title=Art-Anima}} In 1986, SFeraKon was actually held as the [Eurocon](/source/Eurocon) convention{{cite web |url=http://www.esfs.info/esfs-eurocons.html |title=European Science Fiction Conventions and Eurocon reports |accessdate=2009-06-21 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120174300/http://www.esfs.info/esfs-eurocons.html |archivedate=2008-11-20 }} under the name ''Ballcon''. The 1992 Eurocon was also meant to be held in Zagreb, but the venue was changed to [Freudenstadt](/source/Freudenstadt), [Germany](/source/Germany), because of the [war](/source/Croatian_War_of_Independence).{{cite web |url=http://www.esfs.info/reports/report-2002-freucon.html |title=FREUCON - THE 1992 EUROCON |website=www.esfs.info |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050408132222/http://www.esfs.info/reports/report-2002-freucon.html |archive-date=2005-04-08}} The 1998 SFeraKon was also the 1998 Euroconference.{{cite web|url=http://efanzines.com/FAWorld/news9803.html|title=Fans Across the World Newsletter 73|website=efanzines.com|accessdate=1 September 2018}} And finally, 2012 SFeraKon was held as Eurocon convention under the name ''Kontakt''.{{cite web |url=https://sferakon.org/archive/2012/ |title=Kontakt}} The guests of the convention, among others, were [Frederik Pohl](/source/Frederik_Pohl), [Jack Williamson](/source/Jack_Williamson), [Harry Harrison](/source/Harry_Harrison_(writer)), [Joe Haldeman](/source/Joe_Haldeman), [Brian W. Aldiss](/source/Brian_W._Aldiss), [James Gunn](/source/James_Gunn_(author)), [Bob Shaw](/source/Bob_Shaw), Richard D. Nolan, [Sam Lundwall](/source/Sam_Lundwall), Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri, Gianfranco Viviani, Gerald Webb, Martin Easterbrook, [Robert Silverberg](/source/Robert_Silverberg), [Karen Haber](/source/Karen_Haber), [Guy Gavriel Kay](/source/Guy_Gavriel_Kay), [Walter Jon Williams](/source/Walter_Jon_Williams), [Lois McMaster Bujold](/source/Lois_McMaster_Bujold),{{cite web|url=http://www.dendarii.com/croatia02.html|title=The Bujold Nexus - Croatia 2002|first=Michael|last=Bernardi|website=www.dendarii.com|accessdate=1 September 2018}} [George R. R. Martin](/source/George_R._R._Martin), [Ken MacLeod](/source/Ken_MacLeod), Michael Iwoleit, [Michael Swanwick](/source/Michael_Swanwick), [Bruce Sterling](/source/Bruce_Sterling), [Richard K. Morgan](/source/Richard_K._Morgan),{{cite web|url=http://www.richardkmorgan.com/news/30/holy-shit/|title=Holy Shit!|website=www.richardkmorgan.com|accessdate=1 September 2018}} [Ian McDonald](/source/Ian_McDonald_(British_author)) and [R. Scott Bakker](/source/R._Scott_Bakker).{{cite web|url=http://sfera.hr/sfera-for-foreigners/in-a-few-words-sfera-sferakon/|title=In a few words: SFera & SFeraKon - SFera|website=sfera.hr|accessdate=1 September 2018}} ==See also== *[Science fiction in Croatia](/source/Science_fiction_in_Croatia) == References == {{reflist}} == External links == * [http://www.sfera.hr SFera official home page] {{in lang|hr|en}} * [http://sfera.hr/sfera-for-foreigners/in-a-few-words-sfera-sferakon/the-sfera-award/ The SFERA Award] * [http://sfera.hr/nagrada/popis-dobitnika/ List of SFERA award winners] {{in lang|hr}} * [http://www.phantazm.net/fiction/science_fiction_in_croatia/introduction.htm Science Fiction in Croatia, an article by Aleksandar Žiljak] Category:Science fiction fandom Category:Science fiction organizations Category:Croatian science fiction Category:Culture in Zagreb Category:Organizations established in 1976 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [SFera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SFera) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SFera?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.