A Fan-Operated Science Fiction and Fantasy Literary and Filk Convention in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area

To learn about the proud tradition of DeepSouthCon, check out "A Brief History Of The DeepSouthCon" from the Southern Fandom Resource Guide.

So What Is This DSC Thing and Why Should I Care?

by Gary Robe

The DeepSouthCon is a long-lived tradition in Southern Fandom that goes back nearly 50 years. The origin of DeepSouthCon shows how far organized SF Fandom has progressed. The first DSC was held in 1963 at Dave Hulan's house in Huntsville, AL and was attended by a grand total of 12 people. In those days the only ways for SF fans to meet were limited to the letter columns of comic books and SF pulp magazines, chance encounters at bookstores and libraries, and through fanzine publication. The early DSC members met through SFPA, the Southern Fandom Press Alliance, one of the few printed APAs that is still currently publishing. The early DSCs were the only opportunities for these guys to meet outside of a bi-monthly collaborative fanzine. Another outcome of the early DSCs was founding the Southern Fandom Confederation, a central repository for information about fannish activities across the south. With the existence of SFPA, the DSC and the SFC, Southern Fandom emerged in the early 70's as a lightly cohesive group that could take advantage of combining resources across the region through publishing, linked SF clubs, and conventions.

Between 1970 and 1990 the DSC was the convention that spanned the region and established Southern Fandom as an identifiable culture with its own traditions, jargon, and ambiance. The DSC was typically held in August to provide a regional convention for fans unable to travel to Worldcon. The DSC also established two awards, the Rebel Award for Fans contributing significantly to Southern Fandom and the Phoenix Award to Southern SF professionals. For most of its history the DSC was run as a "gentleman's agreement" as to what it was and where it could be held. In 1986 a set of bylaws was proposed that codified the eligible region for the DSC, voting procedures, and instituted DSC site selection two years in advance. This was to allow committees more flexibility in securing facilities and organizing.

By 1990, there were so many SF conventions established in cities across The South that the need for a stand-alone DSC regional convention had waned. Instead, local conventions began to host the DSC. This eliminated the necessity of building a con committee from scratch for a one-time event while preserving the concept of a Southern regional convention. This has allowed the continuation of the DSC tradition while exposing local organizations to the traditions of Southern Fandom and showing off their conventions to a wider audience. By hosting the DSC many conventions have had the honor of selecting the recipients of the Rebel and Phoenix Awards as well as connecting with their fannish roots that lead back to a time when Fandom was an underground movement.

Last updated 27 September 2011