Filksingers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who perform or create a specific genre of folk music often inspired by science fiction or fantasy themes; enthusiasts who combine storytelling with melodic expression within a fandom culture; members of a community dedicated to crafting and singing songs linked to speculative fiction narratives
2. Performers specializing in a musical style blending traditional folk with sci-fi or fantasy elements; aficionados known for adapting or composing lyrical works centered on speculative storytelling; participants in a subculture that celebrates imaginative themes through song and narrative
3. Singers identified by their focus on folk-influenced songs tied to speculative fiction genres; hobbyists who write and interpret tunes reflecting fantasy and science fiction lore; contributors to a musical tradition that merges fandom culture with storytelling and melody

Etymology: Filksingers take their name from "filk", a word that began as a typo. In the 1950s, the science fiction fan community was preparing a fanzine, and a stray "f" replaced the "s" in the word "folk" when the title "Filk" was printed. Filk is the more general label for the music that developed around such fan gatherings, and filksinger is simply that word with "singer" added to the end, so a filksinger is a singer of filk. The plural form "filksingers" is what you get when you have more than one of them. Filk is not a single style of music but a fan-driven tradition, and its performers have long written songs and parodies drawing on fantasy and science fiction, sung at conventions and in private gatherings.

Synonyms: filkers, fan songwriters