Niekas (fromLithuanian:nothing ornobody) was ascience fiction fanzine published from 1962–1998 by Ed Meskys – also spelledMeškys[1] – ofNew Hampshire. It won the 1967Hugo Award forBest Fanzine,[2] and was nominated two other times, losing in 1966 toERB-dom[3] and in 1989 toFile 770.[4]
For the initial five issues, Meskys – at the time a professor and a member of The Tolkien Society at the now-defunct Belknap College inCenter Harbor, New Hampshire – editedNiekas by himself, after which he was joined by Felice Rolfe and Anne Chatland. The latter left after issue #8.[5] By the late 1980s he was editing the fanzine by himself. It originated as anapazine before being expanding to a full-fledged fanzine. Meskys continued publication when his employment moved to Mankato State University (nowMinnesota State University, Mankato) inMankato, Minnesota.
Meskys later wrote, "I started a separate mailing-comments zine for the APA, and changed its name toNiekas and started the numbering over again with the June 1962 issue.... Since there was no Tolkien fanzine being published I decided to devoteNiekas to Tolkien and try to run at least one Tolkien related piece in each issue."[6] The fanzine played a prominent role in the early development ofTolkien fandom in the United States.[7] Issue #7 included a letter fromC. S. Lewis to Meskys that mentionsThe Lord of the Rings.
In coming years, contributors includedPiers Anthony,Isaac Asimov,John Boardman,Vaughn Bodē,Anthony Boucher,Marion Zimmer Bradley ("Bloodthirsty for Power: Vampirism inHambly’sThose 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,S. T. Joshi,Clyde Kilby,Tim Kirk,Sam Moskowitz,Andre Norton,Andrew J. Offutt,Alexei Panshin,Diana Paxson,Jerry Pournelle,Darrell Schweitzer,Arthur Thompson (ATom),Bjo Trimble,Donald A. Wollheim,Roger Zelazny ("Song of the Ring", a poem).[8]
A "Glossary of Middle Earth" by Al Halevy was an ongoing feature,[5] as was material by Robert Foster, who later publishedThe Complete Guide to Middle-earth,
In 1968,Niekas ceased publication after issue #20, but was revived in 1977 for issue #21.[5] By 1995, Meskys – who had become blind – was the fanzine's editor-in-chief, with Mike Bastrow listed as editor and designer.[5] The final issue ofNiekas, #48, described itself as published by Meskys and edited by Joe R. Christopher.
When, in 1972,Ed Meškys was unable to continue running TheTolkien Society of America (originally the New York Tolkien Society founded byRichard Plotz in 1965), its assets and memberships were absorbed by The Mythopoeic Society.
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