The Factsheet Five Zine Reader: The Best Writing from the Underground World of Zines - Softcover

Friedman, R. Seth

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0609800019 ISBN 13: 9780609800010

Publisher: Three Rivers Press, 1997

Synopsis

Zines, those hip, alternative, self-published magazines, have broken out from the obscurity of the underground and found themselves in the spotlight. Zealous readers are turning to zines for smart writing on everything from cutting-edge music to radical politics. With all that's been said about zines, one question still remains: Where the heck can you find them? And even if you dig them up, who has time to read through them all to get to the good stuff?

R. Seth Friedman, super zine sleuth and the head honcho at Factsheet Five magazine, does. Culled from thousands upon thousands of zines, this book features seventy of the best stories, essays, and rants that have appeared over the past few years. These selections are intensely personal, unconventional, and sometimes completely out of this world.

More than just a simple anthology, The Factsheet Five Zine Reader includes original art and covers from the zines, descriptions and histories of the zines, and complete ordering information so you can start exploring this exciting new world on your own.

About this title

Review:

One of the many collections of articles from the world of zines, The Factsheet Five Zine Reader, has the distinction of being edited and selected by R. Seth Friedman. Friedman is the zine fanatic behind Factsheet Five, the world's leading source of zine information, and the first zine dedicated solely to the subject of, well, zines. Commencing with a brief, informative history of his subject, Friedman then goes on to present 73 extracts from almost as many little magazines. Some of the most surprising include the pieces from two different Momzines (magazines dedicated to the subject of motherhood); some good advice on how to sell out; and a disturbing compendium of the 25 partners that Sky Ryan, of the zine How Perfectly Goddamn Delightful It All Is, amassed in the two years since she lost her virginity. Although you'll also find the usual assortment of articles on '70s pop culture, lounge music, eight-track tapes, and Hello Kitty, this collection offers quite a few pleasant surprises, and would be a good introduction to the world of zines, in case you're looking for a hipifying gift for your Aunt Hettie.

From the Back Cover:

"Zines have become the weapon of choice for people who want to cut through the mediocrity of everyday life and give voice to their passions."
-- Details

"There's a novel form of communication on the Loose in America. It is slightly subversive, mostly anarchic, and very personal."
-- Rolling Stone

About this edition

• Publisher: Three Rivers Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0609800019
• ISBN 13: 9780609800010
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192