Furtannia: The History of the Furry Fandom in the United Kingdom

by Tim Stoddard

Blimey! Furries in the UK?
You bet there are! And we're chuffed to tell their story in this book all about the history of the British Furry Fandom! Tim Stoddard, known in the fandom as "Gamepopper," has been studying furry history since 2017, and in Furtannia he puts the story all together in one meticulously researched tome.
Within these pages is the true story of everything from the early influence of British literature on the fandom to detailed accounts of how the first house parties and conventions got started. You'll also learn about the early fanzines and comic books, fursuiting, and internet socializing, as well as the media's controversial reactions to the fandom in magazines and on the telly.
Despite setbacks like the COVID-19 pandemic, Furry in the UK is still going strong! Join in on the fun and give an "Awoo!" for the joy and creativity of the fandom!

Genres: Nonfiction

286 pages, Paperback

Published June 22, 2023

Reviews

[Xalsier · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The furry fandom is a misunderstood subculture, but it is not an American subculture: it is an international one."

..Sheesh. Nearly 500 citations.

This was a pretty easy to read book. I think I got through it in like 3 days, and for the most part it sticks to a fairly neutral play by play of the U.K. furry scene ( In comparison to Furry Nation by Joe Strike, which had more personal notes by the author in between the chapters ).

There was a segment that I thought was pretty cool. In the chapter on Confuzzled, there was this story about a table cloth (Also known as the Tanicloth) with a drawing on it that entered a bidding auction and was sold for £2,000.

If you're familiar with the furry fandom's history, this book will tread the same ground in some chapters, but there is still plenty of interesting content to chew on especially given the angle this book takes.

If this is your first book on the furry fandom, Furtannia cover's quite a bit of ground from conventions in various corners of the U.K, virtual conventions that sprung up after Covid-19, the rave scene, to tabloids that interviewed furries and the drama they stir up, as well as various fanzines from the 1990s. There's also lot of pictures. I had never heard of a Candy Rave as well until I read this book, so that's certainly something.

A recurring theme in this book in the mid section of Furtannia was just much time and effort is put into organizing and planning a single convention or event. Given the initial struggles at the beginning of the nascent U.K fandom's history in the 2000s.. Whether it's fostering a good relationship with hotel staff / organizers / the venue, cost of tickets, or accommodating a larger attendance, there's a lot to deal logistically. I *would* put directing something like this on my worst enemy.

One of those books though that I'd put in the folder of "I wish were longer", despite its length, as by the end I was like- that's it? You could have gone the extra mile kilometer to make it a 1000 citations..!.

All the same I did spot a few typos with my library edition. I wasn't going to comment on it, but it did get frequent enough to notice towards the end. ie. "Nolan wanted to learn what furries were, so shewent to Sacramento.". But don't let that stop you from picking up the book.

Read on Hoopla with my library card.

[Packwolf Lupestripe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Furtannia is an invaluable resource if you are interested in the history of the furry fandom in the UK and how it fits into the wider furry scene. Covering the early days all the way through to the present, Furtannia is a comprehensive and evidence-based account that's written in an engaging and entertaining style.

[Reuben Mount · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough recounting of the history of the U.K. furry fandom written with an easy-to-read tone and covering the community from the early infancy of house parties up to the present, stopping everywhere along the way. Recommended read for furries and anyone interested in the furry fandom.