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Fandom Acts of Kindness
Fandom can save the world!
This first of its kind, actionable and inspirational resource provides the tools and motivation necessary for pop culture fans to make a difference—while having fun!
Fandoms are united as a community because of the power of story. And it’s exactly the magical alchemy forged when mixing story and community that has helped fandoms across the world feed thousands of hungry children, donate countless books, build schools, register voters, disrupt online hate speech, and save lives through crafting PPE for COVID-19 frontline workers, natural disaster response, and mental health crisis support.
Fandom Acts of Kindness not only tells the stories of the good fans have done in the world but serves as a dungeon master’s guide to how to be a hero yourself. Perfect for those who want to inspire others, organize collective action, sustain, and nurture your own mental health and creativity, and do it all through a pop culture perspective.
This first of its kind, actionable and inspirational resource provides the tools and motivation necessary for pop culture fans to make a difference—while having fun!
Fandoms are united as a community because of the power of story. And it’s exactly the magical alchemy forged when mixing story and community that has helped fandoms across the world feed thousands of hungry children, donate countless books, build schools, register voters, disrupt online hate speech, and save lives through crafting PPE for COVID-19 frontline workers, natural disaster response, and mental health crisis support.
Fandom Acts of Kindness not only tells the stories of the good fans have done in the world but serves as a dungeon master’s guide to how to be a hero yourself. Perfect for those who want to inspire others, organize collective action, sustain, and nurture your own mental health and creativity, and do it all through a pop culture perspective.
192 pages, Paperback
Published January 3, 2023
9 people are currently reading
3141 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 5, 2023
Listen I am one of those book people who cannot write in a book and y'all are asking me to do that! This book is an excellent introduction to getting involved in activism it walks you through all the steps (it even asks you to plan it out in the pages). Loved it and recommend it to anyone who is interested in doing some chaotic good.
Read
February 20, 2025DNF. Not my cup of Romulan ale. The idea of organizing fans of Star Trek or whatever else to do good seems nice. Beam me up.
February 20, 2023
This book is an excellent guide for taking the multi-layered and sometimes overwhelming concept of activism and breaks it down with not only easy, but fun to do activities. It also gives side by side real life and in story examples of activism to show how wide ranging your actions to can really be.
January 18, 2023
Fandom Acts of Kindness is a resource guide to fandom-based activism, backlit with bright optimism, warmed by acceptance, and chock-full of sage advice. It makes frequent use of characters we know and love as examples. You’ll be in good company on your journey, with characters from Lord of the Rings, the Marvel universe, The Incredibles, Harry Potter, Supernatural, and more.
I can’t help sharing a bit of advice from my own first fandom: Northern Exposure. In the remote town of Cicely, Alaska, radio station KBHR’s Chris “In The Morning” Stevens earnestly and often flamboyantly tackled causes he believed in, often to the entire town’s consternation. But while I admired his passions, I identified more closely with the quiet, enigmatic Marilyn Whirlwind, a Tlingit of the Raven clan who also lived in Cicely. When Joel Fleischman, a New York doctor fulfilling a contractual obligation, arrived in Cicely and entered his ‘rustic’, run-down clinic, Marilyn was already there, sitting peacefully in the waiting room. When he learned why she was waiting for him, Joel firmly told her that there was no job for her. She ignored him and simply started doing the job she didn’t have. As time passed, her job status became a running joke. But, she still showed up early every morning, had the coffee ready when Joel arrived, and continued doing the work she’d been told wasn’t required. Over time, she became exactly who Joel needed to help him settle into his new life as a small-town Alaskan doctor. Marilyn saw a need, realized she had the skills to fulfill it, and had the patience to stay the course.
We can’t all be Chris Stevens. But many of us can be Marilyn Whirlwind, and this book is mainly for us. It’s not a passive read, though. You’re going to be asked—often—to pause, think, and create your own customized lists dealing with all aspects of activism as you see them, and what you can do to help.
The authors want you to write those lists in the book. There’s even blocks of straight lines printed on the pages. Now, I already love Tanya Cook and Kaela Joseph like family, but I’m going to take issue with those instructions. Civilized people don’t write in books… unless they’re J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst writing S, Ship of Theseus. (If you don’t get that reference, I highly recommend you put your entire life on hold for a week and read that book.)
My advise: Keep a journal or notepad close at hand, or open your preferred digital writing program. Whenever you’re asked to make a list, write the topic in bold letters at the top of the page, and complete your list. Start a new page for each topic prompt. When you’ve completed the last list-making assignment, put all the pages into a folder or however you like to organize paperwork, or save your file somewhere you can easily locate it. As your personal journey progresses, you might find it helpful to take another run through the questions and see how your answers take form a second time around. And your book will remain scribble-free!
Book hygiene nitpickiness aside, the beauty of the lists you’ve created is that they are uniquely yours. Through the guidance of experienced activists, you’ve created a practical plan that’s within your abilities, budget, and most importantly, your comfort zone. You can do it! Like Marilyn Whirlwind knew all along, there IS a job, and it’s yours to take.
My thanks to authors Tanya Cook and Kaela Joseph, BenBella Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion. This review was originally published at SciFi Radio: https://scifi.radio/2023/01/18/fandom...
I can’t help sharing a bit of advice from my own first fandom: Northern Exposure. In the remote town of Cicely, Alaska, radio station KBHR’s Chris “In The Morning” Stevens earnestly and often flamboyantly tackled causes he believed in, often to the entire town’s consternation. But while I admired his passions, I identified more closely with the quiet, enigmatic Marilyn Whirlwind, a Tlingit of the Raven clan who also lived in Cicely. When Joel Fleischman, a New York doctor fulfilling a contractual obligation, arrived in Cicely and entered his ‘rustic’, run-down clinic, Marilyn was already there, sitting peacefully in the waiting room. When he learned why she was waiting for him, Joel firmly told her that there was no job for her. She ignored him and simply started doing the job she didn’t have. As time passed, her job status became a running joke. But, she still showed up early every morning, had the coffee ready when Joel arrived, and continued doing the work she’d been told wasn’t required. Over time, she became exactly who Joel needed to help him settle into his new life as a small-town Alaskan doctor. Marilyn saw a need, realized she had the skills to fulfill it, and had the patience to stay the course.
We can’t all be Chris Stevens. But many of us can be Marilyn Whirlwind, and this book is mainly for us. It’s not a passive read, though. You’re going to be asked—often—to pause, think, and create your own customized lists dealing with all aspects of activism as you see them, and what you can do to help.
The authors want you to write those lists in the book. There’s even blocks of straight lines printed on the pages. Now, I already love Tanya Cook and Kaela Joseph like family, but I’m going to take issue with those instructions. Civilized people don’t write in books… unless they’re J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst writing S, Ship of Theseus. (If you don’t get that reference, I highly recommend you put your entire life on hold for a week and read that book.)
My advise: Keep a journal or notepad close at hand, or open your preferred digital writing program. Whenever you’re asked to make a list, write the topic in bold letters at the top of the page, and complete your list. Start a new page for each topic prompt. When you’ve completed the last list-making assignment, put all the pages into a folder or however you like to organize paperwork, or save your file somewhere you can easily locate it. As your personal journey progresses, you might find it helpful to take another run through the questions and see how your answers take form a second time around. And your book will remain scribble-free!
Book hygiene nitpickiness aside, the beauty of the lists you’ve created is that they are uniquely yours. Through the guidance of experienced activists, you’ve created a practical plan that’s within your abilities, budget, and most importantly, your comfort zone. You can do it! Like Marilyn Whirlwind knew all along, there IS a job, and it’s yours to take.
My thanks to authors Tanya Cook and Kaela Joseph, BenBella Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion. This review was originally published at SciFi Radio: https://scifi.radio/2023/01/18/fandom...
January 26, 2023
*disclaimer* I received a free copy of this book as part of the good reads giveaway.
I really enjoyed and appreciated the organization and interactive aspects of this book. By including activities, the authors are giving us as readers an opportunity to slow down and think through the ways in which we might use fandom and activism to best serve the world through our own strengths. The inclusion of so many different fandom examples was a great way to be inclusive to people from all fandom backgrounds. It was especially fun when I knew the examples they were mentioning (in particular Supernatural fandom, GISH, and Random Acts) because of my own involvement in those groups. I also thought it was very helpful that they addressed different perspectives (especially in Ch. 8 - The Dark Side of Fandom) while at the same time not excusing certain problematic behaviors. The chapters and their subsections make references easy to find and the inclusion of resources at the end was quite helpful.
I really enjoyed and appreciated the organization and interactive aspects of this book. By including activities, the authors are giving us as readers an opportunity to slow down and think through the ways in which we might use fandom and activism to best serve the world through our own strengths. The inclusion of so many different fandom examples was a great way to be inclusive to people from all fandom backgrounds. It was especially fun when I knew the examples they were mentioning (in particular Supernatural fandom, GISH, and Random Acts) because of my own involvement in those groups. I also thought it was very helpful that they addressed different perspectives (especially in Ch. 8 - The Dark Side of Fandom) while at the same time not excusing certain problematic behaviors. The chapters and their subsections make references easy to find and the inclusion of resources at the end was quite helpful.
March 15, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy of this title for review.
I was very impressed with this book. It is short and concise and yet it covers a lot of ground about fandoms. A couple things that impressed me were;
The use of analogies about different fandoms is not done is such a way that you have to be a fan of all the different mediums to understand them. Everything is explained well. In my experience just because you are a fan of something doesn't mean you are a well versed in all the fandoms and can end up
There are good points made about using what you like in the material you are a fan of in order to find what you value,
While I was aware of the story behind Random Acts of Kindness and the fan impact on it, but was unaware of the impact of many other fandoms and some of the other ways to help benefit small businesses and charities.
At the end of the book it also has a chapter titled 'Dark Side of Fandom' and then a chapter on Death of the Author.. Brave to
I was very impressed with this book. It is short and concise and yet it covers a lot of ground about fandoms. A couple things that impressed me were;
The use of analogies about different fandoms is not done is such a way that you have to be a fan of all the different mediums to understand them. Everything is explained well. In my experience just because you are a fan of something doesn't mean you are a well versed in all the fandoms and can end up
There are good points made about using what you like in the material you are a fan of in order to find what you value,
While I was aware of the story behind Random Acts of Kindness and the fan impact on it, but was unaware of the impact of many other fandoms and some of the other ways to help benefit small businesses and charities.
At the end of the book it also has a chapter titled 'Dark Side of Fandom' and then a chapter on Death of the Author.. Brave to
February 22, 2023
A quick, fun read for those looking to get started in activism and/or volunteering.
March 3, 2023
Are you a 'fan'?
Read this hands on approach to activism which will both inform and challenge you.
Read this hands on approach to activism which will both inform and challenge you.
May 26, 2024
I'm amazed at the research that must've gone into this book for all the various fandoms discussed! It's a wonderful book if you have thoughts of becoming active in charities, activism for whatever causes are important to you. Lots of exercises to help you identify what's important to you and what parts you might want to play, leader, supporter, etc. Some incredible stories of what some fandoms have accomplished for communites in need, charities, etc. The author also does discuss the 'dark side of fandom'. If this sort of thing interests you I can't recommend this book any higher!
September 4, 2025
I enjoyed this book. It’s an inspiring look at how different fandom communities—beyond just my usual Star Trek universe—come together to make a real difference in the world.
I usually stay focused on my own fandom, so I hadn’t realized how much good other fan groups are doing. From charitable initiatives to acts of everyday kindness, some of their accomplishments are truly impressive.
The book also works as a helpful guide for anyone curious about how to get involved. I especially appreciated the insight into how these parasocial connections with fellow fans can boost mental well-being. That really resonated with me.
I usually stay focused on my own fandom, so I hadn’t realized how much good other fan groups are doing. From charitable initiatives to acts of everyday kindness, some of their accomplishments are truly impressive.
The book also works as a helpful guide for anyone curious about how to get involved. I especially appreciated the insight into how these parasocial connections with fellow fans can boost mental well-being. That really resonated with me.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews