The Beatles and Fandom

Sex, death and nostalgia are among the impulses driving Beatles fandom: the metaphorical death of the Beatles after their break-up in 1970 has fueled the progressive nostalgia of fan conventions for 48 years; the death of John Lennon and George Harrison has added pathos and drama to the Beatles' story; Beatles Monthly predicated on the Beatles' good looks and the letters page was a forum for euphemistically expressed sexuality. The Beatles and Fandom is the first book to discuss these fan subcultures. It combines academic theory on fandom with compelling original research material to tell an alternative history of the Beatles phenomenon: a fans' history of the Beatles that runs concurrently with the popular story we all know.

Richard Mills

Acknowledgements Introduction: The Beatles and Fandom: Sex, Death and Progressive Nostalgia 1. 'She Loves You': Beatles Monthly 2. (Un) Conventional: Beatles Fan Conventions 3. 'Paperback Writer', Journalists as Super-Fans: Hunter Davis, Ian MacDonald and Philip Norman 4. Fanaticism and the Beatles 5. 'Images of Broken Light': The Beatles on YouTube 6. Paul is Undead: Fan Fiction, Slash Fiction and Literary Fiction 7. 'I Play the Part So Well': Beatles Tribute Bands 8. 'Ticket to Ride': English Cultural Tourism and Beatles Fans Conclusion: Paul is Dead: A Fan's Story Notes References Discography Appendices Index