Filk occurs as form of music created from inside Science Fiction & Fantasy fandom, and often performed late at night at science fiction conventions, though there are now dedicated Filk Conventions in Canada, England, Germany, and the USA. These are as well popular inside a bit of circles of the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Originally "filk music" was the erratum for folk music in a never-published essay on the influence of Science Fiction and Fantasy on folk music. Its foremost known studied utilize was by Karen Kruse Anderson in Die Zeitschrift für vollständigen Unsinn (The Journal for Utter Nonsense) #774 (June 1953), for a bargain price written per swell known science fiction author Poul Anderson.

Fandom existence what it was (& is), a term was adopted for the songs, & musical parodies enjoyed by SF conventioneers. Practician come referred to as filkers.

Filk music is very wide ranging - the oldest filks that come however extent were Protest Songs by owning original words & music written by a class action of Up to date York fans known as The Futurians (see book of the equivalent title written by Damon Knight which contains the words & music to many of the babies). These are suspected that The Futurians may have began using Parody, however their internal; class action writings from either a early thirties (watch The Great Depression) are currently misused. Members of this class action involved Isaac Asimov, Fred Pohl, Judith Merrill, Cyril Kornbluth, A. W. Lowndes, Damon Knight, and others.

Filk varies widely from either place to place - around occasionally areas humorous parody is the norm, withinside others good original act, & in others it's an eclectic mix. Understanding filk is complicated per Filkers tendency to adopt music that they like, such as a song Barrett's Privateers which has been recorded on at least 3 Filk CDs.

There keep close at hand possibly been Filk Operas, according to Gilbert and Sullivan and Cats.

When Filk is however sung around late nighttime circles at mainstream Science Fiction conventions a dedicated Filk conventions use turn into additional significant, typically existence international forum for Filkers from either Asia, Europe, & N Usa. Dedicated conventions come held annually in the Canada, Germany, the UK, the U.S.A.. One of these conventions, a Ohio Valley Filk Fest (OVFF), presents the Pegasus Award annually for excellence in filk. At FilKONtario in Canada the Filk Hall of Fame Awards are presented every year to honour the population whose contributions use manufactured a difference to the filk community.

The broad, inclusive definition, lists filk as "A form of music not identified by its harmonic, rhythmic, rhyming, cultural, or similarly traditional determining qualities. It defies classification by regional origin or harmonic, melodic, or rhythmic traits; it is -rather- a form of music based upon its lyrical content. Regardless of musical style, filk songs are those that are about or inspired by science fiction, fantasy, horror, science, and/or subjects of interest to fans of speculative fiction." Given the previous clause therein definition, a filk song may be just about anything. To quote Pegasus award winning southern filker Bill Sutton, "Filk is anything that happens at a filk sing."

Filk Songs - A Representative Sampling by Topic

Obtained Filk - And Shall Trelawny Die Detected Filk - Barret's Privateers Obtained Filk - Forever Aumtumn - by Justin Hayward - from a Alan Parsons Design "War of the Worlds" album Obtained Filk - Rocket Man Obtained Filk - Tom O'Bedlam

Arthurian Legend - Merlin by Doug McArthur

Cartoons - Wiley Coyote & The Road Runner - Operation Desert Storm by Tom Smith

Cats (and Fallowing a Bomb)- Little Green Eyes - by Kathy Mar Cats Feline American Princess - by Leslie Fish

Computers - Free Software Song Computers - Threes Rev. 1.1 - by Duane Elms Computers - Do It Yourself - by Bill Sutton Computers - World Inside the Crystal - by Steve Savitsky

Cthulhu - Do You Hear the Pipes, Cthulhu? - by Terence Chua Cthulhu - I'm Photocopying the Necromonicon - by Zander Nyrond

Earth - Lullaby for a Weary World - by T.J. Burnside Clapp

Faith - Acts of Creation - by Cat Faber

Fantasy Original - Temper of Revenge - by Julia Ecklar

Food and Drink - Domino Death - by Tom Smith

Gaming - Dungeons and Dragons - You Bash the Balrog and I'll Climb the Tree Gaming - Runequest - Divine Irregularity - by Tom Smith

Historical - Helen Keller - The Miracle Worker - by Julia Ecklar Historical - World War 2 - Cranes Over Hiroshima - by Fred Small Historical - World War 2 - Silent Echos - by Heather Borean

Humor - Never Set the Cat on Fire - by Frank Hayes

Insanity - Voices - by Heather Borean

Life - Crane Dance - by Julia Ecklar

Literary - C. J. Cherryh - Signy Mallory - by Mercedes Lackey and Leslie Fish Literary - Susan Cooper - The Dark is Rising - by Susan Cooper and Julia Ecklar Literary - Mercedes Lackey - Kerowyn's Ride - by Mercedes Lackey and Leslie Fish Literary - Mercedes Lackey - Threes - by Mercedes Lackey and Leslie Fish Literary - Anne McCaffrey - Dragonflight - by Cynthia McQuillin Literary - J. K. Rowling - Just a Boy Named Harry - by Dave Weingart Literary - J. R. R. Tolkien - Fellowship going South - by Leslie Fish

Love - Mizpah - by Zander Nyrond

Media - Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke - by Julia Ecklar Media - Star Trek - Fallen Angel - by Julia Ecklar Media - Star Trek - Iron Mistress - by Leslie Fish Media - Star Trek - Temperature of Revenge - by Tom Smith Media - Star Trek-TNG - Not So Trilled - by Judith Hayman Media - Star Wars - Come Ye Knights - by Shiela Willis

Memorial - Jim Henson - A Boy and his Frog - by Tom Smith

Monsters - Laughter from the Loch - by Don Simpson

Science Fiction Original - The Dark Children - by Duane Elms Science Fiction Original - Guardians - by Leslie Fish Science Fiction Original - The Light-Ship - by Leslie Fish

Space - Armstrong - by John Stewart Space - Fire in the Sky - by Jordin Kare Space - Harbors - by Anne Passavoy Space - Home on Lagrange (The L5 Song) Space - Hope Eyrie - by Leslie Fish Space - Too Late - by Duane Elms

UFOs - The Road to Roswell - by Karen Linsley and Lloyd Landa

Werecreature - Velvet - by Talis Kimberley

Filkers
Alan Thiesen Barry Childs-Helton Barry Gold Bill Maraschiello Bill Roper Bill Sutton Bob Kanefsky Bob Laurent Brenda Sutton Brobdingnagian Bards Carla Ulbrich Cecilia Eng Chris Conway Chris Malme Cliff Flynt Cynthia McQuillin Dave Clement Doug McArthur Duane Elms Duras Sisters, The Erwin Strauss aka Filthy Pierre Frank Hayes Fred Brown Gary Anderson Gary McGath Gytha North Gordon R. Dickson Heather Alexander Heather Borean Howard Scrimgeour Ingrid de Buda Jane A. Robinson Jordin Kare Juanita Coulson Judi Miller Judith Hayman Julia Ecklar Juliane Honisch Karen Anderson Karen Linsley Kathleen Sloan Kathy Mar Katy Droege Kay Shapero Kirstin Tanger L. A. Filkharmonics, The Larry Niven Larry Warner Lee Gold Les Horribles Cernettes Leslie Fish Lissa Allcock Lloyd Landa Lynn Gold Marc Gunn Margaret Middleton Mary Ellen Wessels Meg Davis Mercedes Lackey Michael Longcor (Moonwulf) Moss Bliss (J.Random Folksinger, Harry Smothers) Nick Smith Ookla the Mok Poul Anderson Rafe Culpin Randy Hoffman Robert Asprin Robert Cooke Roberta Rogow Run GMC {filk group) Sally Childs-Helton Spencer Love Steve Macdonald Susan Urban Talis Kimberley Tanya Huff Tom Smith Technical Difficulties (filk group) Urban Tapestires (filk group) Valerie Housden Vampires Kitchen (filk group) Voltaire (musician) Zander Nyrond

Recording Companies

Firebird Arts and Music no longer in existence - recordings fetch a premium Wail Songs