We are as you may have gathered by now, RHUL's science fiction and fantasy society. Our aims (blatently stolen from the constitution) are
We have existed in one form or another since sometime in the 1970s (or possibly even earlier - if you have proof of when the society was started, please get in touch) when a group of students at Royal Holloway decided that they would regularly get together to enjoy their shared interests in science fiction and fantasy. This group decided to call themselves IFIS - The Institute For Impure Science. After some time, the Student Union was formed in 1986 and IFIS became one of its the first societies.
Once part of the SU, things got a bit more formal and over the years we've had many different constitutions and committees. But that hasn't hampered us from still enjoying the things we love the most. We've built up a modest sized library for our members to read. We like watching science fiction and fantasy movies and TV programmes.
There are a number of theories surrounding the origins of the name. One likely suggestion is that it's taken from the stories of R. A. Lafferty. An alternative is that it's meant to be science fiction backwards (obviously lacking the C though). Generally though, it's because it's meant to be different and fun. As a society, we don't like to take things too seriously.
Except when it comes to the correct pronunciation of our name, which isn't i-fis - we're not an Apple brand name. Instead pronounce it like if-fis.
The best way to get an idea of what we get up to is to check out our events page. Or look at our mailing list archives to see what we're talking about at the moment. Regardless of the time of year though, we will always (unless it's Christmas or something) meet up for a weekly science fiction social gathering in a local pub
You'll be surprised to find that we don't spend all our time discussing whether Picard or Janeway was the best Captain or who'd win a battle out of the Borg and a Death Star. Although they do get brought up now and then by new members, much to the despair of the regulars.
If we're not doing something you think the society should be doing, then let the committee know - they're always open to suggestions!
Membership is open to all members of RHULSU with valid Student Activities Membership. Currently the yearly membership fee is £7 which is the standard price set by the SU for all societies.
You can either come along to Freshers Fayre at the start of the year and sign up there. Or alternatively, you can do it at one of our many events and you just hand over your money and details to a member of the committee.
If you want any more information about the society or have any questions, feel free to email the committee.