The term “lore” has, well, a whole lot of lore. Now , the word can be traced back to , where it referred primarily to learning, as in the act of teaching or being taught.

Over time, lore came to be associated with more informal knowledge, passed on through word of mouth. The term “folklore,” the , was coined by the British writer William J Thoms in 1846. As a result, lore largely slipped out of common usage. By 2024, however, it had made the shortlist for the (the title was taken by ).

So, how did “lore” come to hold such contemporary relevance? And what does it mean today? The answer can be found, at least in part, in fandom, where “lore” is used to refer to the body of knowledge that exists around a person, fictional universe or character.

Fandom has long facilitated deep dives into media in which fans analyse, discuss and track their favourite storylines and character arcs. This has been particularly true of the science fiction and fantasy genres, due to their complex and expansive narrative universes.

In 1969, science fiction fan and writer Bjo Trimble self-published the first edition of . It was an unofficial reference book for the...