We are happy to announce the acquisition of the Lenny Kaye Science Fiction Fanzine collection at the Special Collections Department of the University of Miami Libraries. The Kaye collection constitutes a very rich and unique trove of science fiction fanzines from the 1940s to the 1970s, and represents a significant addition to our ever-growing zine holdings. The zines were originally collected by Lenny Kaye, who is best known as the guitarist for the Patti Smith Group, and for compiling the seminal 1960s garage rock collection Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era.

Science fiction fandom has been a significant source of published material, starting in the 20^th century and continuing through today. The Lenny Kaye Science Fiction Fanzine collection documents the self-publishing activity of the sci-fi fandom community in the mid-20^th century. Despite being primarily amateur publications, there is a significant sense of organization evident in the community. Many of the fanzines were published as part of amateur press associations, including the Fantasy Amateur Press Association (FAPA), and the Spectator Amateur Press Society (SAPS). The topics of the zines include reviews of science fiction literature and films, fanfiction, updates about conventions, and news and notes about different fan clubs dedicated to the genre. Some fanzines might veer off into the intensely personal, while others devolve into gossip about other fans or writers.

The collection includes important titles, such as Cry of the Nameless, JD-Argassy, and Yandro, and is truly international in scope: zines held include those produced in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Japan and several European countries.

The Special Collections Department at the University of Miami Libraries holds over 5,000 zines in six unique collections. In addition to science fiction, our zines also include punk rock fanzines, perzines, and independent publications covering a wide variety of other subjects, such as LGBT rights, environmentalism, art and poetry. We have a significant amount of zines from South Florida, as well as zines produced in countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.