Meanings
plural slanshacks
- datedslanglifestyleA house shared by fans of science fiction.
In fact we *had* a slanshack about 6 blocks from his house, but he never had the time to hang out much -- he would drop by for an hour or so to drink beer...
1995, Richard Newsome, “Signing one's real name”, in rec.arts.sf.fandom (Usenet)2 more examples
Slan Shack - A science-fiction house in Battle Creek, charter members being Al & Abby Lu Ashley, Walt Liebscher, and Jack Wiedenbeck. Acquired in the summer of '43, it wasn't occupied by the slans till the eve of the Michiconference. EEEvans joined a little later.
1944, John Bristol Speer, “sfn - Sydcon”, in FancyclopediaSad to relate, however, some of the European delegates were probably insurgents rather than true fen. Probably none of them had ever been in a slanshack, and there were only a few completists among them.
1951 May 21, Winthrop Sargeant, “Through the Interstellar Looking Glass”, in Life
Origin
From slan (“science fiction fan”) + shack. From a clubhouse for science fiction fans in Battle Creek, Michigan, USA called "Slan Shack" which existed from 1943 to 1945; from the fanspeak term slan; from the science fiction novel Slan (1940) by A. E. van Vogt, by analogy to the superior but persecuted mutants of the novel.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with slanshack
Cite this entry
slanshack. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slanshack
“slanshack.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slanshack. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “slanshack,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slanshack.
Source: slanshack on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.