Rec.arts.sf.written is a newsgroup dedicated to written speculative fiction, encompassing the genres of science fiction and fantasy, among others. Common uses for the newsgroup are general discussion with fellow fans, unknown story identification, discussion about sub-genre distinctions, popular and classic works, gender issues in speculative fiction, themes found in speculative fiction, authors, opinions about authors, book suggestions, author suggestions, news about upcoming author's works, speculation about upcoming works, etc. Visitors to the rec.arts.sf.written FAQ will be pleasantly surprised that the FAQ is frequently updated (especially important when the FAQ discusses the works of frequently discussed authors). The FAQ is a good place to start in order to get an adequate idea of what sort of discussion is appropriate within the rec.arts.sf.written newsgroup, and is also a valuable source of basic speculative fiction FAQ. The rec.arts.sf.written newsgroup is a high volume group, with many users who are willing to answer one's questions, add their opinion on debates, and so on.