I think the thing about a fanatic is that their passion affects their ability to interact with people who don't share their interest. Over time I've been a fan of many different things- it's thirty years this November since I first sat and watched an episode of Doctor Who, and that's stayed with me, while I spent a fortune in the early 1990s on Star Trek videos and could probably quite happily never watch another episode- and to some people at some times I would have come across as fanatical about one thing or another. I've been more excited about Buffy and Angel than I am at the moment, mainly because when there were new episodes being made there was always the next instalment of the story to look forward to, but I think after a while things settle down and something becomes an interest rather than an abiding obsession!
