Science fiction author and reviewer Spider Robinson was using spoiler warnings at least as early as 1979, in his column "Spider vs the Hax of Sol III" in _Destinies_ (a hybrid paperback book/SF magazine). For example, v. 1, no. 2, Jan-Feb '79, in a review of James P. Hogan's _Inherit the Stars_, after a couple of pages of nonspoiler review:
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So _why_ did I fling the book across the room when I was done with it?
Two reasons, and the first of them involves committing a spoiler of sorts.
SPOILER WARNING! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW (SOME OF) THE SURPRISE ENDING, SKIP TO THE NEXT REVIEW!
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(I don't know if he originated the practice, or if he was following a precedent in SF fandom, but that's the direction I'd look in tracking it further back.)
On The History and Use of "Spoiler Alert"
Science fiction author and reviewer Spider Robinson was using spoiler warnings at least as early as 1979, in his column "Spider vs the Hax of Sol III" in _Destinies_ (a hybrid paperback book/SF magazine). For example, v. 1, no. 2, Jan-Feb '79, in a review of James P. Hogan's _Inherit the Stars_, after a couple of pages of nonspoiler review:
***
So _why_ did I fling the book across the room when I was done with it?
Two reasons, and the first of them involves committing a spoiler of sorts.
SPOILER WARNING! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW (SOME OF) THE SURPRISE ENDING, SKIP TO THE NEXT REVIEW!
***
(I don't know if he originated the practice, or if he was following a precedent in SF fandom, but that's the direction I'd look in tracking it further back.)