Fan Fiction: The Impact of a Fan-made Genre

2425 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Role of fan fiction in literature

What if Darth Vader had been one of the rebels as opposed to the face of the Empire? What if Huckleberry Finn’s story had continued, and detailed his ambitions of running west to Indian territory? What if the story of King Arthur and his knights had taken place in the future as opposed to the past? Questions such as these have been asked for as long as people have been reading for entertainment. Very rarely are questions such as these answered by the authors of the work, meaning that, if a reader is to have an answer, they have to create one themselves. This is why fan fiction was created, and why it continues to hold popularity among fans of the works it is based upon. Fan fiction, while being an entertaining and engaging form of speculation isn’t just a hobby for those whom write it. Instead, it is a media of shared ideas that may not have been created otherwise, sometimes a source of conflict, and, perhaps most importantly, a tool for students and hobbyists alike to hone their skills in writing.

Many people who become interested in fan fiction don’t realize it’s rich history. Ever since the internet became popular in the 1990’s, fan fiction has become increasingly present, as well as more easily accessible on the web ("Loony Archivist"). Because of this, the majority of those who discover the world of fan fiction more recently would be led to believe that the ease of spreading information and ideas across the internet is responsible for this sub-genre of writing. In truth, however, fan fiction has been written and printed well before it was placed on the internet. If one were to dig deep enough into history, it could probably be found that fan fiction has been around for as long as fiction has (Harmon). However, be...

... middle of paper ...

...on.html>.

Hatcher, Dana. Personal Interview. 23/2/2011

Hill, Rebecca "When Technology and Books Collide. " Book Links 1 Mar. 2010: Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

Kell, Tracey "Using Fan Fiction to Teach Critical Reading and Writing Skills. " Teacher Librarian 37.1 (2009): 32-35. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

"Professional Author Fanfic Policies." fanlorebeta. N.p., 13/09/2010. Web. 4 Oct 2010. .

Richards, Rebekah. "Benefits of Writing Fanfiction." suite101.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct 2010. .

Thompson, Kevin. "The Legality of Fan Fiction on the Net." Cyberlaw Central. N.p., 23/6/2005. Web. 4 Oct 2010. .

Show More
Related

  • Women Of Ancient Rome : Private Life

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    Goodreads, 2016. Web. The Web. The Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Dwight Macdonald's Reading And Thought

    736 Words  | 2 Pages

    In addition, textbooks are heavy to carry around and it takes longer to find a page. Likewise with digital textbooks they are compatible with tablets, smartphones, and laptops; it’s much easier to carry around and affordable price. However, some people may argue that digital textbooks can be a distraction for people because they would not bother read anymore. The author and poet Dana Gioia argues that electronics alternatives may be a bad influence that will lead society to not read anymore. Gioia complicates matters further when she writes, “While no single activity is responsible for the decline in reading, the cumulative presence and availability of electronic alternatives increasingly have drawn Americans away from reading” (161). I think Gioia is mistaken because she overlooks on electronics being a bad influence; but doesn’t see the benefits of electronics. To demonstrate, most of my textbooks are digital, which I can easily carry my tablet around where ever I go. Also, I save more money on digital textbooks and are simple to annotated the text. Journalist Ellen Lee interview a student from Liberty University, and he states that he prefers digital textbooks because he can tap his iPad, opens the digital copy and quickly open the page. Nevertheless, he also like digital textbooks because it has a feature that allows to highlight and mark the

    Read More

  • Reasons Why We Should Require Digitalization of College Textbooks

    1210 Words  | 3 Pages

    Impact of Digitizing Books? Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. At Issue. Rpt. from "In the 21st-Century University, Let's Ban (Paper) Books." Chronicle of Higher Education 13 Nov. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

    Read More

  • New Media’s Impact on Intelligence

    1074 Words  | 3 Pages

    Darnton, Robert. "The Library in the New Age." NYBooks.com. The New York Review of Books, June 12, 2008. Web. 6 March 2012.

    Read More

  • Comparing Shakespeare's Hamlet and the Movie, The Lion King

    2196 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...and antagonist, but of secondary characters as well. Modern entertainment may have lost much of its roots, but comparisons such as these may well prove the old axiom: "There is no new literature being written, only old literature, redone."

    Read More

  • The Superhero Effect: Idealism and Stereotypes in Comic Books

    1565 Words  | 4 Pages

    In our society, certain ideals are held in high regard. Individuals relentlessly pursue these ideals to achieve a perceived perfection. These principles are often depicted in media that further glorifies and establishes a desire to pursue these paragons. In a medium such as comic books, however, these standards and perceptions are heavily distorted by the characterizations and settings. Particularly, the superhero genre absorbs the ideals we strive towards and regurgitates them in an extreme and unrealistic manner. The superhero genre is often reflective of societal changes in ideas and morals. These ideals are then molded into misleading representations that influence the behaviors of viewers. Comic books absorb elements of our society and transform them. For example, as the enemies of America change, so do the enemies of our superheroes. However, the enemies are transformed into supervillains that are extremely dark and villainous. Such characterizations cloud people’s understanding of real threats and enemies affecting our society. Also, to cater to the value that American society places on intelligence, attractiveness, and physical strength, comic books create characters that epitomize these characteristics. Though the represent society’s ideals, these characters manipulate the ideas and convey them back to the audience in an unrecognizable manner. In developing such distorted representations, the superhero genre affects human behavior and perceptions of these ideals.

    Read More

  • literature

    2725 Words  | 6 Pages

    Fiction as we know it today is considered to be a relatively new genre compared to poetry and drama. The tradition of fiction started with myth and legend and allegory. But the fictional characters in these imaginary worlds were mostly one-dimensional abstractions, personified as Love, Greed, War, or even Faith. The evolution from allegory to novel (and short story), from the sermon about an abstraction in human guise to the story of the individual whose personal experience might have universal application, took a long time.

    Read More

  • Political Novels of The Jungle and Johnny Got His Gun

    5117 Words  | 11 Pages

    Although writing has been around for thousands of years, the medium of books is a relatively recent phenomenon. In the mid 15th century, German Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press that made multiple, cheap copies of works that were easily available for the masses. With the help of other technological developments including the linotype in the mid-1880’s, the printing process became easier and faster and therefore books became cheaper and more available. Also in the mid-1880’s the development of public education increased the demand for books making them even more popular and ensuring them as a permanent form of media for the masses.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Fanfiction In Literature

    3717 Words  | 8 Pages

    Do you remember the Star Trek episode where Captain Kirk ad Spock confess their romanticism to each other? No? Well, what about the Harry Potters toryline where Harry and Draco join forces to combat the forces of evil? Still no? Welcome to the world of Fanfcition, It is a world where the wildst dresms are incarcerated and are brought to life. Every now and then, a new genre arises out of the blue, and adorns literature by increasing both the quality of available books, as well as the followers of a certain genre. This trend was noticed in science fiction, which rose to prominence in the eighteenth century through the masterpiece Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. It was also conspicuous in comic books, a genre that can be traced back to the nineteenth century. It is no profanity to examine new literary works the debut of a modernistic genre. Fanfiction can best be defined as a canon universe where fans of movies, literature, video games, television shows and comics are

    Read More

  • Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time

    6164 Words  | 13 Pages

    In the world of Robert Jordan’s bestselling fantasy series, "The Wheel of Time", the life of the ordinary people has been undergoing some extraordinary changes. The legendary Dragon has been Reborn, and the Last Battle to decide the fate of humanity draws nigh. Meanwhile, outside of this world sit millions of readers, from all reaches of life, waiting anxiously for the next chapter in the story to be told. They debate what has happened, what it means in the context of the story, what it means for the future of the Wheel, as well as how it impacts their lives’. The Wheel of Time is a world where absolute good battles absolute evil, and yet shades of grey cloud the landscape. A world of hope and despair, a world of peace and war. From this world a following has grown. People from different cultures, different languages, and different political ideologies gravitate together forming a cohesive group that helps to spread the word about the work of Robert Jordan. In much the same manner that J.R.R. Tolkien created a myth for the modern ages with his saga "The Lord of the Rings" and George Lucas has done with his "Star Wars" series of movies, so has Robert Jordan entered into the realm of mythology with his work "The Wheel of Time". And this myth, like those which have come recently, and those from antiquity, has created a community of followers around it. They are drawn together initially because of a personal interest, and they stay not only for that interest, but because of the community that grows as a result of engaging themselves with this story.

    Read More

  • Graphic Novels Essay

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    Literature has learned to grow and progress over the years, but still till this day graphic novels are having trouble with being accepted as literature. Good literature is a piece of work that can incorporate writing and illustrations that pulls the reader in and leads them throughout the book. After reading a couple of graphic novels I have to disagree with the scholars who believe that they aren’t a piece of literature. Each graphic novel tells a story just like “regular” novels do. They each capture your imagination and keep you interested. They may look childish to some, but you should never judge a book by its cover. “Graphic novels that succeed as literature escape the norm and invite critical discussion, analysis, and, often, comparison with text-only books featuring similar situations, climactic crises, or aesthetics” (Goldsmith). Graphic novels tell a story, draw in a different audience, and expands a reader’s imagination, so with that said, they should be considered as literature.

    Read More

  • Technology Brings People Together

    1899 Words  | 4 Pages

    Baron, Dennis. “From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literary Technologies.” Writing Material. Ed. Evelyn Tribble. New York. 2003. 35- 52.

    Read More

  • The Advantages Of Paper Books Vs. Digital Books

    1519 Words  | 4 Pages

    Some years ago, with the arrival of digital technology, the process of reading has been changed to make it easier for everybody; therefore digital books are replacing the actual physical books. In spite of the fact that paper books and digital books are very similar in some ways, such as tittle pages, copyright page, covers, chapters or tables of contents; they present a visual and a sensory difference. In fact, they have a similar action that gives benefits but drawbacks at the same time. Paper books are tangible, accomplishment, easy to share; they have a unique aroma, and a sensitive side. But people should take in consideration that digital books are the better choice, because they are portable, convenient, cheap in price, and easy to manipulate, not to mention that anybody is able to have an bunch of them in only one file, either their phones or

    Read More

  • Replacing Textbooks with Tablets

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bretag, Ryan. "The Problems with "The Rise Of Tablets As Textbooks"" Metanoia. N.p., 30 Mar.

    Read More

  • The Future of Printed Books in the Digital Age

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...igitization.” This does not necessarily imply that printed books will altogether disappear, but that their appearance, usage and milieu will be repurposed. Therefore, it is only rational for stakeholders such as academicians, authors and publishers to envision the future of printed books in the digital age, so as to better anticipate the changes that are, without a doubt, destined to occur.

    Read More

More about Fan Fiction: The Impact of a Fan-made Genre

Open Document