Fan fiction implies art is an ongoing, communal practice

One data scientist argued that fan fiction improved writing

In an academic study, University of Washington professor Cecilia Aragon found that fan fiction often teaches young writers how to craft stronger sentences and convey complex ideas effectively. Much of that comes from the larger fan fiction community, which regularly comments on others' stories, offering kind-hearted constructive criticism in what she calls "distributed mentoring."

Fan fiction is now studied at universities, including Princeton and Harvard

Some professors approach the genre as a unique form of literature that expands the boundaries of art. Comparative literature courses read the source material as well as its fan fiction byproducts, asking students to analyze the conditions that might've produced such dramatic reinterpretations.

Fanfic can provide fans with wish fulfillment

Rather than complaining about a writer's decisions, fan fiction is interactive, providing the fandom with the opportunity to tell the story in the way they see fit. That's especially evident in "shipping," a popular fan fiction trope that's focused on the romantic pairing of characters who are not romantically involved in the source material.

Fan fiction is an unauthorized reinterpretation of a copyrighted story

Writers have always reinterpreted and retold others' stories. (John Milton, for example, used characters from the Bible in "Paradise Lost.") Fan fiction, though, refers to unauthorized, creative retellings of copyrighted stories intended for other fans.

Modern fan fiction exists in a legal gray area

Modern copyright law prohibits using someone's intellectual property (like a character) without their permission. By and large, fan fiction is tacitly condoned by copyright holders because it's commonly distributed for free. If anything, the copyright holders often benefit by allowing passionate fan communities to flourish.

Many believe modern fan fiction began with 'Star Trek'

While people have always reinterpreted preexisting stories, fanfiction is often noted for its communal, interactive element, which many believe started with the TV show "Star Trek." Fans were so passionate about the show that they began creating stories set in the show's universe and sharing them with fellow superfans through conventions and self-published fanzines, like 1968's "Spockanalia."

Fan fiction relies on tropes and subgenres

Fan fiction sites often appear to be littered with inscrutable codewords, with stories labeled as "AU," "drabble," or "PWP." These alert readers to elements of a fan fiction: "AU" is an alternative universe narrative; "drabble" is a very short story; "PWP" stands for "plot? What plot?"

Fan fiction has slowly become a part of mainstream publishing

In 2025, the SenLinYu fantasy novel "Alchemised," which began as "Harry Potter" fan fiction, became a bestseller after being traditionally published; its movie rights were sold for over $3M. The mainstreaming of the genre is due to a combination of factors, including publishing's interest in the hard metrics that fan fiction websites provide.

George RR Martin opposes fan fiction

The "Game of Thrones" author is all for fans creating their own stories, but he finds attempts to commercialize fan fiction distasteful. He's also not interested in reading it. "What I see doesn't affect me, so if you want to do it, I don't care," he said in an interview, "but please don't send it to me."

Jane Austen inspired stories that some now consider fan fiction

Sybil G. Brinton's 1913 novel "Old Friends and New Fancies" brought together characters from Austen's six major books. Other works of JAFF (Jane Austen Fan Fiction) followed in the same style. The books appealed to the budding group of Janeites, a term referring to Jane Austen superfans.

Cosplay isn't just costumes—it's deeply personal, say early fandom scholars

Cosplay began as a form of "embodying" beloved characters rather than performing for an audience. Cosplay is a deeply personal form of identity—more about internal connection than public performance.

Fantasy is heavily influenced by myths, legends, and folk tales

In fantasy, anything is possible, mirroring the supernatural worlds of history’s earliest stories. The narrative voice of fantasy is often similar to early tales, too, with an affinity for the magisterial rather than the contemporary.

Performance art depends on the actions of the artist

Part theater, part anarchy, part absurdism, performance art encompasses a whole range of media and genres. The short version is that it’s conceptual, often spontaneous art that is performed live. Performance art is inherently confrontational, challenging societal ideas of what constitutes “fine art,” making it an ideal vehicle for political and protest pieces. It’s closely related to other avant-garde movements like Dada and Futurism.

The internet has changed how fans understand wrestling

Maintaining the illusion of professional wrestling—or kayfabe—was once considered the most important aspect of running a successful promotion. That’s changed over time, with wrestling’s most serious fans growing as interested in the stories behind the scenes as they are in the matches taking place in the ring.

Understand the differences between manga and comics

Manga and comics—often conflated with one another—are two distinct art forms. Manga is predominantly black-and-white, with long and continuous story arcs by a consistent creator. Western comics, meanwhile, are done in full color, released as individual issues, often feature multiple creative teams, and encourage shorter and self-contained narratives.

What is the Fediverse?

The "fediverse" is a league of like-minded apps looking to make our digital identities—including posts, followers, activity—move seamlessly between networks. It's a decentralized approach, making various social networks interoperable in contrast to Facebook and Twitter, where content is platform-specific. The fediverse provides stability and control to users. Learn more here.

The longstanding bond between the NBA and anime

Japanese anime and the National Basketball Association may not have obvious similarities, but fans have long noticed the shared themes of heroic accomplishment and intense competition. Both NBA players and fans draw inspiration from anime, comparing dramatic basketball moments to well-known anime scenes.

Some argue that appropriation in pop art is simply plagiarism

Some of pop art’s most recognizable works rely on the art of appropriation, lifting advertisements, product images, and—in Roy Lichtenstein’s case—comic book panels drawn by other artists. Artnet dives into a 2023 documentary exploring the complicated legacy of appropriation and high versus low art through interviews with comic artists whose work Lichtenstein copied into million-dollar masterpieces.

Young readers are increasingly interested in graphic novels

Sales for the form, which relies on illustration as much as text but otherwise follows the form of the novel, are up 69% among young school-aged children. The genre has many sophisticated, intellectual, and critically-acclaimed titles, though it's sometimes derided as a less serious form of literature. Still, studies find that young children who read graphic novels and comics report higher levels of affinity for reading.

How metaphors shape the way we think

A metaphor is often viewed as a form of art, deployed only in special circumstances to help an audience grasp something complex or unique. But metaphors are far more fundamental than that, shaping much of how we think about our relationship to others and the world. This article explores how a focus on the metaphors we use can clarify and strengthen our thinking. Learn more here.

Inside the community movement behind DIY synthetic biology

Margaret Talbot spotlights the rise of DIY biology in community labs, where amateur scientists—often outside formal institutions—create everything from insulin to prosthetic prototypes. These grassroots biohackers challenge traditional science by pursuing open, accessible innovation, raising questions about credibility, ethical oversight, and acceptance by mainstream researchers.

Deepfake potential ranges from destabilizing democracies to improving accessibility

The technology can revolutionize education, medicine, and art through actions such as helping a disabled person express themselves. However, fictional audio and video can also jeopardize a person's reputation and life or quickly spread misinformation, even without content being flawless recreations.

Listen to a Taylor Swift superfan podcast

One measure of Taylor Swift’s popularity is the scale of her online fan community, which manifests in everything from fan-created art and cover songs to podcasts hosted by her fans. Tay of the Day dives into Taylor Swift's world by demystifying everything from her music to her globe-spanning tours.

The renaissance in the ancient art of calligraphy

The ancient craft of calligraphy is experiencing a renaissance, with hundreds of societies devoted to the practice of fancy penmanship. The movement consists generally of two camps: people who use "pointed pen" (or fine line work) and those who deploy the "broad nib" (large, broad letters). Disruptive members are attempting to bridge the divide.

On social media, satire is often mistaken for news

A 2018 study found that satire was often mistaken for legitimate fact, with stories from outlets like The Onion being shared widely without any understanding of their satirical intent. Likewise, the study found that media outlets often mislabeled satire as "fake news," a label that implies disinformation rather than social commentary.

Browse a detailed visual analysis of over 200,000 similes—comparisons that often use 'like' or 'as'—from popular fiction to see how frequently writers the same idiomatic expressions.

How fusion—which releases energy when two lighter atoms combine to form a heavier atom—differs from fission

This site reaches millions of visitors who are tired of AI chatbots and seeking human connection. Pretend to be an AI chatbot and ask questions, provide answers, and draw for people in real time.

Art theft is the third-largest source of criminal revenues worldwide, thanks in part to the subjective nature of valuing a work of art.

The Brothers Grimm were lawyers before they were storytellers, but became interested in fairy tales as they began investigating how rules and customs had been passed down through cultures.

Graffiti dates back to at least ancient Pompeii, where citizens scrawled messages to one another on public walls

Some Pokémon have been named after real and fictional organisms, while some real-world species have been named after Pokémon, such as Chilicola charizard and Binburrum zapdos.

Researchers believe the brain consolidates memories, processes emotions, and plans for the future during dream states

Existentialist writer Jean-Paul Sartre coined the famous phrase 'Hell is—other people' in his play 'No Exit'

Memecoins are a type of cryptocurrency—a form of digital currency with a wide variety of uses—created around popular 'memes,' or viral internet jokes.

How Amazon operates a 'flywheel' business model, a self-reinforcing cycle that drives continuous growth

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'Saturday Night Fever,' the 1977 film that introduced disco to the mainstream, was based on a fabricated magazine story.

Georgia O'Keeffe's flower paintings are often assumed to be sexual, though the artist claimed she was simply interested in highlighting the beauty of flowers that most people neglect

Explore our favorite visualization of the immense scale of space, from an astronaut to the size of the observable universe

The US Constitution is widely regarded as the longest-standing written national constitution still in force—see how it has influenced rights worldwide.

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'Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone,' a work by American painter Thomas Moran, inspired Congress to establish Yellowstone National Park.

Objects can be 3D printed with light by projecting 2D computerized tomography (CT) scans onto rotating cylinders of resin, which solidify upon exposure.

Long before Major League Baseball began allowing instant replay for balls and strikes, an umpire reluctantly used the technology to determine whether a hit was a home run, a move that inadvertently ushered in a new era for the sport.

The first line of 'immortal' human cells, which can divide indefinitely and are used in scientific research, was nonconsensually taken from a Black woman.

Frank Lloyd Wright's houses are historically hard to sell because they're old, subject to local landmark commissions, and often unfashionable

The word 'jazz' evolved from 'jasm,' 19th-century American slang for 'energy'

Firework or sparkler burns, even if they cover a relatively small area of skin, can significantly affect our range of motion.

Ebola is a filovirus, meaning it resembles a thread under a microscope, though it sometimes twists and can resemble a bowl of spaghetti.