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Fan FictionFan fiction is a form of creative writing that repurposes preexisting, sometimes copyrighted, stories and characters, which is often written for the enjoyment of other fans.
While writers—including John Milton and William Shakespeare—have always reinterpreted and retold others' stories, modern fan fiction began in the 1960s with fans of "Star Trek," who shared self-published magazines that reimagined the show on their own terms. The genre found a home on the early internet, where its writers created online communities dedicated to sharing their "transformative stories" about their favorite books, shows, and movies.
Fan fiction gained popularity as the internet became more widespread. Several 21st-century bestsellers began as fan fiction before being revised to avoid copyright infringement. While some authors oppose readers repurposing their work with fan fiction, others tacitly permit it, believing it's a boon to their art.Explore Fan Fiction
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Explore the world of fan fictionThis guide to the genre's major platforms breaks down their strengths and weaknesses, offering an excellent primer for the uninitiated newcomers. The OwlFan fiction is now studied at universities, including Princeton and HarvardSome 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. The MillionsFan fiction implies art is an ongoing, communal practiceAlthough some serious literary types disregard fan fiction, other academics consider it a fascinating development in art and communication, one that allows everyday people to participate in worldbuilding and storytelling. JSTORIf a publisher wants to sell fan fiction, they encourage writers to change key detailsHistorically, companies that publish popular fan fiction have their authors change a few details—like character names, settings, or other details—to avoid potential copyright violations. Many believe the risk is worth the reward, though the legality remains murky. (Some users may experience a paywall.) The Washington PostFan fiction has slowly become a part of mainstream publishingIn 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. Post ReportsSeveral bestsellers began as fan fictionAli Hazlewood's "The Love Hypothesis" began as "Star Wars" fan fiction. Cassandra Clare's "Mortal Instruments" series was about "Harry Potter" characters Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley. Anna Todd's "After" series was an example of "real life fiction," or fan fiction that is about real people rather than fictional ones (the books were originally based on the boy band One Direction). ReadableThe success of 'Fifty Shades' raised questions about fan fiction and copyrightJames might've revised her "Twilight" fan fiction book "Master of the Universe" before it was republished as "Fifty Shades of Grey," but studies found that the two manuscripts were essentially the same text. Some wondered whether that meant Stephanie Meyer, author of "Twilight," was entitled to royalties, though Meyer never pursued legal action. NPROne 'Harry Potter' fan fiction deals with cognitive science and philosophyEliezer Yudkowsky's "Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality" is not your typical fan fiction: It uses JK Rowling's fictional universe to wrestle with rationalist philosophy and the physics behind the magic taught at Hogwarts. The book went on to become popular in Silicon Valley, especially in the effective altruism movement. VICEOne data scientist argued that fan fiction improved writingIn 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." TED-EdLucasfilm discouraged fan fiction that sexualized its charactersThe self-published fan fiction zines of the '60s, '70s, and '80s were obscure enough that they rarely attracted the attention of the copyright holders of their source material. But Lucasfilm, the production company behind the "Star Wars" films, threatened legal action against fans who published X-rated stories and "homosexual expressions of love" featuring its characters. The Daily DotMany 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." Some fan fiction allows readers to place themselves in their favorite storiesOne subgenre of fan fiction is called "self-insert." It's exactly as it sounds: The form takes a preexisting story and inserts a reader proxy into the world of the story, acting as a form of wish-fulfillment. The Daily FandomFan fiction relies on tropes and subgenresFan 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?" Purdue University Fort WayneModern fan fiction exists in a legal gray areaModern 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. StoriedFan fiction is an unauthorized reinterpretation of a copyrighted storyWriters 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. PasteEL James' 'Fifty Shades of Grey' was originally 'Twilight' fan fictionThe first volume in the popular erotic romance series was originally called "Master of the Universe" and focused on the main characters of "Twilight," the popular vampire series by Stephanie Meyer. After it became a hit in fan fiction communities, James removed the references to "Twilight" and changed the title. It would go on to be the fastest-selling paperback of all time in the United Kingdom and lead to additional books and film adaptations. The GuardianJane Austen inspired stories that some now consider fan fictionSybil 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. Jane Austen Literacy FoundationGeorge RR Martin opposes fan fictionThe "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." Aegon TargaryenBrowse a fan-made 'Newspeak Dictionary'In Orwell's "1984," citizens of Oceania are expected to use Newspeak, a form of English that limits abstract thought and reinforces the government's version of reality. This satirical dictionary of the language demonstrates how Orwell constructed a lexicon for his fictional world. OrwellFanfiction proliferated on fan-made sites in the 1990sAs the internet became more accessible in the '90s, fanfiction writers created websites dedicated to publishing stories about their favorite characters. Still, the hobby was far from mainstream. As one writer from that time said, "Going to Star Trek/comic book conventions in the '80s and '90s was something nerds did. Telling people you read or wrote fan fiction put you in the super geek category." VICEFanfic can provide fans with wish fulfillmentRather 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. The Pudding'Romeo and Juliet' was based on a preexisting narrative poemArthur Brooke's "The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet" was first published in 1562 and shares many details with Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." Shakespeare wasn't alone in his borrowing; Brooke's poem was based on other earlier Italian stories. None of this writing was considered fan fiction—copyright law didn't exist, and stories were regularly cribbed from preexisting sources. American Repertory TheaterImagine thousands of alternate histories of the world AlternateHistory.com has hosted fan-written "what if" timelines, discussions, and speculative fiction since 2000, making it the largest online gathering of alternate history enthusiasts, with over 10,000 active members and a wiki cataloging hundreds of user-created scenarios. Two highlights to pique your interest: what if the Vikings had settled North America? What would have had to happen for the storyline of George Orwell's "1984" to come true? Alternate HistoryJane Austen superfans are called JaneitesAusten has a modern fan community unrivaled by that of other novelists of her time, devoted in ways similar to more recent pop culture phenomena like "Star Trek" and "Harry Potter," with Janeites regularly donning period-specific costumes, writing fan fiction, and engaging in spirited debates about the work. BBCHockey romance novels have become an unexpected sensationThe combination was not an obvious hit, but books like "Hockey With Benefits," "Body Check," and "Puck and Prejudice" (a Jane Austen fan fiction) have grown popular thanks to a romance novel boom and an interest on TikTok. Now, HBO and Amazon are taking note with streaming adaptations. (Some readers may experience a paywall.) The Wall Street JournalMuggleNet became the internet's largest 'Harry Potter' fan communityLaunched in 1999, MuggleNet attracted millions of readers with news, theories, and fan-fiction. It helped define early online fandom, later expanding into podcasts, books and events. MuggleNet'Lady Muraski' was a pen nameThe author behind "The Tale of Genji" is still unknown. The woman's diary and some details about her aristocratic life have been found, but scholars have not yet pinned down her identity. (Some users may experience a paywall.) The AtlanticDinosaur portrayals in film mistakenly limit them to only living in tropical climatesThe ancient creatures have been brought to life in cinema by combining animatronics and CGI. However, creative liberties have created misconceptions about dinosaurs for audiences, including that the Tyrannosaurus rex could not see stationary prey. Short WaveConsumers are buying more books now than they were 20 years agoInterest in reading spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued building since then. The romance and fantasy genres in particular have been especially popular, with titles celebrated on BookTok, a wing of TikTok dedicated to reading, spurring the craze. Sherwood NewsCosplay isn't just costumes—it's deeply personal, say early fandom scholarsCosplay 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. JSTOR DailyThe 100 best Pulitzer-winning booksNo ranking is definitive, but this site compiled expert analysis with book sales and other factors to rank the best books to win the Pulitzer. The list is topped by Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” and includes fiction and nonfiction winners, providing a starred fan ranking and endorsements from experts and famous people. ShortformSci-fi writer Jeff VanderMeer writes dystopian fiction about the environmentNoted science fiction writer Jeff VanderMeer discusses his 2014 novel "Annihilation," which uses climate change as a dystopian frame. VanderMeer notes that he’s not interested in cynicism, even though that’s how most people view dystopian literature. “I’m not a fan of fiction that’s totally hopeless,” VanderMeer says. “You find ways of documenting the world as it is and you wind up redefining utopia and dystopia.” The Atlantic
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