The app for independent voices
I was pleasantly surprised by Helen Joyce’s and Louise Perry’s very nuanced discussion about fan fiction on Louise's podcast, Maiden Mother Matriarch. Louise has been putting out some real bangers lately. I highly recommend her.
I was struck by just one comment Helen makes at the hour mark: that many people, particularly academics, don't know about and don't study fan fiction.
But they do!
And it's not confined to Fan Studies departments (an interdisciplinary field that emerged in the early 1990s), either. It can also be found in English, anthropology, sociology, and digital humanities departments - among others.
There is a lot of academic literature about FF from all perspectives, both in the U.S. and internationally:
There are even academic conferences dedicated to it, both within and outside of the Fan Studies network: fanstudies.org/fan-stud…
AO3, where it sounds like Helen read a ton of FF, has a non-profit organization called the Organization of Transformative Works:
Over the years, there has also been a lot of great cultural commentary about FF, both from the more (please excuse this term) 'anti-woke' side and the more mainstream.
The Atlantic stands out as just one outlet that's published a few dozen pieces:
In book world, Kaitlyn Tiffany recently authored a wonderful book called Everything I Need I Get From You: How Fangirls Created the Internet As We Know It.
It's a great primer on all things fandom through the lens of One Direction. It's thorough and accessible to audiences who are less familiar with this world.
But there are less well-known books, too. My favorite is Fic: Why Fan Fiction is Taking Over the World, especially if you’re just beginning to explore this from a more journalistic or academic perspective.
Anyway! I could go on forever.
The people and places I listed are just a handful who have invaluably informed my work. I hope this is helpful to anyone interested in fan fiction.
