Can't stop the signal

[merryish]

I was just ranting to a few friends in a chat room about some of the comments on an old Making Light post ("Fanfic": force of nature) and on the recent boingboing entry on OTW (Organization for Transformative Works: defend fandom!).

Comments

[kassrachel]

Fan fiction as it exists (mostly online) today is inextricably tied to the fannish culture it's created for. While it may succeed outside of fandom, it isn't written for that purpose. It's written as part of an ongoing conversation between the fan writer and other members of fandom. It's not just a creative work; it's a cultural communication, as well. And it has to succeed as both to be considered "good" fan fiction. The former can be judged by outsiders; the latter never really can.Wow, yes, word, a thousand times Word. This is so important, and I think it's something folks who aren't a part of fandom often don't get. They think we're writing stories, and sure, yeah, we are; but much more than that, we're participating in our subculture together, we're part of an ongoing conversation. I don't write stories in a vacuum. I write them in response to the other fanworks people have posted in that fandom and in every other of which I've been a part. I write them in response to things my friends say in email and in chat and on livejournal

[cathexys]

Wonderful rebuttal, and I'm just nodding YES along the way!

And, like Kass, I think the interpretive community and intertextuality thing is really really central! (as you probably already know, since I feel like I rarely shut up about that :)

But you've nailed some of the most common complaints and responded intelligently. Thank you!

[topaz119]

I always want to know if any of the critics of fan fiction automatically apply the same standard to Lancelot. He's not part of the original story, which is, in their definition, the only story that's worthy. It's not like people have taken their favorite stories and expanded upon them only in the last 40 years--it's always happened. Now, it just happens here, on the Net rather than in a great hall somewhere.

[loreleif]

Thank you! The Arthurian stories are always one of the first things I think about when I start hearing people whining about fanfic not being "real writing" because the characters aren't original. Um, hello? Medieval romances? Classical Greek poets? Shakespeare, anyone?

Years ago, a friend got me a subscription to a fantasy/sci-fi magazine; in one issue, there was an editorial lambasting fanfic as being horrible and uncreative and disrespectful and awful...and in the same issue, there was an Arthurian story slashing Arthur and Galahad.

[piscaria]

Totally! And you don't even have to go as far back as the Arthurian sagas or classical mythology. Hell, look at Ahab's Wife. That's a Mary Sue if ever I read one.

[topaz119]

Rhett Butler's People--They were having themed costume parties at book stores around here for the release last month.

[aka_arduinna]

Fan fiction as it exists (mostly online) today is inextricably tied to the fannish culture it's created for. While it may succeed outside of fandom, it isn't written for that purpose. It's written as part of an ongoing conversation between the fan writer and other members of fandom. It's not just a creative work; it's a cultural communication, as well. What sort of boggles me is that any pro SF/F writer does the same thing, so why don't they get that about fanfic

[lydiabell]

That, plus fanfic is a big game of "what if"? Starting with "What if John were in love with Rodney" is not really different from those conversations that start with "What if Superman and Batman got in a fight? Who would win?" But the latter is socially acceptable (well, in geek terms,anyway) while the former is somehow the End of the World.

[lavenderfrost]

What if Superman and Batman got in a fight?

Or, "what if Batman and Spiderman teamed up???"

Not only is it ok, it gets PUBLISHED. A LOT. Hell, I *own* at least 2 or 3 BatSpider comics. Not to mention the Justice League kthnx.

[seperis]

When you get right down to it, "John wants Rodney" is the same thing as "the ship has a hyperdrive". It's just a way of not having to start every story from absolute scratch, reinventing the wheel every. damn. time.

That's a *fantastic* way to put it.

[copracat]

I love that: you can have my sympathy, you can't have my compliance.