Thoughts on fanfiction as a tool for criticising Canon, or "Because Jo said so" is not a good reason

[mr_mercutio]

In fandom, if you read the loads of meta that get posted all over the place, one regularly runs into musings on the nature of fanfiction, or that fancy new term they've got these days, "transformative works" or whatever. In any case, you read a lot about what fanfiction means, why it's written, why it ostensibly should be written, etc. etc.

Comments

[mr_mercutio]

Oh definitely. I hate seeing a complete turn-around where Slytherins are suddenly the nicest loveable people ever who are as harmless as Hufflepuffs. Fanon!Draco for instance, where he's this meek little sex kitten virgin type and just hides behind the snark, is appalling and gross. I may bring that up in the edit later.

[serenity_winner]

in which Dumbledore said, "I sometimes think we sort too soon." That was possibly the most condescending bit of drivel that spewed out of Dumbledore...

AMEN OH MY GOD. That statement REAAALLY rubbed me the wrong way. (And honestly Albus, we could say the exact same thing for you...)

Anyway, yes. there are some authors who write things that, while they might not mesh perfectly with canon, are really just awesome and interesting takes on the characters. It's about exploring the possibilities. What's really cool is when someone can take a character or an event and make me see them/it in a new way.

[thejim]

I'd agree with you, Jon, had I finished the series (OotP killed it for me) but these are my $0.02

[mr_mercutio]

I hear you, oh Arthas. I get Rowling writing the Slytherins the way she did, but it doesn't make it any less of a mistake, in my mind. I don't feel that any author should write with fandom in mind, but mostly with an eye to their audience. I think that leaving Slytherins as a caricature throughout a 7-book series that are read by kids growing up with them is a shame. It's a part of the books that didn't grow, unlike many other parts.

And I think the nature of a story as requiring jerks to be derided is something I could argue with you about, but I won't go into great detail on it. I think that's why I've lost my taste for many kinds of stories like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars because of the characters like that. I find these days I prefer shades of grey and colours.

I suppose in the end that I think any story would be improved by more thought put into character depth, although I can see the point that that's not always the case with certain kinds of stories. Just a personal taste.

[thejim]

Which is fair enough; it speaks really to fundamental character difference, I think. I much prefer situations like in Star Wars or LotR. Give me good guys who are good and bad guys who are jerks. There's room for good guys who are jerks and bad guys who are just on the wrong side, but I prefer things to be fairly cut and dried in regards to my fiction. Real life is so full of shades and colours that I like the unambiguous nature of stories where Heroes are Heroic, Villains are Vilainous, Men are Manly and Sheep are scared. Wait, strike those last two

[shiftingpath]

I always thought this was appropriate.