Data can teach us a lot about trends in fanfiction

What can data tell us about fanfiction culture?

Considering how ingrained they are in our everyday lives, it’s not surprising that prejudices about race and gender seep into fanfiction. 

On Jan 21, 2024 by Kira Deshler

F.L. 'Bubba' Copeland

‘It’s a hobby I do to relieve stress’: Alabama mayor shot themself dead after being outed for dressing as a transgender woman who wrote fanfic

'That news article read like a political hit piece.'

On Nov 5, 2023 by Stacy Fernandez

Spock in Star Trek Balance of Terror (l) Kirk in Star Trek Balance of Terror

How fanfiction complicates rules about ownership, social norms

While fanfiction is more accepted than it once was, the practice remains controversial.

On Oct 8, 2023 by Kira Deshler

Members of WGA walk with pickets on strike outside the Culver Studio. Fanfic is not yet affected by the strike.

Film reviews, fanfic, and cosplay don’t qualify as ‘crossing the picket line’ during the Hollywood strike

Fans are worried about creating free advertising for companies like Disney amid the writers' and actors' strike.

On Jul 18, 2023 by Gavia Baker-Whitelaw

Archive of Our Own website homepage with Russian Flag overlay

‘World War III is going to be the silliest goose’: Did Russia take down fanfic site AO3 to protest Sweden joining NATO?

It's complicated.

On Jul 12, 2023 by Ernie Piper

Amber Heard

‘This is f*cking sick’: People are writing violent revenge fantasy stories about Amber Heard on fanfiction site

'I would say seek help but clearly y’all are beyond that.'

On May 27, 2022 by Brooke Sjoberg

Hands placing small doll into coffin with keyboard top in front of monitor with avatar

The real-life stakes of faking your death online

Why a TikToker faked her death on Fanfiction.net 11 years ago.

On Dec 23, 2021 by Liza Bautista

Broken pencil with phrase 'The Lost History of the Internet' imprinted on the side

Video: The wild history of fanfic censorship

From crackdowns on queer fanzines to NSFW bans on sites like Tumblr, modern fandom was shaped by censorship.

On Nov 12, 2021 by Gavia Baker-Whitelaw

two shirtless men

Prolific erotica author Romilly King accused of plagiarizing ‘Supernatural’ fanfic

It's a major scandal in the erotic ebook publishing community.

On Aug 5, 2021 by Gavia Baker-Whitelaw

doctor who fanfic

Why does the BBC’s ‘Doctor Who’ FAQ try to ban people from posting fanfic?

Fans unearthed a section of the 'Doctor Who' website that says fanfiction is 'not permitted.'

On May 12, 2021 by Gavia Baker-Whitelaw

A ship with shipping containers.

Yes, there’s already erotic fanfic about the ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal

Rule 34 is alive and well.

On Mar 29, 2021 by Siobhan Ball

An image of a man doing a handstand with a wolf's shadow on a wall. Wolf dynamics play a key role in the omegaverse and its A/B/O dynamics.

Welcome to the ‘omegaverse,’ the kinky erotica genre reimagining bodies

It's a knotty subject.

On Dec 21, 2020 by Ana Valens

writing fanfic

How fanfic writers are reacting to coronavirus

Fanfiction is basically the perfect hobby for quarantine season.

On Mar 19, 2020 by Gavia Baker-Whitelaw

girl reads 'i love your smile' on her wrist

Soulmate POV TikTok trend riffs on a fanfic trope

Is your soulmate on TikTok?

On Mar 4, 2020 by Audra Schroeder

star wars the rise of the skywalker spoilers

It’s really hard to avoid spoilers for ‘Rise of Skywalker’ this week

Careful out there.

On Dec 18, 2019 by Kahron Spearman