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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 by Gavia Baker-Whitelaw

writing fanfic

How fanfic writers are reacting to coronavirus

Fanfiction is basically the perfect hobby for quarantine season.

On 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 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 by Kahron Spearman

yahoo

Yahoo is shuttering Yahoo Groups. Fandom will never be the same

Since the early 2000s, Yahoo Groups were a central hub.

On by Gavia Baker-Whitelaw

hugo award logo

Nonprofit fanfiction database Archive of Our Own wins a Hugo

The award is a major win for fanfic writers.

On by Michelle Jaworski

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