Difference between revisions of "Fan Fiction"

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=== Current Meaning===
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'''''Fanfic''''' or '''''fan fiction''''' today most often refers to amateur [[fiction]] written by the enthusiasts of a TV series, usually, or sometimes a movie, a [[book]], or [[comics|comic book]], which takes place in that universe, typically using the originators’ characters (see also [[Slash]] and [[Ship]]).  
Nowadays, '''fanfic''' or '''fan fiction''' is nonprofessional fiction written by the enthusiasts of a TV series, movie, book, or comic book, which takes place in that universe. It's usually dreadful -- [[Sturgeon's Law]] applies here as much as elsewhere (see also [[Slash]]).
 
  
This usage is relatively modern, dating from no earlier than the 1970s. The previous usage was different in some important ways:
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It's usually dreadful -- [[Sturgeon's Law]] applies here as much as elsewhere -- and dubiously legal in terms of copyright and trademark regulations. Some creators look the other way, a few are encouraging, but some do their best to quash it with the full might of the law.  
  
There were actually two kinds of fiction called "fan fiction"  
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This usage is relatively modern, dating from the 1970s. The previous usage was different in some important ways. Previously, two kinds of fiction were called "fan fiction":
1. SF written and published non-professionally by [[fans]]
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# '''Amateur SF''': Original [[SF]] or [[fantasy]] written and published non-professionally by [[fans]]. It was mostly terrible, but some [[pro]]s got their start writing fiction for [[fanzines]]. Today, this practice has largely given over to “indie” publishing on Amazon.
2. Fiction (not necessarily sf or fantasy) written by fans ''about'' fans.  This was sometimes called '''Faan fiction'''.
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# '''Faan fiction''': Fiction (not necessarily sf or fantasy) written by fans ''about'' fans.  This has come to be called ''[[Faan]] fiction''.
  
=== Original Sense #1: Amateur SF===
 
Non-professional SF is of greater antiquity than sense #2, and the very earliest [[fanzines]] frequently contained this sort of fan fiction because fandom's first couple of decades were heavily focused on sf and many fans were focused on writing sf and breaking into the [[pro]] world. (And many succeeded.)
 
  
But still, the amateur [[sf]] printed in fanzines -- usually put out by relative [[neofen]] -- has generally been looked upon with disfavor because, with rare exceptions, if the piece were any good it would be published professionally.  The problem is that people who write sf for fanzines generally learn little besides how to write bad sf for fanzines. The epitome of this genre is likely ''[[The Eye of Argon]],'' an epic piece of prose so awful that [[fen]] take turns reading it aloud at [[cons]].
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== Amateur SF==
 +
The very earliest [[fanzines]] frequently contained this sort of fan fiction because [[fandom]]'s first couple of decades were heavily focused on sf and lots of fans were focused on writing sf and breaking into the [[pro]] world. (And many succeeded.)
  
The vast majority of active [[fans]] who've "gone [[pro]]" have been those who contributed relatively little fiction and a lot of essays and articles to fanzines. ([[Roger Zelazny]] was a major exception to this rule, having contributed (as a teenager) a truly terrible [[sf]] story to ''[[Thurban I]]'', one of the worst [[crudzines]] of all time, and then going on to a brilliant [[pro]] career writing [[science fiction]] some time later.)
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However, amateur [[sf]] printed in [[fanzines]] -- usually put out by relative [[neofen]] -- was generally looked upon with disfavor because, with rare exceptions, if the piece were any good it would be sold and published [[pro]]fessionally.  Fans who wrote sf for fanzines rarely learned much besides how to write bad sf for fanzines. The epitome of this genre was ''[[The Eye of Argon]],'' an epic piece of prose so awful that [[fen]] take turns reading it aloud at [[cons]].
  
Now, of course, this stuff is all self-published in an infinite number of POD paperbacks and sometimes looks pretty professional.
+
The vast majority of [[actifans]] who've "gone [[pro]]" have been those who contributed relatively little fiction and a lot of essays and [[articles]] to fanzines. ([[Roger Zelazny]] was a major exception to this rule, having contributed (as a teenager) a truly terrible [[sf]] story to ''[[Thurban]]'', one of the worst [[crudzines]] of all time, and then going on to a brilliant [[pro]] career writing [[science fiction]] some time later.)
  
=== Original Sense #2: Fiction About Fans===
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Now, of course, this stuff is all self-published as epubs or POD paperbacks and sometimes ''looks'' pretty professional. (See [[Chuck Tingle]].)
Sometimes called '''Faan fiction''' (note the extra, fannish “a” in [[faan]]), these tales are about [[fandom]] and not about [[sf]].  '''Faan fiction''', as distinguished from ''fan fiction'', refers to stories written by [[fans]] that use real or fictional [[fans]] in [[fannish]] situations as its subject matter. They're most commonly [[science fiction]] or [[Recursive Science Fiction|recursive science fiction]], [[fantasy]], mysteries, or parodies -- the genre doesn't matter.
+
 
 +
== Faan Fiction==  
 +
'''[[Faan]] fiction''' (note the extra, fannish “a” in [[faan]]) tales are about [[fandom]] and not about [[sf]].  '''Faan fiction''', as distinguished from ''fan fiction'', refers to stories written by [[fans]] that use real or fictional [[fans]] in [[fannish]] situations as its subject matter. [[Ted Tubb]] called it “[[trufan]] fiction.” These yarns are most commonly [[science fiction]] or [[Recursive Science Fiction|recursive science fiction]], [[fantasy]], mysteries, or [[burlesque|parodies]] -- the genre doesn't matter.
  
 
The best known and most beloved of this genre is ''[[The Enchanted Duplicator]]'', but there have been many. Faan fiction stories are typically printed in [[fanzines]], but some have made it into the [[prozines]], and a few, such as [[Tony Boucher]]'s mystery [[Rocket to the Morgue]] and the [[Buck Coulson]] and [[Gene DeWeese]] novels ''[[Now You See It/Him/Them...]]'' and ''[[Charles Fort Never Mentioned Wombats]]'', have been published as books; there have been a number of [[fannish plays|stage plays]], and even some [[fannish film|films]]. [[Larry Tucker]]'s ''[[Faans (video)]]'' was a [[fannish film|video]].
 
The best known and most beloved of this genre is ''[[The Enchanted Duplicator]]'', but there have been many. Faan fiction stories are typically printed in [[fanzines]], but some have made it into the [[prozines]], and a few, such as [[Tony Boucher]]'s mystery [[Rocket to the Morgue]] and the [[Buck Coulson]] and [[Gene DeWeese]] novels ''[[Now You See It/Him/Them...]]'' and ''[[Charles Fort Never Mentioned Wombats]]'', have been published as books; there have been a number of [[fannish plays|stage plays]], and even some [[fannish film|films]]. [[Larry Tucker]]'s ''[[Faans (video)]]'' was a [[fannish film|video]].
  
While [[professionals]] may write faan fiction, and several have, the term applies only to fiction written by [[fans]] for fans, so it does not include abominations such as ''[[Zombies of the Gene Pool]]'' and other works by [[mundane]] writers, nor does it refer to random [[Tuckerizations]] of fans in [[professional]] fiction.
+
While [[professionals]] may write faan fiction, and several have, the term applies only to fiction written by fans ''for'' fans, so it does not include insulting abominations such as ''[[Zombies]] of the Gene Pool'' and other works by [[mainstream]] writers, nor does it refer to random [[Tuckerizations]] of fans in [[professional]] fiction.
  
 
Some wits describe [[convention reports]] this way, and certain [[Worldcons]]' financial reports may also qualify.
 
Some wits describe [[convention reports]] this way, and certain [[Worldcons]]' financial reports may also qualify.
  
=== Examples of Faan Fiction===
+
===Sercon faanfiction ===
* ''[[The Battle That Ended the Century]]'', probably by [[H. P. Lovecraft]]
+
''Sercon faanfiction'' is the term coined by [[Larry Stark]] in the mid-1950s to describe a form of fiction about [[fans]]) that was not primarily humorous in intent but rather a serious piece of fiction that used [[fans]] and [[fandom]] as its backdrop. [[Stark]] was one of the better earlier practitioners. [[Kent Moomaw]]'s "The Adversaries," and [[James White]]'s "The Exorcists of IF" are often cited as some of the better examples of this form of [[fan]] writing.
 +
 
 +
=== Examples of Faanfiction===
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* ''[[The Battle That Ended the Century]]'', probably by [[H. P. Lovecraft]] (Summer 1934)
 +
* “[[Report of the 196th Convention]]” by [[Hoy Ping Pong]] (November 1934)
 
* ''[[Rocket to the Morgue]]'' by [[Anthony Boucher]] (as H. H. Holmes, 1942)
 
* ''[[Rocket to the Morgue]]'' by [[Anthony Boucher]] (as H. H. Holmes, 1942)
 
* ''[[The Case of the Little Green Men]]'' by [[Mack Reynolds]] (1951)
 
* ''[[The Case of the Little Green Men]]'' by [[Mack Reynolds]] (1951)
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* "[[The Island of Dr. Gernsbach]]" by [[Arthur Hlavaty]] and [[Bernadette Bosky]]  (1987)
 
* "[[The Island of Dr. Gernsbach]]" by [[Arthur Hlavaty]] and [[Bernadette Bosky]]  (1987)
 
* ''[[Alternate Worldcons]]'' (1994) and ''[[Again, Alternate Worldcons]]'' (1996), edited by [[Mike Resnick]] were two anthologies full of faan fiction about [[Worldcons]]
 
* ''[[Alternate Worldcons]]'' (1994) and ''[[Again, Alternate Worldcons]]'' (1996), edited by [[Mike Resnick]] were two anthologies full of faan fiction about [[Worldcons]]
** "[[A Proud and Lonely Thing]]" by [[Leah A. Zeldes]] (1994)
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** "A Proud and Lonely Thing" by [[Leah A. Zeldes]] (1994)
** "[[The Man Who Corflued Mohammed]]" by [[Mike Glyer]] (1994)
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** "The Man Who Corflued Mohammed" by [[Mike Glyer]] (1994)
** "[[In the Beginning]]" by [[Anthony R. Lewis]] (1994)
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** "In the Beginning" by [[Anthony R. Lewis]] (1994)
** "[[Cold Service]]" by [[Bruce Pelz]] (1996)
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** "Cold Service" by [[Bruce Pelz]] (1996)
** "[[Yesterday's Stormy Fable]]" by [[Leah A. Zeldes]] (1996)  
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** "Yesterday's Stormy Fable" by [[Leah A. Zeldes]] (1996)  
  
Sources:
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{{fancy2|text=
* [[The Goon Library]]
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(1) Sometimes meaning''by'' [[fan]]s in the manner of [[pro]]s; that is, ordinary [[fantasy]] published in a [[fanzine]]. Properly, it means (2) fiction by fans ''about'' fans (or sometimes about [[pro]]s) having no necessary connection with [[stfantasy]]. "[[Convention reports]] are a nice example of this", [[Bob Pavlat]] points out. It may refer to real fans by name: "[[Redd Boggs]] [[silped]] his [[Nuclear Fizz]] in the [[insurgent]] manner..." or it may be about types, especially [[Joe Fann]]".  The background may be either [[fantastic]], as "Joe Fann into Space", or [[mundane]], as in "Murder at the Chicon" (tho this would be fantasy under [[Classification of Fantasy|Speer's scheme]], since it describes events we know didn't happen on out time line). Fiction elements may be interspersed in accounts of [[fan activities]], which may make them more interesting but is hell on truthseekers like your Thoukydides. A few special categories have been distinguished from time to time, like [[Ted Tubb]]'s "Trufan fiction" (fiction about fans in [[fandom]]), and [[Larry Stark]]'s [[Sercon Faanfiction]] for serious, and more or less [[mundane]], fiction featuring fans.
* [[Morgan Botts]]
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}}
* [[Solor]]
 
  
 
{{fancy1|text=
 
{{fancy1|text=
Sometimes improperly used to mean [[fan]] [[science fiction]], that is, ordinary [[fantasy]] published in a [[fan magazine]]. Properly, the term means fiction about [[fans]], or something about [[pros]], and occasionally bringing in some famous characters [[stf]] stories. It may refer to real [[fans]] by name ([[Tucker]] nudged [[Brackney]], who was nursing a "black eye"), or may be about types, especially [[Joe Fann]]. The background may be either fantastic, as [[Joe Fann]] into Space, or mundane as in Murder at the [[Chicon]]  (tho this piece is fantasy under [[Speer's decimal scheme]], describing events which we know didn't happen in our time-line). Fictitious elements are often interspersed in account of fan activities, which may make them more interesting, but plays hob with a truth-seeker like Thukydides. Round robins have been attempted in the fan fiction field.  
+
Sometimes improperly used to mean fan science fiction, that is, ordinary [[fantasy]] published in a [[fan magazine]]. Properly, the term means fiction about [[fans]], or something about [[pro]]s, and occasionally bringing in some famous characters [[stf]] stories. It may refer to real [[fans]] by name ([[Tucker]] nudged [[Brackney]], who was nursing a "black eye"), or may be about types, especially [[Joe Fann]]. The background may be either fantastic, as [[Joe Fann]] into Space, or [[mundane]] as in Murder at the [[Chicon]]  (tho this piece is [[fantasy]] under [[Classification of Fantasy|Speer's decimal scheme]], describing events which we know didn't happen in our time-line). Fictitious elements are often interspersed in account of fan activities, which may make them more interesting, but plays hob with a truth-seeker like Thukydides. [[Round Robin|Round Robins]] have been attempted in the fan fiction field.  
 
}}
 
}}
  
{{fancy2|text=
+
{{fancy1|text=
(1) Sometimes meaning''by'' fans in the manner of pros; that is, ordinary fantasy published in a [[fanzine]]. Properly, it means (2) fiction by fans ''about'' fans (or sometimes about pros) having no necessary connection with [[stfantasy]]. "Convention reports are a nice example of this", [[Bob Pavlat]] points out. It may refer to real fans by name: "[[Redd Boggs]] [[silped]] his [[Nuclear Fizz]] in the [[insurgent]] manner..." or it may be about types, especially [[Joe Fann]]". The background may be either fantastic, as "Joe Fann into Space", or [[mundane]], as in "[[Murder at the Chicon]]" (tho this would be fantasy under [[Speer's scheme]], since it describes events we know didn't happen on out time line). Fiction elements may be interspersed in accounts of fan activities, which may make them more interesting but is hell on truthseekers like your Thoukydides. A few special categories have been distinguished from time to time, like [[Ted Tubb]]'s "[[Trufan fiction]]" (fiction about fans in fandom), and [[Larry Stark]]'s [[Sercon Faanfiction]] for serious, and more or less mundane, fiction featuring fans.  
+
'''fan science fiction''' - With some exceptions, aside from fan fiction, [[fan]] [[s-f]] and [[fantasy]] have been similar but inferior to [[pro]]fessional stuff, and takes up a lot of space in [[fanzine]] where readers would sooner have non-fiction [[article]]s, columns, etc. This is particularly true of serials. Where other long stories are presented complete, in a magazine devoted only to them, hey are sometimes to worthwhile. There is a theory that stories can be printed in fanzines which [[pro]]s would reject for reasons of policy rather than merit. One interesting fan type which probably could not be published to the general public is the tale which is frankly a day-dream on paper, even tho usually third person. The classic horrible example of fan science fiction is the [[Bob and Koso]] series.
 
}}
 
}}
  
{{publishing}}
 
  
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{{fiction}}
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[[Category:fanspeak]]
 
[[Category:fancy1]]
 
[[Category:fancy1]]
 
[[Category:fancy2]]
 
[[Category:fancy2]]
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[[Category:publishing]]

Revision as of 12:31, 5 April 2022

Fanfic or fan fiction today most often refers to amateur fiction written by the enthusiasts of a TV series, usually, or sometimes a movie, a book, or comic book, which takes place in that universe, typically using the originators’ characters (see also Slash and Ship).

It's usually dreadful -- Sturgeon's Law applies here as much as elsewhere -- and dubiously legal in terms of copyright and trademark regulations. Some creators look the other way, a few are encouraging, but some do their best to quash it with the full might of the law.

This usage is relatively modern, dating from the 1970s. The previous usage was different in some important ways. Previously, two kinds of fiction were called "fan fiction":

  1. Amateur SF: Original SF or fantasy written and published non-professionally by fans. It was mostly terrible, but some pros got their start writing fiction for fanzines. Today, this practice has largely given over to “indie” publishing on Amazon.
  2. Faan fiction: Fiction (not necessarily sf or fantasy) written by fans about fans. This has come to be called Faan fiction.


Amateur SF[edit]

The very earliest fanzines frequently contained this sort of fan fiction because fandom's first couple of decades were heavily focused on sf and lots of fans were focused on writing sf and breaking into the pro world. (And many succeeded.)

However, amateur sf printed in fanzines -- usually put out by relative neofen -- was generally looked upon with disfavor because, with rare exceptions, if the piece were any good it would be sold and published professionally. Fans who wrote sf for fanzines rarely learned much besides how to write bad sf for fanzines. The epitome of this genre was The Eye of Argon, an epic piece of prose so awful that fen take turns reading it aloud at cons.

The vast majority of actifans who've "gone pro" have been those who contributed relatively little fiction and a lot of essays and articles to fanzines. (Roger Zelazny was a major exception to this rule, having contributed (as a teenager) a truly terrible sf story to Thurban, one of the worst crudzines of all time, and then going on to a brilliant pro career writing science fiction some time later.)

Now, of course, this stuff is all self-published as epubs or POD paperbacks and sometimes looks pretty professional. (See Chuck Tingle.)

Faan Fiction[edit]

Faan fiction (note the extra, fannish “a” in faan) tales are about fandom and not about sf. Faan fiction, as distinguished from fan fiction, refers to stories written by fans that use real or fictional fans in fannish situations as its subject matter. Ted Tubb called it “trufan fiction.” These yarns are most commonly science fiction or recursive science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, or parodies -- the genre doesn't matter.

The best known and most beloved of this genre is The Enchanted Duplicator, but there have been many. Faan fiction stories are typically printed in fanzines, but some have made it into the prozines, and a few, such as Tony Boucher's mystery Rocket to the Morgue and the Buck Coulson and Gene DeWeese novels Now You See It/Him/Them... and Charles Fort Never Mentioned Wombats, have been published as books; there have been a number of stage plays, and even some films. Larry Tucker's Faans was a video.

While professionals may write faan fiction, and several have, the term applies only to fiction written by fans for fans, so it does not include insulting abominations such as Zombies of the Gene Pool and other works by mainstream writers, nor does it refer to random Tuckerizations of fans in professional fiction.

Some wits describe convention reports this way, and certain Worldcons' financial reports may also qualify.

Sercon faanfiction[edit]

Sercon faanfiction is the term coined by Larry Stark in the mid-1950s to describe a form of fiction about fans) that was not primarily humorous in intent but rather a serious piece of fiction that used fans and fandom as its backdrop. Stark was one of the better earlier practitioners. Kent Moomaw's "The Adversaries," and James White's "The Exorcists of IF" are often cited as some of the better examples of this form of fan writing.

Examples of Faanfiction[edit]

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959
(1) Sometimes meaningby fans in the manner of pros; that is, ordinary fantasy published in a fanzine. Properly, it means (2) fiction by fans about fans (or sometimes about pros) having no necessary connection with stfantasy. "Convention reports are a nice example of this", Bob Pavlat points out. It may refer to real fans by name: "Redd Boggs silped his Nuclear Fizz in the insurgent manner..." or it may be about types, especially Joe Fann". The background may be either fantastic, as "Joe Fann into Space", or mundane, as in "Murder at the Chicon" (tho this would be fantasy under Speer's scheme, since it describes events we know didn't happen on out time line). Fiction elements may be interspersed in accounts of fan activities, which may make them more interesting but is hell on truthseekers like your Thoukydides. A few special categories have been distinguished from time to time, like Ted Tubb's "Trufan fiction" (fiction about fans in fandom), and Larry Stark's Sercon Faanfiction for serious, and more or less mundane, fiction featuring fans.
From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944
Sometimes improperly used to mean fan science fiction, that is, ordinary fantasy published in a fan magazine. Properly, the term means fiction about fans, or something about pros, and occasionally bringing in some famous characters stf stories. It may refer to real fans by name (Tucker nudged Brackney, who was nursing a "black eye"), or may be about types, especially Joe Fann. The background may be either fantastic, as Joe Fann into Space, or mundane as in Murder at the Chicon (tho this piece is fantasy under Speer's decimal scheme, describing events which we know didn't happen in our time-line). Fictitious elements are often interspersed in account of fan activities, which may make them more interesting, but plays hob with a truth-seeker like Thukydides. Round Robins have been attempted in the fan fiction field.
From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944
fan science fiction - With some exceptions, aside from fan fiction, fan s-f and fantasy have been similar but inferior to professional stuff, and takes up a lot of space in fanzine where readers would sooner have non-fiction articles, columns, etc. This is particularly true of serials. Where other long stories are presented complete, in a magazine devoted only to them, hey are sometimes to worthwhile. There is a theory that stories can be printed in fanzines which pros would reject for reasons of policy rather than merit. One interesting fan type which probably could not be published to the general public is the tale which is frankly a day-dream on paper, even tho usually third person. The classic horrible example of fan science fiction is the Bob and Koso series.



Fiction
This is a fiction page, describing fictional ideas and characters