Ahira's Hangar

Ok, I have actually thought a bit before posting this here, and I just decided to do it and let it fall where it might.

As some you might know I have read in the last year to year and a half more than a few fan fic stories. <Ok, quit giggling and smirking in the back.> <Cause it is not what you think! So just hear me out.> Reading fan fiction got me back into the habit of reading any fiction at all.

Talking generally about fan fiction. Before the internet how many people had ever read fanfics. Maybe a couple of thousand at the most. Cause in those years fan fiction was limited to the distribution of paper fanzines, and fanzines were just never widely distributed. Now through the internet, literally thousands and thousands are readers of fan fiction, and the potential audience stretches to millions.

And to give you all a little more insight, fan fiction is not only based on TV and movies. There is a whole groups of literary fan fiction, writers who write fan stories based on Anne McCaffrey's Pern worlds, Tolkien's Middle Earth, Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar, etc. Nor is all fanfic NC-17 material (smutty, excuse the phrase). Lots of fan fiction is in the same graphic (violence and sex) tone as the source material.

So fan fiction love it, hate it, do not care. It's bigger than it ever was before. <Ok, giggler in the back you can settle down cause I am done for now.> taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i></i>

I've got nothing against fan fiction per se, having written a fair amount of it actually! For my money, it seems a harmless use of creative energy and enthusiasm on the part of fans. At its best, it can help create communities, friendships, even provide training for budding authors.

Mind you, I think some authors have made their opinions very clear against fanfiction based on their work. The one who comes to mind is Anne Rice. Respecting such a request seems more than polite. On the other hand, shows like Farscape as well as Star Trek and Buffy seem pretty made for fanfic. As long as proper respect (and disclaimers) are offered, methinks its fine. "O let my name be in the Book of Love; if it be there I care
Not of the other great book above. Strike it out!
Or write it in anew. But let my name be in the Book of Love!"<i></i>

Personally, I don't like the vast majority of fan-fic I've ever laid eyes on... But don't let that stop you. I have no problems with it, and I don't think danlo would. What Zahir said is good advice, though; please make sure to head it with a disclaimer or two. ________________
I wanna feel the metamorphosis and cleansing I've endured within my shadow. Change is coming. Now is my time. Listen to my muscle memory. Contemplate what I've been clinging to. -Tool, "Forty-Six & Two" <i></i>

If we do write these we need 2 stick them in the appropriate thread in Bardo's Collections! I have a few TCTC short stories almost (say 4 months from now) ready 2 go. Including an expansion of the base plot of Hamako's eligitmate son's story--that I began of Kevin's Watch about 7+ months ago or so... *****
Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) <i></i>

This discussion did not go necessarily where I thought it would go when I first posted. But that's OK

Sylvanus wrote a day or ago
Quote:Personally, I don't like the vast majority of fan-fic I've ever laid eyes on... Well, YMMV

And Zahir, Ms. Rice is very well known in most areas for her strong and vigorous pursuit of fan writers, and that is her right. However, I have read recent quotes for JK Rowling, that are encouraging of fan writers (regardless, I know there is a site on the net that has been set upon by the Corporate powers and it hosted Potter fan fiction; however, my understanding of that is this site had its problems because said fics were of the NC-17 variety (kinda to very smutty), and there was not identification of the stories being potentially less than suitable for all readers. Information is AFAIK, I am not an expert on this matter, and any information I have is at best second hand). Furthermore, FWIW, Anne McCaffrey has a non-interest to active interest in fan authors, and Joss Whedon (creator of BtVS), said at the begining of Buffy that he expected fan stories to be written from the begining of the series.

And before, you begin to discount this entire discussion as a fairly unsubstantial fanboy rant. Well, there is professor at Portland State University, Antonia Levi, doing research on fan fiction, for a future book. She is conducting a survey, web.pdx.edu/~levia. Dr. Levi's past work has been on Japanese anime and manga.

Lastly, I within the last two weeks or so, attended a local convention of Dr. Who fans www.chicagotardis.com/, and discovered a whole universe of fan authors I did not know about before.

Ok, being quite now. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i>Edited by: taraswizard at: 12/16/03 12:40 pm
</i>

And who was the first fan author, Homer. Homer, took the already established mythological figures and beings and then put them in his own story regarding the bronze age war between the bronze age Myceanean Greek warriors and an established city state in Asia Minor. Hence the Iliad.

Well, maybe the term fan author is wrong, but he is the author of a derivative work. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i></i>