Author Topic: Good article about fanfiction from Time Magazine  (Read 14302 times)

Offline Meryl

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Good article about fanfiction from Time Magazine
« on: July 08, 2011, 01:14:49 pm »
There's a very good article in the current Time Magazine about fanfiction.  For once, it's not condescending, just the facts, ma'am.  :)

The Boy Who Lived Forever by Lev Grossman

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2081784-1,00.html

Right now fan fiction is still the cultural equivalent of dark matter: it's largely invisible to the mainstream, but at the same time, it's unbelievably massive...
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Offline Monika

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Re: Good article about fanfiction from Time Magazine
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2011, 01:22:35 pm »
There's a very good article in the current Time Magazine about fanfiction.  For once, it's not condescending, just the facts, ma'am.  :)

The Boy Who Lived Forever by Lev Grossman

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2081784-1,00.html

Right now fan fiction is still the cultural equivalent of dark matter: it's largely invisible to the mainstream, but at the same time, it's unbelievably massive...

yes, I agree - a good article. And it sure is very "invisible". I wrote an article on fan fiction during my studies in journalism and there wasn´t a single one of my class mates who knew what fan fiction was (and this was a very informed crowd). I just love everything about fan fiction - the non-commercial aspects of it and that creativity just seems to ooze out from so many people

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Good article about fanfiction from Time Magazine
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2011, 02:51:09 pm »
That was very interesting to read. Thanks for finding it, Meryl!

Imagine that. Who'da ever thunk that fan fiction actually began with The Man from U.N.C.L.E.?  ;D

And doncha just love that comment that some fan fiction is better than the original?  ;D

Seriously, I found the discussion of "ownership" to be very thoughtful.  :)
« Last Edit: July 08, 2011, 06:37:35 pm by Jeff Wrangler »
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Offline Meryl

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Re: Good article about fanfiction from Time Magazine
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2011, 03:47:25 pm »
yes, I agree - a good article. And it sure is very "invisible". I wrote an article on fan fiction during my studies in journalism and there wasn´t a single one of my class mates who knew what fan fiction was (and this was a very informed crowd). I just love everything about fan fiction - the non-commercial aspects of it and that creativity just seems to ooze out from so many people.

It's kind of amazing how invisible fanfiction is.  Unless you're in a fandom and know where to look, it just doesn't come up.
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Offline Meryl

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Re: Good article about fanfiction from Time Magazine
« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2011, 03:51:23 pm »
Imagine that. Who'da ever thunk that fan fiction actually began with The Man from U.N.C.L.E.?  ;D

Or with the Aeneid?  ;D

Quote
And doncha just love that comment that some fan fiction is better than the original?  ;D

It's true in many cases, I think.  For instance, I don't think Stephenie Meyer (Twilight) or even J. K. Rowling are known because of their immortal prose.  ;)

Quote
Seriously, I found the discussion of "ownership" to be very thoughtful.  :)

Yes, it's nice to know some of the legal specifics and some of the judicial thinking on it.
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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Good article about fanfiction from Time Magazine
« Reply #5 on: July 08, 2011, 06:36:40 pm »
Yes, it's nice to know some of the legal specifics and some of the judicial thinking on it.

Reminded me of our own Louise getting her "cease and desist" order.  :(
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Good article about fanfiction from Time Magazine
« Reply #6 on: July 08, 2011, 06:42:53 pm »
Or with the Aeneid?  ;D

I should perhaps go back and reread that section of the article, but. ...

I was under the impression that characters such as Achilles and Patroclus and Hector and Aeneas "existed" before the Iliad, and stories were told about them, so that you might be able to make the case that the Iliad itself was a type of fan fiction, but I could be wrong about that.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Good article about fanfiction from Time Magazine
« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2011, 09:27:23 pm »
It was a good article and I enjoyed it. It made me think of our "heady" days in fanfictiondom here at Bettermost.

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Offline delalluvia

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Re: Good article about fanfiction from Time Magazine
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2011, 11:40:56 pm »
Or scary days of fan fiction here.  ;)

Excellent article.  Even the writer of the article was scared to mention any movies/TV shows except for those that have already given their blessing to fanfic.

I find it ridiculous that the authors who do not abide fanfic don't like it because they feel it's 'intrusive' or its 'taking their kids away'.  These authors PUT THEIR STORIES OUT ON THE MARKET FOR SALE and now they whine about other people taking their characters and running with them for their own private enjoyment?  They need to watch their irony meters.

And then there're the ones who say 'invent your own characters'.  Oh, really?  I bet I could pluck plotlines from THEIR books which were done earlier and better as well from earlier authors.  How about they follow their own advice?  The article pretty much chides them by coming out and actually saying that.

And lastly, I loved how there are fanfics about the bible.  Wouldn't it be a kick in the head if that's what some of the early books that were considered or even put in the bible are?  And someday, thousands of years from now, someone will find one of these fanfics and decide it's a 'lost book' of the bible?  :laugh: :laugh:

Offline Meryl

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Re: Good article about fanfiction from Time Magazine
« Reply #9 on: July 09, 2011, 12:32:26 am »
Or scary days of fan fiction here.  ;)

And lastly, I loved how there are fanfics about the bible.  Wouldn't it be a kick in the head if that's what some of the early books that were considered or even put in the bible are?  And someday, thousands of years from now, someone will find one of these fanfics and decide it's a 'lost book' of the bible?  :laugh: :laugh:

Scary indeed, and all too possible.  :-\
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