Fan Fiction and Contradiction article

[flonnebonne]

Fan Fiction and Contradiction, part 1 of an article about that crazy phenomenon known as "fan fiction" (yeeha). Thankfully, not a gushy article and doesn't mention Harry Potter at all. What was interesting to me was that it described the opinions and experiences of published authors toward fanfiction. Some quotes:

Marion Zimmer Bradley:
"Marion [Zimmer Bradley] was working on a Darkover novel, and at the same time reading and editing fan fiction for her Darkover 'zine. She found a story that was very similar in theme to what she was doing in her novel under work, and a character she really liked. So she contacted the author of that bit and asked if she could use the material and the character, and would give the author a tip-of-the-hat mention in the dedication. The author replied that Marion would have to split royalties, put the other author's name on the book, and if she used any of the material or similar (like the stuff Marion was already writing) the author would sue."

Raymond Feist (Magician):
"Everyone is entitled to find their joy where they may, but not with my intellectual property."

Lois McMaster Bujold (Shards of Honor):
Bujold enjoys fan fiction because, "One can see in sharp relief just what a difference the writer (and their style) makes, like little story-petrie-dishes . . . . One can see inside readers' heads, that otherwise inaccessible stage where all this art takes place. The sense of strolling through a hall of mirrors is profound. As a writer myself, I find much food for thought about my craft in this."

Jane Fancher (Groundties):
"This last summer, I discovered an anime that really hit me where I lived. The thing is, I could only get the first two DVDs from Netflix, and that left me at a terrible cliffhanger. For the first time in my life I was inspired to write in someone else's universe, and for the first time I understood fanfic on a gut level."


I think what I like about this article is that the interviewed authors are geeks. They get us. At the same time, they are wary. It's refreshing to see that authors have varying opinions on the subject. If they don't allow fanfiction to be written about their work, it might not just be just for Anne Rice-type reasons.

Comments

[harumi.livejournal.com]

That was an awesome article, and I can start to understand some authors' reluctance...there are some REALLY crazy batshit fans out there. O_o;;;

On the other hand, it's kind of sad that some people are afraid that just because we read fanfiction, that the author's themselves will be out of a job. I'll read fanfiction, but in the end I always follow the original. And these authors should seriously look to Japan and how they handle their fanbase.

But now, thanks to that article, I'm an even bigger fan of Mercedes Lackey than I was before. *___* I've always known that she was awesome, because she publishes fanfics of her works, and now I have more reason to love her. XD

[flonnebonne]

Glad the article was interesting to ya. :)

I actually agree with the authors' fears that people will read fewer published books because of fanfiction...if only because I'm just like that. I'm both physically and intellectually lazy, so it takes a lot of effort for me to go to the library/bookstore and start a new book. So I read fanfic instead. Yes, I'm a terrible person.

I'll admit I've never read Mercedes Lackey or any of the authors mentioned in that article. O_o Could you recommend one of her books to start out on? I'm trying to be a bit less lazy with my reading habits this summer.

[harumi.livejournal.com]

Depends on what kind of genre you like. If you like alternate history, I recommend The Sceptered Isle. Not exactly an "alternate" history, but it basically weaves the Sidhe (elves) into the already existing history of events in England just prior to Queen Elizabeth, all the while keeping to true to the timeline, and even adding explanations for mysterious happenings recorded in that history.

A true alternate history would be one based in Venice, where magic is actually real. Shadow of the Lion.

Of course, if you want to start at her earliest works, I recommend starting off with her first book Arrows of the Queen. It's the Valdemar series, her most famous series yet. However, the first series I ever read of her was Magic's Promise. It's the first fantasy novel directly addressing homosexuals I believe. The main character, Vanyel, is gay.

She's also written a dragon series with the setting based on ancient Egypt. Joust is the name of the first book in the series.

I've read each and every one of them, and I love then all.

I also recommend Raymond E. Feist too. His Midkemia world was to me, rather boring, because I prefered his "The Other Side of the Riftwar", also in the Midkemia timeline, but about the other side. First book in the series is Daughter of the Empire.

Oh, and remember what I said about never writing drabbles? -_-;;; Never say never...I just did one. So much for that.

[flonnebonne]

Thanks for the recs. :) I think I'll probably try out Arrows of the Queen or Magic's Promise first, whichever's available at the local library. I'll check out Raymond Feist's work too at a later date.

Hurrah for popping your drabble cherry! And a mighty fine drabble it was too. Ha ha, so much for "never," huh? It sure is tempting to write short pieces.

[shinra-lackey.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure what to say in response to the article you linked. I don't really have an opinion that i want to promote about fanfiction and published authors, because I know that it's all up to the individual author and their take on fanfic. However, I did really enjoy all the different views and experiences that each author gave. It was really fascinating to hear about what they've learned from fandom.

Oh, and I wanted to point out that issen4 posted her Touya/Ochi drabble here: http://issen4.livejournal.com/139134.html?thread=811390#t811390 and that I added a little comment fic to it.

Since you're such an Ochi lover, I'd thought it would amuse you. *hides*

[flonnebonne]

Yeah, it was neat that the authors had so many different views, wasn't it? I don't have a firm stance either (though I lean towards letting fanfiction authors do their thing, for obvious selfish reasons). I can totally understand the authors' anxieties though. Fanfiction about anime is one thing, but when it comes to novels it's a lot iffier.

[flonnebonne]

Wah! I forgot to reply to your comment about the Touya/Ochi drabble. Just wanted to say I saw it, and you guys have stolen the Ochi-perving crown from me. :)

[shinra-lackey.livejournal.com]

I guess you could say that, because while you're the one who implied that Ochi got a little frisky with himself, [Unknown site tag] and I actually made him have sex.

Ewwww. I can't believe I actually said that.

[shinra-lackey.livejournal.com]

Ack, I meant to write issen4.