Fan Fiction and Contradiction article
May. 9th, 2006 11:31 amFan 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.
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.