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Springer MRW: [AU:, IDX:] E Erotic Fan Fiction derivative work based on the original source, but created through a transformative process. Nicola Döring Within fan fiction, the genre of erotic fan fic- IfMK (Institut für Medien und tion is very popular. It entails all fan fiction with a Kommunikationswissenschaft), TU Ilmenau, focus on romantic, erotic, or sexual relationships Ilmenau, Germany (“ships”) as well as on adult, smut, or porno- graphic scenes. In erotic fan fiction several sub- genres are differentiated, depending on the types Synonyms of protagonists and pairings presented. Erotic stories with male/male pairings are called “origi- Adult fan fiction; Chanslash; Femslash; Het Fic- nal slash” or “slash ship” and stories with female/ tion; Original slash; Pornographic fan fiction; female pairings are “femslash” or “femslash Real person erotic fan fiction; Real person slash; ship.” The label “slash” refers to the tagging of Romantic fan fiction; Sexual fan fiction; Ship; the main protagonists with a slash (e.g., most Slash; Slash fiction; Slash ship; Smut fan fiction popular Star Trek slash pairing: “Kirk/Spock”; most popular Star Trek femslash pairing: “Janeway/Seven”). If adolescent protagonists are Definition involved, the story is referred to as “chanslash.” Erotic fan fiction with heterosexual pairings is not Fan fiction (fanfiction, fanfic, fic, ff) is an called “slash” but “het fiction” or “het ship.” The umbrella term for fictional texts of varying length technical terms and slang words for erotic fan and complexity created by fans of different types fiction are nuanced and keep changing. of original fictional work (e.g., novels, movies, TV series, comics, digital games) or of real per- sons, usually celebrities (e.g., musicians, actors, Introduction athletes, social media stars). Fan fiction uses char- acters, settings, and story lines from the original While some authors claim that fan fiction is as old artwork (canonical fictional universe, or “canon” as fiction itself and point to modified retellings of in short) or the celebrity’s real life and combines ancient myths and legends as precursors of them with a fictional alternative universe. For today’s fan fiction, others see fan fiction as a fairly example, protagonists who are mere friends, col- recent phenomenon rooted in mass communica- leagues, or even enemies in the canon can become tion and modern fandom (Derecho, 2006). Fan lovers in fan fiction. Hence, fan fiction is a fiction has become a noteworthy trend in popular © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 A. D. Lykins (ed.), Encyclopedia of Sexuality and Gender, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59531-3_65-1 2 Erotic Fan Fiction culture since the 1960s and 1970s and is the result Cultural Relevance of Erotic Fan Fiction of fan labor (Hellekson & Busse, 2006, 2014; Jenkins, 1992, 2006). Early erotic fan fiction was The popularity of fan fiction in general and of based on the US science fiction TV series Star erotic fan fiction in particular has grown in the Trek, which first aired in 1966. Mostly female fan age of the Internet with a plethora of new, easily fiction writers created stories of romantic and accessible e-zine, blogs, online forums, and web sexual involvement between Starfleet Captain platforms such as FanFiction.net, ArchiveO James T. Kirk and his Vulcan first officer Com- fYourOwn.org, Wattpad.com, and AsianFanFics. mander Spock. Those stories were tagged as com (Hellekson & Busse, 2006). The Internet “Kirk/Spock” or “K/S” within the fan communi- culture has also generated new inspiration for ties. They are referred to as the first examples of erotic fan fiction, namely stars from the global the “slash” subgenre of erotic fan fiction entertainment or sports industries who appear representing male/male pairings. While in the more approachable today through their social canonical Star Trek universe Kirk and Spock are media. Examples are members of Korean-pop mere comrades, in the fictional alternative uni- boy groups or of international soccer teams, who verse, created mostly by and for female fans, inspire adolescent girls worldwide to write about they become lovers. The most popular Star Trek having sex with or marrying them. Genuine social femslash pairing is Starfleet Captain Kathryn media celebrities (e.g., famous YouTubers) also Janeway and former Borg drone Seven of Nine attract sexual interest and inspire fan fiction (“Janeway/Seven”; Ng & Russo, 2017). Here writers to address them in their stories. again, the queer reading of the protagonists in However, despite the hype, erotic fan fiction femslash deviates from the canon. However, remains a nonmainstream phenomenon inasmuch both erotic fan fiction writers (“slashers”) and as readers usually need to know the respective readers often argue that the original work already original work or the celebrity to fully understand contains the “homoerotic undercurrents,”“homo- and enjoy it. Unfortunately, it is not possible to sexual subtext,” and “sexual chemistry” between exactly quantify the prevalence of erotic fan fic- the protagonists on which queer slash fiction is tion reading and writing in the broader population. built (e.g., Dhaenens, van Bauwel, & Biltereyst, The most popular fan fiction platforms on the 2008). Early fan fiction was circulated in fan Internet contain millions of works (e.g., fanfics. communities through letters and printed fan mag- com: 6.4 million; archiveofyourown.org: 2.1 mil- azines (so-called “fanzines” or “zines”), and dur- lion), have millions of registered authors (e.g., ing meet-ups and conventions. fanfics.com: 1.5 million; archiveofyourown: 0.8 While modern fan fiction emerged in the West- million), and show the users’ preference for ern world during the 1960s, a similar trend was romance- and sex-related fan fiction seen in Japan during the 1970s. Fans of existing (Anisimowicz & O’Sullivan, 2016; Yin, Aragon, manga, anime, and later video games created their Evans, & Davis, 2017). One of the very rare own novels and manga as modifications of the surveys on the matter provides data from a sample original sources and disseminated them within of N ¼ 823 adult Internet users (18–66 years; 57% circles of fans. Many such amateur productions male, 42% female, 1% gender diverse) from the were created by females for females on erotic USA recruited via Amazon Turk (Anisimowicz & topics. Again, female fans have created queer O’Sullivan, 2016): About 15% of all respondents stories and manga about love and sex between reported using erotic fan fiction, while 1.5% of the male characters (the so-called “Boys’ Love”, surveyed men and 3.2% of the women reported “BL”,or“Yaoi”) (McHarry, 2011; Mizoguchi, creating erotic fan fiction. 2003) as well as between female characters Only recently, erotic fan fiction gained main- (“Yuri”; Ng & Russo, 2017). stream notoriety independently of the original work on which it was based. The erotic romance trilogy Fifty Shades of Grey, along with Erotic Fan Fiction 3 companion novels and film adaptations, became a produced by and for women, LGBTIQ+, and worldwide sensation and success after the release young people. It often covers non-heterosexual of the first book in 2011. The British author Erika pairings (e.g., “Kirk/Spock,”“Janeway/Seven”), Leonard (pen name E.L. James) created Fifty unconventional sexual lifestyles (e.g., BDSM), a Shades of Grey from erotic fan fiction she had “female gaze” on male protagonists (e.g., focus on written in response to the vampire novel series the men’s physical attractiveness), and a range of Twilight. The huge global audience of Fifty women’s sexual fantasies (e.g., the trope of the Shades of Grey is mostly unaware of the vampire hot billionaire or the hot Italian mafia boss). There- content of the Twilight universe and yet (or better, fore, erotic fan fiction differs from traditional, in consequence) relates to the story and its main male-centered, cisgender, and heteronormative characters. In Fifty Shades of Grey the very attrac- mainstream media. Erotic fan fiction’sliterary tive young billionaire Christian Grey – dealing quality, feminist value, and emancipatory merit with a tragic past and sadomasochistic preferences regarding traditional sexual norms and gender – and the sexually inexperienced university stu- roles are, however, controversially discussed in dent Anastasia Steel are building a BDSM rela- both the broader public and in academia. tionship that ultimately leads to marriage and starting a family. Based on Fifty Shades of Grey, new erotic fan Research Questions and Methods fiction is being created. Among such new fan fiction stories is the erotic romance trilogy 365 Academic research on erotic fan fiction is Days by Polish author Blanka Lipińska. The film conducted within and between different disci- adaptation premiered on the video streaming plat- plines, such as gender studies, queer studies, fan form Netflix in June 2020 and was a great success studies, sexology, psychology, sociology, litera- in many countries. The story of 365 Days involves ture, communication science, media studies, Inter- Laura Biel, a businesswoman from Poland, who is net research, philosophy, and law. Fan fiction in kidnapped in Italy by Don Massimo Torricelli, an general and erotic fan fiction in particular concern extremely rich and highly attractive young mafia ethical and legal issues as it can be deemed to boss who aims to win her love while holding her infringe the copyright of the original work and captive for a year. Laura swiftly falls in love with its holders and/or violate personal rights in the her kidnapper and starts to prepare for their wed- case of real person erotic fan fiction, depending ding. The absurd and clichéd fictional story reso- on national legislation. nates with sexual fantasies of dominance and Different disciplines approach erotic fan fiction submission that are statistically common among with distinct theories and diverse methods of data women (Critelli & Bivona, 2008). These fictional collection. Typical methods are interviews, focus fantasies express the desire for lustful ravishment, group discussions, and surveys with writers and but by no means an acceptance of real violence.
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