Fangasm: Supernatural Fangirls

by Katherine Larsen, Lynn S. Zubernis

Once upon a time not long ago, two responsible college professors, Lynn the psychologist and Kathy the literary scholar, fell in love with the television show Supernatural and turned their oh-so-practical lives upside down. Plunging headlong into the hidden realms of fandom, they scoured the Internet for pictures of stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki and secretly penned racy fan fiction. And then they hit the road—crisscrossing the country, racking up frequent flyer miles with alarming ease, standing in convention lines at 4 A.M.


They had white-knuckled encounters with overly zealous security guards one year and smiling invitations to the Supernatural set the next. Actors stripping in their trailers, fangirls sneaking onto film sets; drunken confessions, squeals of joy, tears of despair; wallets emptied and responsibilities left behind; intrigue and ecstasy and crushing disappointment—it’s all here.


And yet even as they reveled in their fandom, the authors were asking themselves whether it’s okay to be a fan, especially for grown women with careers and kids. “Crazystalkerchicks”—that’s what they heard from Supernatural crew members, security guards, airport immigration officials, even sometimes their fellow fans. But what Kathy and Lynn found was that most fans were very much like themselves: smart, capable women looking for something of their own that engages their brains and their libidos.



Fangasm pulls back the curtain on the secret worlds of fans and famous alike, revealing Supernatural behind the scenes and discovering just how much the cast and crew know about what the fans are up to. Anyone who’s been tempted to throw off the constraints of respectability and indulge a secret passion—or hit the road with a best friend—will want to come along.

Genres: Nonfiction, Supernatural, Fandom, Tv, Pop Culture, New Adult, Memoir

246 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Trudi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The First Rule of Fandom: tell no one about fandom

Well, authors Larsen and Zubernis just blew that rule right out of the water, using the CW Network show Supernatural to drag Fandom (with a capital 'F') out of the dark, secret corners of the internet into the blinding sun of mainstream Judy Judgmental awareness. I appreciate their heartfelt efforts here to get to the bottom (heh, bottom) of the 'whys' and 'wherefores' of Fandom -- why people do it, who is doing it, and what exactly are they doing when they do it?

This isn't something that started with Supernatural's legions of fangirls -- goodness no. The clannish tribalism and subversive subculture of fanning has been around for a looong time (just ask the Kirk/Spock shippers), but Supernatural does present the perfect opportunity for two brave women to grab the tail of the beast once and for all and showcase the glorious wonders of Fandom -- the good, bad and yes, even ugly, realities (because there is definitely more than one, reality that is).

If it weren't for Supernatural, I probably would have lived the rest of my life utterly clueless that such a thing as Fandom existed. Because really, it takes an extra special push and shove to bring you into its realm. Not just any ole thing is going to open the Fandom door. You grow up, you love bands, you cheer for a sports team, you get movie star crushes, you won't miss an episode of your favorite TV show. That's all great. We all beat our chest when we love something. And that's getting close. But that's not Fandom.

Fandom is a whole other thing unto itself -- an addiction, a compulsion, a consuming force whereby the more you see of it, the more you love it, and the more you love it, the more of it you seek out, willing to look in places that had never once occurred to you before. When you get there, you find out you're not alone, and that brings its own comfort and validation, yet another heady combo to keep you coming back for more. Because really, the very essence of Fandom is community. This isn't something you do by yourself. It's about plugging in, and all the technicolor surround-sound that comes with it - the fanart, the fanfiction, the fanvids - the humor, the drama, the angst, oh so many feels.

So why the big secret? Why the rule of keeping your mouth shut and not talking about it? As the authors very quickly find out, it's the stigma and the embarrassment and sometimes even the shame for starters. The stereotypes are ruthless and unforgiving of the socially retarded Trekkie living in his mom's basement, or the squeeing fangirl -- intellectually challenged, perhaps mentally unbalanced, and overall just sad. Doesn't he/she have anything better to do?

So there's that for starters. One of the things the authors hoped to do with their book is to blow up that stereotype once and for all. To demystify and decloak the average fangirl/fanboy as the person sitting next to you on the bus, the person you work with, maybe even your own sister-in-law. It turns out Supernatural fangirls are moms and lawyers, doctors and librarians, and in the case of the authors themselves, college professors. Regular women with careers and families and responsibilities like everyone else.

But you'll probably never know it. Anonymity is par for the course in Fandom. No one uses their real name and most of the Fandom's reach and activity exists under the radar of 'Real Life'. Rarely do the two intersect and acknowledge each other probably because a lot of what's going on in Fandom is women stretching and redefining their libidos and what they find sexy. Shocking, I know.

The unchecked, full-on female exploration of just about every kink you can think of (and some you can't) is in a very tangible way a sexual revolution. Even the acknowledgement that women can and do objectify men is an impulse that sill leaves many women feeling guilty, that we should somehow rise above such baser instincts and needs. Pfft. Get over it already. It's okay. The world is not going to spin off its axis if you check out some guy's ass (especially if it belongs to Jensen Ackles).

Go on, take a look, I'm not going to judge you for it.




A delightful surprise upon reading this was discovering how aware most of the Supernatural crew is concerning all the internet shenanigans going on around them and how much of a sense of humor they have about it, even how much some of them relate to and understand the compulsion. Jim Beaver (Bobby Singer) offered up a lot of insight in his interview responses that spoke volumes of his sensitivity, curiosity and respect. Even Jensen Ackles -- the super-straight, seemingly good ol' boy from Texas -- concedes that the controversial slash pairing of himself with his co-star Jared Padalecki (otherwise known as J2) is "a hot fantasy". Series creator Eric Kripke has certainly milked Fandom for inside jokes and meta-material, even including references on the show to Wincest.

Despite its best intentions the book does tend to blather and meander in places, and gets a bit repetitive at times, but this in no way detracted from my overall enjoyment and deep appreciation. Did I find myself in some of these pages? Absolutely. Was I living vicariously through the authors many bumbling, costly adventures as they exhausted their bank accounts in order to be front and center at the big conferences? You bet. Did I cheer when they finally breached the inner sanctum and scored one-on-one interviews with co-stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles? Hells yeah. Was I green with envy? Sick with it.

This is a sweet, funny story with a triumphant happy ending despite many trials and doubts. Who doesn't love one of those every now and then? For the curious and uninitiated, it's also a small peek into Fandom life. A small peek. If you really want to know, you're just going to have to go look where it lives. Be careful though, you just might like what you find.

A free copy was provided through Netgalley for an honest review

[Magdalena · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, I will just say that I love Supernatural. It’s a great show and if I could I would love to visit Comic Con, but…I think there is a limit to how far one takes one's obsession with a show/movie/singer/group/whatever…it’s one thing to like something, but to let it take over one’s life totally? It’s not that I don’t enjoy fandom’s, but I just don’t have the need to ruin my economy, drive away my friends or family for it.

The ladies in this book, middle age women, suddenly start to obsess over Supernatural although it seems mostly Jensen Ackles, they fly to see him in play, watch everything he is in from movies to tv shows. Nothing wrong with that, I have favorite actors also. But it bothered me reading how for example Lynn hid the fact from her family that she ordered passes to a convention. Like what she did was something shameful. And here we have the BIG problem with the book. Everything they did was so shameful, liking Supernatural and writing fanfiction. It’s shameful to like something; it’s shameful to write slash fanfiction. It’s shame, shame, shame. And I tried to remember if I have ever been ashamed for liking something (Hell I liked David Hasselhoff in Baywatch when I was a teenager and not even that makes me ashamed nowadays).

This book felt like an excuse to be able to get up and close with Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, a middle life crisis now that the children are almost grown up.

"As we pondered and plotted and looked for opportunities to get up close and personal with actors, our road trip through fandom continued"

But there are moments I feel for them because in a part they manage to find a life outside being a wife, mother, and professor. That part of the book I liked, but I ultimately I think they failed in their mission to show the good side of the fandom, it felt more like they showed the worst part, the over enthusiastic fans, the fanatic fans that sleep in hallways to have breakfast with actors.

There isn’t any shame in liking Supernatural. And if you like writing fanfiction, slash or not slash go for it. It’s your life.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to divide this up between by personal feelings on fandom and conventions and my feelings about the actual book so the waters didn't get muddied. There's some overlap of course, but I felt this was the most fair way to go about it.

THE BOOK:

I have mixed feelings about this book and its topic. I read 67% percent in one sitting and then had to force myself to get back to it. Something about it all felt...dirty? I guess dirty fits. This is why I had to separate this out. It was my feelings around hardcore fandom itself that led to this feeling for the most part, though I did take some issue with the tactics the authors took.

The ups and downs, the positives and the negatives of being a fangirl in a hardcore fandom are covered in Fangasm. From the unspoken rules of fandom to the fandom turning their collective back on fans that don’t "do" fandom right, the pages cover less of the psychological side and reasoning behind obsessive fandoms and more of the personal journey of the two writers. For the academic review of the authors’ antics, check out Fandom at the Crossroads: Celebration, Shame and Fan/Producer Relationships by the same authors.
Fangasm is the story of two middle aged college professors – one university professor with a PhD in eighteenth century literature and one psychologist and researcher with a PhD in clinical psychology - that find themselves becoming certified fangirls over Supernatural and try to document their journey “inside” the fandom while attempting to discover what lies behind and beneath the crazy culture of fandom. They write fanfiction. You should know this. You will know. If you forget, they’ll tell you about 9,000 times.

Here's where I'm torn: I was never really sure if the authors were trying to justify their fangirl ways -to the readers and themselves- or if they used their professional researcher status as a way to gain access to the cast, crew and creatives under the guise of writing this book. Those PhDs they mention several times? They seem to think that sets them apart from other people or somehow makes their fangirl ways sound less crazy and more like research. It doesn’t really work.

Kathy saw “fangirls,” subscribing to all the negative stereotypes (nerdy, socially awkward, and no doubt living with at least half a dozen cats) and south to distance herself from them. “That’s not me!” she told herself, conveniently ignoring the fact that we had flown one thousand miles to ogle One Good Man.

That pretty much sums it up. They want to do this piece about fangirls “from the inside” while consistently acting like 99.9% fangirl and .01% professionals. They wanted to highlight the positive, sane side of fandom and why it's ok to be a fangirl. The beginning did this well, including letters and postings from different fans who had their lives altered for the better because of this show, it's fandom and the community it has created. The rest of the book then felt like it focused on the negative or darker sides or their “OMG WE GET TO TALK TO I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY’RE FALLING FOR THIS!” antics.

Through long stories, some told multiple times, it never adequately answers the question they set out to answer - is it okay to be a hardcore fan? Is it ok to take time away from your “real life” responsibilities to fangirl over a TV show?

They spoke frequently about how it’s not accepted in today’s society that women do anything for themselves or that it’s frowned upon that women doing something to have fun, something just for themselves. I really don’t agree with this mindset and frankly they didn’t pay it proper attention to convince me otherwise. These woman went to multiple conventions a year and wondered why their families said “uh hi, remember us?” They spent thousands and thousands of dollars on flights, hotel rooms, tickets for cons, photo ops, autograph signings, and on and on and on. And for what? Oh that’s right, they called it “research” while using the next sentence to basically say “we wanted time away from our families.” They touch upon the guilt this caused them but never really dug into it.

We follow these trips from their first Comic Con up to their interviews with the stars of the show on set. Ultimately, I couldn't shake the feeling that these women took on the task of writing about the show and its fandom because there was a chance it would give them access to things, places and people a "normal" fan wouldn't have, and less because they wanted an honest look at fandom as a whole.

There are interesting bits about fandom and some fun peaks behind the curtain once they wriggle their way into on-set visits. But the real story is essentially two women using their degrees and credentials to gain access to the show under what feels like false pretenses. Their entire goal was to get face time with stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles under the guise that they wanted to hear their thoughts on fandom. Instead it felt like they were using their book as an excuse to try to get close to the boys. They admit this much themselves about two dozen times.

No matter how legitimate we tried to tell ourselves (and anyone who would listen) our fan studies research was, nobody (including us) was really buying it.

Despite supposed good intentions, the stories meander in places, get repetitive and detract from the experience for the reader. Fangasm reads like the leftover notes that were too personal to make the cut in the academic book they also published. I wanted something more than what this turned out to be. I wanted a true story of the fan’s perspective and not a copy of someone’s journal full of notes they jotted down in hopes of remembering the details of their own experience.

And the obsession with slash fic? WE GET IT. I'm not sure how many more people involved with the show needed to shrug their shoulders and say "We know it's there. It exists. That's the extent of it." before they stop asking every single person.

Enough. The only people who are that concerned about slash fic seem to be the ones writing, reading, or (flipping sides) protesting it. No one else cares about it. Move on. Write your fic. Don't write it. Read it. Don't read it. Just stop asking the cast and crew about it already.

We were still myopically viewing fandom through the prism of fanfiction reads and writers, since that was the fandom niche we happened to live in ourselves.

And therein lies the problem. While there is no doubt that the Supernatural fandom produces an insane amount of fanfiction, not all fans write, read, or even care about fanfiction. The authors, despite the text above, don’t seem to realize this and continue to make it the main focus of their interviews and well over half of this book.

It had been deeply, vitally important to use to show fandom as the healthy positive thing that it could be. We wanted our book to do something that had never been done before – to celebrate the subversive idea that women were entitled to do things just for fun, that women longs for a community of other women where they could be real, that women were every bit as interested in lusting after hot guys on TV as men were ogling an endless array of hot girls on film.

This may have been their unofficial mission statement but they missed the mark.

I enjoyed the first 15% a lot of the book and found that I, as an “outsider” of fandom (see more below) identified with some of it. Then the crazy was uncovered.

If you’re not a fan of Supernatural, I don’t think that will deter you from enjoying the book but you will definitively like it more if you are a fan.

FANDOM:

I have issues with the word fangirl as a noun. I hate the word fandom (even more so now after reading this book). I hate the words LARPing and cosplay and cons. It all sounds so...so...

I don't know. Childish? Obsessive? Negative?

There are many levels to fandom and I've always considered myself to be on the far outskirts of it. I don't use tumblr (it confuses me), I don't write fanfiction, I don't attend fan conventions or spend hours and hours each week online staying up to date on whatever bits of news leaked that day about the show or its stars. I don't have folders full of pictures and gifs on my laptop. I don't continuously hit refresh on searches for hashtags to experience a con "live" through attendants updates. I don’t spend hours every day updating a blog or a microblog or anything else with every scrap of info or gossip. I don’t treat being a fan of this show like it’s a job.

That’s not me. I suppose it’s fine for other folks but it’s not my story.

I hang out near the edge of fandom without investing thousands of dollars or years of my life being a true fangirl. Try as I might, I get a little weirded out by the hardcore superfangirls. The ones who aren’t capable of having a conversation about much else other than their fandom. The ones that need it like they need oxygen.

I watch. I'll rewatch. I'll tweet reactions (non-spoilers, because I'm nice like that) when a new episode is airing. Maybe a few comments if I'm rewatching past seasons on DVD. I follow a board or two on Pinterest. That's about it. Compared to some parts of the fandom, that's next to nothing. I own all the seasons on dvd and tweet about it occasional. The fandom would hardly consider me as a participant much less a full blown fangirl. I’m more than ok with that.

I thought I was pretty tapped in to the goings-on of fandom despite being an "outsider" but, as it turns out, there was a lot I didn't know or had even heard of. Crack fic, whumped, BNFs? What?

It’s all a bit much. I’ve seen girls bitch at people who run blogs (for the ten minutes I was on tumblr before deciding it wasn’t for me) because they didn’t post screencaps fast enough after an episode aired. Really? This person is doing this FOR FREE and someone is going to harass them because this free service wasn’t done immediately? I don’t get that.

There’s a large section of Supernatural fandom that has created a fictional relationship between two heterosexual male characters and continues to get more and more angry when this relationship doesn’t become canon on the show itself. What? You’re getting angry over something you created in your head?” Really?

 

Conventions:
The idea of conventions is a weird thing for me. On the one hand, it's a great way (and probably the only way) for superfans to be in the same room as the stars of whatever show or movie they love. Past and present guest stars along with the central cast all in one place for a few nights of silliness. I get the appeal of that part of it.

On the other hand, it's this major money-making Mecca that charges insane fees because they know fans will pay for it. There's no blame on the part of the stars here but on the organizers of these cons, in the case of this book, Creation Entertainment. The whole thing is set up so you, the fan, hand over cash upon cash upon cash upon cash for 2.5 seconds in interaction, a pic, an autograph, or a seat in a conference room. We're not talking a little bit of money here. Photo ops go for hundreds of dollars at FACE VALUE. I understand that all the guests that appear are paid to be there and Creation must cover their costs while making a profit. But there's no need to screw people out of money just because you can either. I take huge issue with people overcharging folks out of their hard earned cash just because they can.

The Gold Package - $699. Want front row? That ticket jumps to $839. That doesn’t include any photo ops. $699 to sit in a conference room. Want a pic? Add another $260 for pics with Jared and Jensen. Misha Collins? $80. Didn’t get the gold package that includes autographs? Open your wallet up because you’ll need more money. Then add in the cost of travel, hotel, and food and well…you see where this is going.

But they have to pay the guests to be there, rent the room, etc! I know. I get that. Jus in Bello (held in Rome) pays them too and their top of the line package is cheaper than the cheapest Creation package. Same for Asylum held in London each year. So to pretend that there isn’t a ton of price gouging going on by Creation seems like a lie. But why would they stop? Fans will continue to fork over tons of money each year, some at multiple cons per year, no matter what they do because they want to see pretty boys up close. That’s the bottom line. If fans have a bad experience or feel it wasn’t worth the money they paid? So what? They sell these events out every single time so there will always be another woman ready to hand over her credit card to attend.

There was a dust up on twitter between members of the writing staff and the Creation Entertainment powers that be a few months back when some fans said "hey! Let's have a Writer's Panel at cons!" This, if true, is another big reason I'd give major pause to going to a con.

Adam Glass, executive producer and writer of some of my personal favorite episodes including 9.07 Bad Boys (which he later described as his love letter to Dean Winchester), wanted to set the record straight.



Finally, Creation said "hey,great idea!" The writers said they'd love to! Fans persisted."Hey! What about that writer's panel we asked about?"


Creation sent the writers – Writers, without whom there would be no show, movies, books, plays, poems, or music - a lowball offer. How low? I don't know. The figures were never disclosed (and that's fine.)



So take that for what it is. Creation maintains that the writers were greedy and wanted too much money. The writers feel they contribute more, and therefore should get be compensated better, than a one time guest star. And you know what? He's right.

Yes, the famous faces draw money and attendants but there would be no guest roles to play without the creative teams that make the show happen. So maybe Creation thinks that photo ops or autograph signings with the writers wouldn't earn big money. Maybe they wouldn't. But with this fandom? I think they'd earn a lot more than Creation may think. The tickets for a writers-only panel would sell out as fast the rest. I have no doubt.

But the whole thing with cons? It’s all so manufactured and set up, streamlined and planned out, and fans will spend thousands to convince themselves otherwise. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to pass up free tickets to stand next to Jensen Ackles for fifteen seconds but I’m not going to spend three day’s pay to do so. That’s basically what they’re paying for – half a minute sharing air with someone.

I’m also not going to pretend that it’s some intimate moment with the dude I’ve watched on tv. Some fans get that experience – search any area of fandom and you’ll find someone that was finally able to thank the boys in person for the effect the show had on their lives. That is a great thing for those fans. I really mean that. Despite how this whole piece may sound, I’m happy for those people and glad they got the chance to do that in person.

I’m obsessed with music. It’s the soundtrack to my days. Each memory has a song and each song has a memory. When life has chewed me up and spit me out, I turn to my music collection. When my brother died, I turned to select artists. I’ve since had the opportunity to meet two of those artists and said to them “During the lowest point of my life there were a handful of artists that helped me pull through and you were one of them. Thank you for writing the songs you do.” So I get it. I get how art and artists can have a personal effect on your life. I understand being a fan and what those people can mean to a person. I’m not judging the fans here.

Listen, I love this show. Love it. Hell, I include gifs from the show at the end of my posts here. My issue with cons lies directly with the con companies and not with the stars or the fans that will attend. So the money, the dismissal of the writers contributions and the ZOMGFANGIRLNESSHIGHPITCHSCREAMS of cons gives more than a short pause.

Would I attend a con? Sure. If the costs were covered. I love Jensen’s jawline and eye crinkle as much as the next gal but there are limits.

What if I was rich? Sure, but it would only be spend some time with a couple of twitter friends that I adore. That would be my main motivation for going. They went to DallasCon last year and immediately made plans to go again. From the texts and pics, they had a great time and I was so happy for them!

I think it’s great if people go and have fun. I’ve spent more money on concert tickets in my lifetime that I care to add up. I’m not judging folks that go, but it may not be for me. Getting to sidle up next to Jensen for thirty seconds wouldn’t hurt but my life isn’t lacking because I haven’t done that.



There’s a rabidness to fandom that makes me want to run in the other direction. The authors of Fangasm tried to write a book that said that wasn’t such a bad thing and attempted to explain that it’s not what it looks like from the outside. The problem? Even from the inside, it still looks the same. There’s healthy obsession and obsession. The problem with fandom is that line between the two is beyond blurred.

Or maybe I'm just a fan and not part of the fandom.

 



 

Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book from Netgalley for review.

[Mari Skyrin-Sarker · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have the same problem with this book as I did their more academic version "Fandom at the Crossroads."

The authors seem to keep their focus on the more extreme fandom obsessions and fail at showing that they are not ashamed. Like other commenters, I can't help but feel they are trying to convince themselves rather than others that their actions are not shameful.

Besides, what about the fans who just watch the show? Like my friend who got me hooked into Supernatural? What about fans like me who just watch the show and read fanfiction and applaud awesome fanart? Neither of us give more than a passing damn about meeting Jared and Jensen. Surely there are other fans who should have been represented in this book about fans.

As for the fanfiction I read and archive, I think only one is heterosexual. There are a few with no pairings, but the vast majority are Wincest or Destiel. Dean in a same-sex relationship pretty much does it for me. There's also a dozen J2 fics. No shame here.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This unique read really hit home for me in a thought provoking and thoroughly enjoyable way. I am what the authors describe as a buffet fan...sampling a bit of this and that before moving on to try something else. I prefer to think of myself as a serial monogamist...faithful for a phase until my next obsession comes along. That being said, I always teeter on the edge of fandom without the willingness to invest my funds, or my precious time, as fully as a true fangirl. I've long wanted a glimpse deeper into the fandom and Larsen and Zubernis have generously allowed all of us on the fringe to journey deeper in with them...and what a journey it is! For fans of the show Supernatural, this is an obvious must read. But I think fangirls (and boys!) of just about anything will appreciate this honest portrayal of the struggle to immerse one's self in the joys of fandom without guilt, without shame and without losing relationships or other important aspects of life outside of the fandom.

Thank you Katherine Larsen and Lynn Zubernis for your bold and honest look at fandom, for trusting your readers with the details of your struggle to balance the personal with the professional, and for allowing us to ride along on your 5 year journey. What a wonderful trip it has been!

[Stefanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book because I have a friend who is really, really into Twilight (she's in her mid-30s, for what it's worth), and I thought I could gain some insight into what drives her obsession. The authors' obsession is the TV show Supernatural, but they do reference other fan communities such as Star Trek.

The authors claim they want this book to show fandom as a healthy, positive thing. While there were a couple of letters from fans stating how the online fan community was supportive of them in difficult times, the majority of the book doesn't support the authors' goal. In fact it primarily shows the negative and unhealthy side of fandom. The authors repeatedly abandon their families, friends, and jobs, and they lie to their loved ones. Although the authors describe themselves as "smart and articulate" (their favorite description of many of the fans), they are emotionally unstable at best. They even acknowledge that it's not healthy to pin one's emotional well being to someone or something else, yet they continue to ride the highs and lows based on whether they got a seat close to their favorite TV stars at this or that convention.

Anyone who doesn't agree with them is dismissed as just not getting it. They justify their bad behavior by claiming that they're just doing what male sports fans have always done (I vehemently disagree with that premise). They think their fan behavior is viewed negatively by others because they are celebrating "the subversive idea that women are entitled to do things just for fun." When their friends started pulling away from them because of their behavior, they say that they "continued to follow the rule of 'good girls don't disagree, and if they do they sure as hell don't talk about it.'" Huh? I don't know what 1950s enclave they've been living in, but I am a woman of about their age and even live in the same part of the country as they do and I cannot relate to the statements such as these that are peppered throughout the book.

I only gave this book two stars for the transcipt excerpts of some of the interviews they conducted with the show's cast and crew. But even these are a bit light, because it was clear that the "researchers" were utterly unprepared for the interviews as they undertook the whole project just to satisfy their fan desires to be closer to the show. They don't even try to hide the fact that the whole thing was just a cover to satisfy their obsession. Overall, disappointing.

[Sam (she_who_reads_) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel so disappointed in this one!! I went into this expecting a fun, yet insightful, look at how fandoms work- specifically the Supernatural fandom. What I got was a book about writing the book. With a huge focus on fanfic writers/readers- of which I am not. It’s also extremely repetitive.
On the very last page the authors mention an academic book they published on fandoms...maybe that’s the book I should have picked up because this was seriously just a book about writing the book.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love love love love love <3

[Vince Darcangelo · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://ensuingchapters.com/2013/11/29...

Fangasm: Supernatural Fan Girls

Katherine Larsen and Lynn S. Zubernis

While I enjoyed Fangasm from page one, I have to admit I was confused at first. What I thought would be an academic account of fan culture, particularly surrounding the TV show Supernatural, turned out to be something altogether different.

Two professors—Katherine Larsen and Lynn S. Zubernis—geek out over the hunky stars of their favorite television show, attending conventions, joining an online community and penning racy fan-fic, all the while discussing the book they were going to write.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t that book.

The original output of their research was the 2012 academic study, Fandom at the Crossroads: Celebration, Shame and Fan/Producer Relationships. Fangasm, on the other hand, is the reporter’s notebook of their exploration.

Once I realized this, I settled in and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Along the way, the authors feed each other’s “squee”; stalk hunky TV stars; and struggle with strained family relationships, their careers and even their friends. It’s a riotous, road-trip affair, and it’s refreshing to see the lighter side of the uptight academic.

But there’s a serious side to the book as well. In exploring fan-fiction, the duo encounters a diverse body politic. A bulk of the viewer-produced literature is sexual in nature—and due to the make-believe subject matter, and the lack of publisher gatekeeping, fan-fic writers often delve into places even pornographers fear to tread. (Hint: the show’s leading men, though not actually related, play brothers on Supernatural—take that ball and run with it.)

Also on the serious tip are the self-esteem issues that arise. Unfortunately, the shaming of fangirls is not limited to the mainstream community. While the conventions can be a refuge for those who otherwise feel displaced from society, there is an internal enforcement of etiquette that can be just as stratified and exclusionary as the mainstream. It’s a dark and curious sociological paradox.

Ultimately, I would have preferred to geek out with the academic text, but hey, there is no wrong way to get your nerd on. While I don’t approach the level of fanboy status held by Larsen and Zubernis, I know my way around a convention, and I’ve spent thousands of dollars on rare books, albums and KISS memorabilia. I can relate to this duo, and I find it refreshing to learn about a pair of obsessed academics letting their geek flag fly.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m no stranger to fandoms--my first fandom was ‘N Sync, and I just HAD to own all the albums (including import CDs), put dozens of posters on my wall, set the VCR to record all their TV appearances, and go to their concerts every time they were in the Midwest. I remember visiting fan websites and waiting impatiently for pictures to load (back in the dial up internet days). I read fanfiction and even tried writing it once. I bought all kinds of ‘N Sync merchandise, but my most prized item was a towel that I caught when they threw it into the audience. Only my family and closest friends knew the true extent of my fangirling--I tried not to let too many other people see that side of me because I was worried they’d judge me or make fun of me.

Nowadays I am more willing to let my fangirl flag fly. I go to midnight premieres of movies based on my favorite books, I get to book signings so early sometimes that I’m first or second in line, and I even go to my favorite artists’ concerts by myself if none of my friends are free because I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity. Life is too short to be embarrassed about the things you enjoy, you know? (And while I don’t have posters covering my walls anymore, a quick glance at my Pinterest boards will tell you that I still have music, books, TV shows, and movies that I’m very passionate about!)

I was really excited when I first heard about this book. Even though I’ve only seen a few episodes of Supernatural, I knew I could relate to the topic of fandom! Fangasm touches on many aspects of fandom, including reading and writing fan fiction, making fan pilgrimages, attending fan conventions, becoming part of a fan community, and so much more. It examines the negative ways we react to fan behavior, even from within the fandom itself sometimes.

For those unfamiliar with the language of fandom, Fangasm includes a Glossary of Terms so you can learn all the relevant lingo (for example, “shipping” and “OTP”). The authors share some research from the field of fan studies as well as anecdotes from their own experiences as Supernatural fans. While many of their stories made me smile or laugh, they also made me think critically about what it means to be a fan and the relationship between fans and creators. This book challenges fan shame and shares insights from the perspectives of both the fans and the creators. It's also a fun read that a lot of people can relate to.

[Filu · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started reading I expected something slightly different. Maybe a little bit more about the shows fans. A bit more fokus on the whole fandom. Instead, the book is more about the authors personal experiences with the creative side of the show and TPTB (The Powers That Be). Thus minus one star.

I liked the book nevertheless because it showed me totally different side of the show. What is going on on "the other side"? That side that fans like me will very likely never get to see and experience? Personal meetings and interviews with the actors and creators, for example. What do they think of the fans?
Also, the book describes very well what is going on on conventions. For me, as someone who has never attended one and most likely never will (sighs sadly) it gave me a clear idea of what I'm missing (sighs even sadder).
But the book isn't all sunshine and squees, it also shows the darker side of fandom, like fan shaming or fans rotting together to kick other fans out of the fandom because they did something or said something that violated one of the unspoken rules of fandom . To me, this was rather surprising. It also adresses the fact that and why we seem to be ashamed of admitting that we are fangirls, with all the typical fangirl behaviour attached. Why do we keep our inner fangirl a secret? Why don't we tell anyone in our real lifes about our Tumblr or LJ account? And why do we feel so instantly connected to other fangirls once we get to know or meet them?

If you have asked yourself those questions and if you're a SPN fan, you will probably like this book, too.

[Annabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

So as I stated in my last review of Bobby Singer’s guide to hunting I’m a huge supernatural fan. So when I saw this book about the fandom and read that it was written by two women in love with the show but also mothers and professors I just knew I had to read it.

As a mother, working woman and a huge fan of Supernatural just like the writers I do get some strange looks and comments from people around me. They just don’t understand how I can be such a big fan of a series and a mother at the same time. basically most people think that the moment you become a mother you can’t be a fan of something.

That’s also what I read in this book, people don’t take you seriously when you are a fan. They think you’re weird and that you don’t have a life. Well this book proves them wrong! Because we do have a life! It just also includes watching Supernatural and talking about the show and it’s stars.
I loved the way this book let’s you see the life of a fan, but I also loved to read the interviews with the actors and creators of the show. If this book did anything to me being a fan, it made me an even bigger fan of the show and the actors and creators.

A great view into the mind of a Supernatural fan with a lot of great interviews and fan stories. It inspired me to start my own little blog about being a fan of this amazing show.

[Sarah Michaud · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not what I thought it was going to be about. I picked it up at Hal-Con last year and was told by the lady at the table that it was about two academic professors and their journey through fandom. That is not untrue. What she failed to mention is it is also a book that extolls the virtues of being a part of the slash community. I tried to read it and see from their point of view, but I just couldn't. I'm not adverse to slash. I just can't handle the incest part of it that goes with it.

These ladies are "uber fans" and I am not. I would find myself getting annoyed at them for the things they were doing. They kept trying to convince the reader and themselves they were perfectly normal and everyone around them who were getting annoyed with their activities were just trying to dampen their shine.

If you are a slash fan or a Wincest fan, this book is definitely for you. If you are one of those do anything at all to get a glimpse/touch/look/smell of your favourite celebrity, this book is for you.

If you are looking for an honest to goodness academic look at what fandom is or means? This is not the book for you.

[Stefanie Foard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit. I binge-watched all of Supernatural this summer, and this was an equally playful and academic look at not only that show but fandoms in general. I laughed out loud a few times while reading this one at the gym. :)

[Lori Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book combined two things that I love: Supernatural and psychology. This book addresses the psychology of fangirls, fan fiction, celebrity crushes and much more while telling the personal stories of the two authors in the fandom. It also talks about the stigma that comes along with being a fan of a tv show as opposed to something others consider more productive hobbies, the expectations on women and mothers concerning their hobbies and much more. Definitely an interesting read, interspersed with sometimes very humorous stories and lots of actor interviews.

[Ery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente libro acerca la vida fandom; sobre ser una fangirl y todos los dilemas, dudas, conflictos que se enfrentan al ser una mujer con un "hobby" poco aceptado y muchas veces juzgado como una niñería.

No importa si perteneces al fandom de Supernatural o no, si eres una fangirl debes leerlo.

[fleegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw this book on Netgalley I thought, “Hm, that sounds interesting.” It was these bits from the description that caught my eye:

"And yet even as they reveled in their fandom, the authors were asking themselves whether it’s okay to be a fan, especially for grown women with careers and kids.
… But what Kathy and Lynn found was that most fans were very much like themselves: smart, capable women looking for something of their own that engages their brains and their libidos."

And this:

"Fangasm pulls back the curtain on the secret worlds of fans and famous alike, revealing Supernatural behind the scenes and discovering just how much the cast and crew know about what the fans are up to. Anyone who’s been tempted to throw off the constraints of respectability and indulge a secret passion—or hit the road with a best friend—will want to come along."

When I read that I immediately thought of my friend, Laura, who just happens to be a fangirl. A fangirl of what, I will not say, for she has multiple fandoms and I’m sure I’d get something wrong. I too, am a fan, but my fandoms are too general for me to be a fangirl, I think. I love baseball and cartoons. (I LOVE baseball. I LOVE cartoons. LOVETY LOVE them.) But I don’t feel like a fangirl because I don’t have a community that I’ve joined. My Twitter is filled with baseball talk/news, but it’s not something I interact with, really, I mean, everyone hate-follows Jose Canseco, right?

So this book is about two college professors, who happen to be major fangirls of a show called Supernatural (which I have seen an episode, but thought it was too scary, although I did like their car.) and they talk candidly to other fans, the actors, the show runners, etc. about fans and being fans. There is a bit of discussion over the shame of being hardcore fans of TV shows, music, anything really, as well as some academic talk about fandom, but mostly it’s about Kathy and Lynn as they sort of Thelma and Louise it across the country (and into Canada) to go to various conventions and even to the Supernatural set. If you’re not a fan of the show, Supernatural, or if you’ve never seen it, I don’t think that will deter you from not enjoying the whole book. I really liked most of it. I especially loved the interviews with Jim Beaver (who was Ellsworth on the best show ever made, Deadwood.) And I love how, as fans, every time they got to do an interview with anyone who worked on the show they were always excited, always a fan, always believing that it was too good to be true, and that they’d have to psych themselves up to be pros and not fans while interviewing people.

It’s very interesting to see how their relationships with friends and families are affected by the time they give to their fandom. They get so caught up in their research for their book that several of their very important relationships are broken, I’m talking a spouse here. They have to weigh their choices of being wives, mothers, professionals, etc. with being fans and trying to write a book about being fans. One of the problems I had with this book is that it’s autobiographical, but they don’t want too many details about their friends and family in it, so those parts are glossed over even though that seems to be the most important part of the book.

See, it never adequately answers the question of is it okay to be a hardcore fan? These women alienated friends and family all in the name of fandom and in research and writing of a book. Certainly they are not the first people to do this, and trust me, I get that there were more problems with the relationships than just a TV show or writing a book, but still, we give our time to what we think is important. This book never talks about the pathology of obsession. And they never say if this fandom and pursuit of this book changed their lives for the better or worse. Because they gloss over their lives and broken relationships, the end of the book feels less than honest and very incomplete.

That being said, this is one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read in a long time. I wanted to write this whole book off and say, well, they didn’t do what they set out to do, they still feel shame for being fans, they constantly talk about slash fic and ask ALL the people EVERYWHERE, “What do you think about slash fic?” and I mean, give it a rest. And really, when none of the show business people cared or even had a problem with slash fic, and only other fans either loved or hated it, isn’t that your answer? Only you, the writers and readers of slash fic, give a shit about slash fic. So while the book frustrated me, I can’t help but admit it made me think a lot.

And it also made me call my friend Laura and apologize to her for ever making her feel ashamed for loving her TV shows so hardcore. Then we discussed how thankful we are for being best friends who have never been fangirls of the same thing. Cos then we’d probably just feed off each other and destroy all other meaningful relationships.

This book is available October 1, 2013 from University of Iowa Press

[Lori Schiele · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who is a Supernatural fan, this is a MUST!! It's a "behind-the-scenes" look at the creation of the show as well as numerous interviews, including "the boys" and many others. It only follows Seasons 3-5, but still very worth it. I learned a a lot I didn't know and was like WOW!!!
Two female academics (also HUGE Supernatural fans)--both college professors: one an English teacher and literary scholar and the other a psychologist--go on a country-wide tour to every possible convention in order to write a book (and without being divorced by their misunderstanding parents, husbands or needy children). They are part of the Online Live Journal where fans read and write fan-fiction (including NC-17 "slash')
Between conventions, luck, and finally dreams-come-true, they managed to get to Vancouver where Supernatural is filmed and but got to see an actual episode being filmed!
Through it all, they managed to meet Erik Kripke, Sera Gamble, "Sam and Dean" (without hyperventilating too much), "Bobby" (at his own home!!), "Castiel", and "Azazel" (back then known only as the "Yellow-Eyed Demon". They also met and interviewed "Ash", "Mary Winchester", "The Trickster/Archangel Gabriel", the eight "Baby's" in different stages of disrepair, and many other important behind-the-scenes like meeting and getting insight into Director of Photography, Serge Ladouceur; the artists who created the brother's tattoos, as well as many other symbols and glyphs (as well as the Busty Asian Beauties Dean is so found of)--and even the cheesy postcards in the motels and the fake beer labels.
It was fascinating to see how much heart and soul the cast and crew put into this show--how much they all adore it -those in front of and behind the camera. They truly are a big family that love to joke around when they have a spare moment on anyone or everyone. And it certainly shows to the fans in the show and at the conventions.

[Mjhancock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Academics Katherine Larsen and Lynn Zubernis deliver their account of their entrance into Supernatural fandom. You could probably add one star to the rating if you're actually a fan of Supernatural yourself, and another if you've read their more formal approach to the subject of fandom, Fan Phenomena: Supernatural. As it is, I found the book fascinating for the tensions it raises in gender, family, celebrity status, and academia, but also somewhat wearying for its sensationalist approach.

The book follows Larsen and Zubernis' entry into Supernatural fandom, and becoming extreme devotees to attending conventions and shipping Sam and Dean, and their actors Ackles and Jensen. (If it had been a little further in the show's history, I assume Castiel/Collins would have played a bigger part in the account; as it is, he gets a good interview in the book's closing pages.) And in doing so, they uncover a series of tensions that arise in their interactions with others, but also in their own conflicting emotions. It's rare that any of these tensions get a high level of attention, but by constantly returning to each throughout the book, the authors demonstrate that these issues are ongoing, and a constant source of anxiety for fans. There's a tension in gender and family, that there's a frequently unstated assumption in society that it's unseemly for women to demonstrate the level of devotion in fandom that, say, some men devote to a sports team, that by following their own pleasure, the authors were made to feel that they were acting counter to their roles as part of a family. There's the tension of community--that fans find great strength together, but are also engaged in a series of one upmanship (one up-person-ship?) in trying to get greater access to the celebrity figures; that access to the celebrities, and blurring the fan/celebrity line seems to be a desired goal, but counter to placing them on a pedestal; that the fan/celebrity relationship is not just a two person one, but controlled by executives who view access as a commodity that they have the right to control. The executives also point to the unpleasantness behind much of these fan activities, that they're a form of consumption reserved for those with enough disposable income to pursue it (and to their credit, Larsen and Zubernis don't shy away from this.)

And behind all of these other tensions, there's one special to Larsen and Zubernis, the role of the aca-fan, the academic who has immersed themselves in fandom. The excess devotion (and if there's one thing this book is about, it's about exploring the concept of excess and why we're so quick to judge when excess comes in a form of access) of the committed fan isn't, as they point out, that different from the excess focus that an academic is supposed to show in their own work. And yet, that academic engagement is supposed to be dispassioned, partitioned from their enthusiasm for their subject, and from their own emotional commitment. As someone who studies another subject that's often dismissed as frivilous, videogames, this tension was where I most empathized with Larsen and Zubernis, and in many ways, this book reminded me of Jenny Sundén and ‎Malin Sveningsson's Gender and Sexuality in Online Game Cultures: Passionate Play, another book by a pair of authors who went out to deliberately challenge the conventional norms of how an academic should operate.

And yet, while appreciate that the frequent returns to these various tensions do reinforce their ongoing status, they do also get a tad repetitive, in a way that makes it seem as if the authors are reveling in digressions and sensationalizing their impact. I don't think that was the intention at all--if anything, the authors keep returning to these points because of their fears that they're alienating their friends and family because they're deeply ambiguous and concerned about what participating in a fandom means. After a while, my response was less to feel empathy for their plight and more "oh, this again". I imagine this is a failing on my part more than anything; if I was a part of this fandom, or if I had been in any fandom as enthusiastically as they're part of this one, I'd probably feel very differently.

I think I've fallen into my own form of the academic/fan tension. On a personal level, the book put me off a bit, but at the same time, I've been fascinated by the issues the authors have raised (as proof, just look at all the words it's taken me to reach this point!). I think I would have been disappointed if I was reading it entirely for pleasure, but as someone interested in fan studies, it was certainly worth reading.

[Melody · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been very interested in fandoms for a long time, and writing about them often straddles this weird line of too academic or not academic enough. In this instance, I think I was expecting some things that, presumably, show up in their academic book. This was a book about fandom from the experience of two specific women (and written in a weird plural first person/third person hybrid). This was a tale of them meeting and talking to everyone on Supernatural they could, and hey good for them. But to what end? To ask about slash fanfiction? And to lead with this question? I'm not saying be ashamed of it. Heck, I've been reading fanfiction since Harry Potter message boards, but it's kind of an offensive first question.

I'm not sure it achieved its goal of really providing an inside look at fandom as something to celebrate.

For one, the inside look angle seemed to be specific to conventions, a very specific experience. While it was mentioned that Supernatural is an interesting beast in that its fandom started when the internet was established, this wasn't really explored beyond some passing mentions to livejournal, and focus on (wincest) slash, without really providing all that much context. While there were references to specific fan meet-ups at conventions or specific fans who did something really popular in the fandom, the pulse of the fandom itself was harder to find.

Pertaining the community and joy of fandom, I felt like the book more focused on the negatives: internal and external shame, inter-fandom fighting, the weird fandom hierarchy that I somehow managed to not realize was a thing even with more than a decade of being on the outskirts of fandom (although I do have a signed copy of Mugglenet.com's first book. So, maybe I do get it.). And maybe this ties back to not really feeling like I had the bigger fandom picture. And maybe some of that, and its analysis, is in the more academic version of the book.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a part of the SPN family myself, I enjoyed this book. It's an easy read but one that, in parts, makes you think. I'm not one for fan fiction but I do love other parts of the fandom such as the sense of family and camaraderie and I get why people love to attend conventions. I don't get why some people get huffy when they realise that fans not only like the show because of the storylines and the skill of the actors, but because said actors are extremely hot.

I have long argued that many girls and young women become such devoted fangirls of bands such as Take That down to One Direction, or actors because their burgeoning sexuality rarely has any other outlet. Women are primed for romance growing up through all those fairytales etc, but sexuality not so much. Even more so for women who are married and have families. It seems as if they are supposed to subsume themselves in other people and not take the time to do things for themselves.

Society most certainly still has a problem with women being the objectifier rather than the objectified. (And no I don't have a problem with a certain amount of objectification - we are sexual beings and like to look at attractive people. The problem is when it is rated above everything else.) Women often feel as if they have to hide this side of themselves, especially once you are a certain age, otherwise you are open to ridicule or disapproval.

Anyway, back to the book. It is a look at the concept of fandom without being condescending and well worth a read, especially if you like SPN. Rating: 4 stars.

[Anel · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me it was a story I could relate to in many ways. I started reading this right after I got back from my first Supernatural convention. This brought back all the squee and ohmygod moments. I found myself nodding along and having to put the book down every once in a while to calm myself from the excitement and nostalgia.
I also once had an opportunity to interview my idols. (We're not talking about A-list actors here though :D) Their struggles with equipment and scheduling reminded me of that time.
It was kind of refreshing reading about how other people feel about fan shame. We're not alone in this! :)
It was so nice to read about the thoughts and stories of fellow fans and the actors/crew of the show we all love so much. I definitely recommend it to all SPN fans, especially to those new to all things fandom.

[Cyrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is so honest. It's all about what it means to be a fan, the good and bad. the way we can see ourselves and the way people see us. The pride of loving what we love and the shame that comes with giving to much of ourselves to it.

If you are a fan, part of a fandom that consumes your life in the good way, this book is for you. It's about who you are and what you are looking for when you embrace your fangirl self. It's not all pretty but it's all about assuming your passion and enjoying the ride.

If you are a Supernatural fan, then it will speak to you even more.

Enjoy!

[Laure · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is everything I never knew I needed. It helped me understand a lot of things about this fandom I love so much that I never quite understood. It helped me realize I had awful prejudices about other fans and I am now ashamed of how wrong I was but happy the book made me aware of them.
It's also pretty interesting for the interviews with the cast and crew and what happens behind the curtain. As a fan and convention attendee I had those moments of "I know exactly what you mean!" while reading it, too. It was fun!
Just thank you for this book, Kathy and Lynn!

[Vicki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Turns out that if you buy a book by two college professors they spend the biggest portion of the book trying to convince you of how smart they are. They also try to put down other fans for being crazy stalkers but use their professional positions to gain access into film sets and interviews to catch a glimpse of the celebrities they are obsessed with themselves. I feel this book is just divided between the authors bragging because they have met the cast of Supernatural and spend the other half trying to analyze the fans so that they can prove they are not like the rest.

[Ally · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, reading the book felt redundant. A lot of it was stating things I already knew. I felt it, I found it out by BEING in fandoms. Instead I was reading about grown women acting like horrible people to their friends and family as they objectified Jensen Ackles. At least Jim Beaver and Jared came out of this looking like great people.

[Triinu · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fun to read, especially the first part. And it was educational because I thought of myself as fangirl also but after reading Fangasm I realized, I have a long, long way to go :)
But it was a good read and a great insight of fangirls life.

[Kaci read-and-be-merry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish (19%). This reads like it was written by amateurs. No SPN fan is going to learn anything new, and non-fans wouldn't pick this up in the first place. There are shorter, more interesting fangirl tales on Tumblr.

[Alex Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read, offering a glimpse into the Fandom world with flair!

[Danielle Turchiano · Rating 4 out of 5]

"At The Crossroads with Two Books on 'Supernatural' Fandom: Which To Read?..."

Arguably we all just want a place to belong in life, among people we feel we have things in common. 'Community' creator Dan Harmon perhaps said it best last year at a fan convention for his show when he spouted: "I think the most important thing as an individual is to figure out who you are but know nobody wants to be alone...There is no one who wants to be alone-- nobody. We take hardened criminals, we put them in solitary, and they go insane. They start banging on the walls and go 'Please let me out!' They want to be let out because they want to stab somebody with a toothbrush, but they want to be let out; they want to be near somebody. I'm not saying everybody is going to hug each other when they're near each other, but nobody wants to be alone. That's a starting point; that means something; and that's what this show's about." But really, that's what all shows are about because they bring people together-- people from potentially all walks of life, all countries, all races, all socioeconomic backgrounds. But once they are together, they may form a group of like-minded individuals over their common love, but they don't form a mindless, opinionless collective of sheep. The very real individuals that make up this group still look for ways to set themselves apart, to be known, perhaps even to be special. Fandoms are a microcosm of this behavior because they perfectly identify creative and intelligent individuals who want to actively participate in something rather than just sit back and watch the pre-produced programming wash over them. It is a phenomenon not everyone understands, but Lynn Zubernis and Katherine Larsen want more people to, and so they have written not one but two books on the subject, using 'Supernatural' as their test case and representative of fandom.

Admittedly the studying of fandom is bound to be a bit biased even if the author(s) come into that particular completely blind to the material and the people. There is the very real chance they will get swept up in the excitement (it is infectious, after all) once among the fans and therefore drop a little bit of the strict and straight "observer" angle. But more importantly, the bias comes simply from the show being chosen to study. Every fandom is different in that the way the show or the star at the center of it is celebrated is different. Zubernis and Larsen selected Supernatural to be their line of study because they were both hooked on the show already, but they also managed to select one of the most diverse fandoms out there when it comes to age, race, and active participation. The fans of Supernatural (as evidenced deeply in this book) of course talk about their love of the show through various online forums and social media platforms, but they also get extremely creative with it-- from making fan art to writing fan fiction, as has become commonplace within just about every fandom, to the more refined cosplay and acting out said fanfiction through custom dolls or figurines, to attending conventions that celebrate the show and its stars but also attending conventions that (maybe not so simply) celebrate the fans. As Zubernis and Larsen show in their books, fandom really can be a full time job when you put your whole heart and soul into it.

The most fascinating thing about Zubernis and Larsen's books are actually reading them side-by-side. The same stories are told in both "Fandom at the Crossroads: Celebration, Shame, and Fan/Producer Relationships" and "Fangasm: Supernatural Fangirls" but through slightly different lenses. In truth, if you read one, you don't necessarily need to read the other because you already know what they have to say and what examples and quotes they will use from the various interviewed talent (from the boys themselves to Jim Beaver, Misha Collins, Eric Kripke, Sera Gamble, and so on). However, as fandom proves, if you truly love Supernatural you'll inevitably want to devour both books. If you are someone who isn't a huge fan of the show but simply loves the written word, you should definitely read both, as well, because the nuance in language in how the stories are told are what separate the books and make each unique enough to stand on its own.

"Fandom at the Crossroads" is the academic book, written like a thesis and including the more scientific precursors to chapters that simply tell you what the chapters will explore. Zubernis and Larsen have been careful to remove any overt language of "squeeing" in order to allow the heavier weight of the research and professional angle to seep in-- to make this book potentially one that could be used in courses on fandom at various universities. It is a perfect way to ease someone into the idea of fandom-- someone who isn't sure what it is really all about or maybe is a little uncomfortable with the idea of it. In many ways, it keeps the audience at a slight arm's length also simply studying a phenomenon rather than truly being a part of it. Zubernis and Larsen are fans at their core, though, so the squees are implied even when writing this way, and on many pages you can feel them almost begging to be let out. After all, the reason fandoms flourish so greatly are because of the strong connections to the characters in the story. While thankfully not just dryly focusing on statistics, "Fandom at the Crossroads" does keep a lot of the personal off the page.

That is why the follow-up book "Fangasm" seems so necessary. For anyone looking for a peek behind the velvet rope of studying fandom, this book will provide that. Zubernis and Larsen are candid in a way that kind of makes this book their pop culture memoir (albeit for a very select and specific time in their lives). While in "Fandom at the Crossroads" they pose the question of why fandom is so important, to whom, and how fandom-- and different levels of fandom-- is perceived among the fans themselves, with the creatives actually making the show, and in the wider world, "Fangasm" turns the lens on the authors themselves and shares their own struggle to walk the line between fan and professional as well as just how they went about getting so many of the interviews for their book(s). The squees are abundant here-- as are the feels-- and anyone familiar with fandom of any kind knows both are equally important to a successful and satisfying experience.

If you are a fan of Supernatural who wants to read snippets of Zubernis and Larsen's interviews with the aforementioned people (and more), they are in both books. But if you are such a fan of Supernatural you want to hear about what it was like for two fans to actually sit down and interview said people, "Fangasm" is for you. Zubernis and Larsen are very much the focus of the narrative in their second book, whereas their first wouldn't allow that. They talk openly about the differences in treatment when on set as a lookie-loo, a guest of production, and a guest of another fan's; they share experiences of going to Beaver's house or Padalecki's trailer to sit down and talk about the show with the ones who actually make the show; they admit to spending a lot of money and missing out on family moments to constantly travel to do more interviews, more set visits, more conventions; and they pontificate about the studio's understanding, acceptance, and treatment of fans.

Admittedly it was a little striking to see both books dive heavier into the world of fan fiction than one might expect, but it has become such an important (and dare it be considered more mainstream!?) part of fandom it's not completely surprising to see it reflected.

Because Zubernis and Larsen did involve so many members of the Supernatural family in order to write "Fandom at the Crossroads", they became an extended and accepted part of it by the cast and crew in a way that many other fans cannot necessarily relate and of which may even be envious. Their story, therefore, is certainly unique enough to warrant a book about it, but may leave some readers living vicariously. Zubernis and Larsen understand the uniqueness of their situation, though, and they countered those moments of awe at their adventures with very deep and personal admissions.

Fandom is usually seen as a uniting force: something that can bond complete strangers just based on a shared interest. But it can also be an experience akin to high school in that there are "cliques" of fans, especially within this particular fandom, it seems, and each one may take the attitude that only they are "doing fandom right." What is great is Zubernis and Larsen's willingness to be open and vulnerable and talk about their own dalliances with fan fiction, with set visits, with other fans, and with themselves rectifying this fear within themselves. They are fans, but they actively sought to set themselves aside as researchers, academics, professionals.

Setting one's self aside that way develops a very different rapport with other fans, as well as the show's talent. These women are academics and professionals in their daily lives, so they knew that going in, but what they were not prepared for was just how emotional and involved things would get. In "Fandom at the Crossroads" they are very much covered by their academic veil, but in "Fangasm" they let their hair down and their true inner fangirls come out. What results in both books are interesting observations, but it is the latter that has the most honesty without pretense.