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Framing Fan Fiction: Literary and Social Practices in Fan Fiction Communities
Gathering some of Kristina Busse’s essential essays on fan fiction together with new work, Framing Fan Fiction argues that understanding media fandom requires combining literary theory with cultural studies because fan artifacts are both artistic works and cultural documents. Drawing examples from a multitude of fan communities and texts, Busse frames fan fiction in three key as individual and collective erotic engagement; as a shared interpretive practice in which tropes constitute shared creative markers and illustrate the complexity of fan creations; and as a point of contention around which community conflicts over ethics play out. Moving between close readings of individual texts and fannish tropes on the one hand, and the highly intertextual embeddedness of these communal creations on the other, the book demonstrates that fan fiction is simultaneously a literary and a social practice.
Framing Fan Fiction deploys personal history and the interpretations of specific stories to contextualize fan fiction culture and its particular forms of intertextuality and performativity. In doing so, it highlights the way fans use fan fiction’s reimagining of the source material to explore issues of identities and peformativities, gender and sexualities, within a community of like-minded people. In contrast to the celebration of originality in many other areas of artistic endeavor, fan fiction celebrates repetition, especially the collective creation and circulation of tropes.
An essential resource for scholars, Framing Fan Fiction is also an ideal starting point for those new to the study of fan fiction and its communities of writers.
Framing Fan Fiction deploys personal history and the interpretations of specific stories to contextualize fan fiction culture and its particular forms of intertextuality and performativity. In doing so, it highlights the way fans use fan fiction’s reimagining of the source material to explore issues of identities and peformativities, gender and sexualities, within a community of like-minded people. In contrast to the celebration of originality in many other areas of artistic endeavor, fan fiction celebrates repetition, especially the collective creation and circulation of tropes.
An essential resource for scholars, Framing Fan Fiction is also an ideal starting point for those new to the study of fan fiction and its communities of writers.
258 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2017
3 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 7, 2018
Book received from NetGalley.
This is very much a published thesis. Some parts of it were hard to read due to the extreme academic formatting of it. Other parts were very interesting, and even though I have been a part of various fandoms since I was a pre-teen, I learned quite a bit of how others see us through what we're writing and reading. I liked how she put all things that happen in the community in the the good, fandom as family, the bad, character relationship fights, and the ugly, threats to actors and others members in the fandom if they don't agree with what's being written. She mainly focuses on the more popular shows and what is written about them. She does give a bit of history on fan fiction and how it started back in the day of the 'zine that were mailed out to fans monthly for a subscription fee. Be aware that multiple fetishes are mentioned in passing and some things written about to unknowingly cause a trigger.
This is very much a published thesis. Some parts of it were hard to read due to the extreme academic formatting of it. Other parts were very interesting, and even though I have been a part of various fandoms since I was a pre-teen, I learned quite a bit of how others see us through what we're writing and reading. I liked how she put all things that happen in the community in the the good, fandom as family, the bad, character relationship fights, and the ugly, threats to actors and others members in the fandom if they don't agree with what's being written. She mainly focuses on the more popular shows and what is written about them. She does give a bit of history on fan fiction and how it started back in the day of the 'zine that were mailed out to fans monthly for a subscription fee. Be aware that multiple fetishes are mentioned in passing and some things written about to unknowingly cause a trigger.
January 18, 2024
4.5. The first academic book I’ve felt a strong need to read closely, cover-to-cover, since I encountered Rita Felski. Love love love
February 15, 2019
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.0 of 5
I have a tremendous interest in fandom and fan interests having been one of the early participants in fandom (mid-1970's). I've been interested in other books published by the University of Iowa that have been about fandom and fan interests, and those that I've read have been quite interesting. Unfortunately I can't say that about this particular volume.
First, let's start with the writing itself. It is pretty clear, to me at least, that this was written as a thesis. That doesn't necessarily make it 'bad' but in this case the presentation is incredibly dry and dispassionate. It is a critical look without any apparent desire ... which is strange because author Kristina Busse mentions being a part of fandom. You would never guess by the writing here. I attribute this to professors who want to see this sort of not-involved/observer writer.
We also get that classic school writing that has Busse starting each chapter telling us what we're about to read and then a conclusion telling us what we just read. And rather than footnotes or end notes we get a constant array of parentheses citing sources throughout the book.
I've read books like this before and without being an academic myself I've just never found this sort of writing particularly interesting.
The subtitle of this book is "Literary and Social Practices in Fan Fiction Communities." Okay, aside from sounding like a thesis paper, this is quite interesting to me. This is part of the reason I requested to read this book. Fan fiction and fandom can create a real community and I was curious how Busse would report on the social aspects, as well as the writing, of these fan communities.
But she doesn't.
Or, what I should say, is that she gets much more specific. I think that the bulk of this research paper is about the erotic fiction in fandom.
The book is sectioned into three parts. The first part is titled "Slash as Indentifactory Practices." For those who aren't familiar with the term, according to Wikipedia: "Slash fiction is a genre of fan fiction that focuses on interpersonal attraction and sexual relationships between fictional characters of the same sex."
The second section is titled "Canon, Context, and Consensus" which only touches on sex in the third of the three essays.
Part three is "Community and Its Discontents" which doesn't sound like it would discuss erotica, but the three essays are: "My life is a WIP on my LJ: Slashing the Slasher and the Reality of Celebrity and Internet Performances"; "Geek Hierarchies, Boundary Policing, and the Gendering of the Good Fan"; and "Fictional Consents and the Ethical Enjoyment of the Dark Desires".
I'm not opposed to a research book on the eros in fan fiction, but I sure would like to know that's what I'm about to read.
I will say that it's clear Busse is quite knowledgeable on the subject and has done a tremendous amount of research here and I'd like to see her write something that isn't meant to be graded.
Unfortunately, this book just didn't work on too many different levels.
Looking for a good book? Unless you're looking for a potential classroom textbook, Framing Fan Fiction by Kristina Busse is probably not going to hold much interest for the casual reader (or fan).
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, though Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I have a tremendous interest in fandom and fan interests having been one of the early participants in fandom (mid-1970's). I've been interested in other books published by the University of Iowa that have been about fandom and fan interests, and those that I've read have been quite interesting. Unfortunately I can't say that about this particular volume.
First, let's start with the writing itself. It is pretty clear, to me at least, that this was written as a thesis. That doesn't necessarily make it 'bad' but in this case the presentation is incredibly dry and dispassionate. It is a critical look without any apparent desire ... which is strange because author Kristina Busse mentions being a part of fandom. You would never guess by the writing here. I attribute this to professors who want to see this sort of not-involved/observer writer.
We also get that classic school writing that has Busse starting each chapter telling us what we're about to read and then a conclusion telling us what we just read. And rather than footnotes or end notes we get a constant array of parentheses citing sources throughout the book.
I've read books like this before and without being an academic myself I've just never found this sort of writing particularly interesting.
The subtitle of this book is "Literary and Social Practices in Fan Fiction Communities." Okay, aside from sounding like a thesis paper, this is quite interesting to me. This is part of the reason I requested to read this book. Fan fiction and fandom can create a real community and I was curious how Busse would report on the social aspects, as well as the writing, of these fan communities.
But she doesn't.
Or, what I should say, is that she gets much more specific. I think that the bulk of this research paper is about the erotic fiction in fandom.
The book is sectioned into three parts. The first part is titled "Slash as Indentifactory Practices." For those who aren't familiar with the term, according to Wikipedia: "Slash fiction is a genre of fan fiction that focuses on interpersonal attraction and sexual relationships between fictional characters of the same sex."
The second section is titled "Canon, Context, and Consensus" which only touches on sex in the third of the three essays.
Part three is "Community and Its Discontents" which doesn't sound like it would discuss erotica, but the three essays are: "My life is a WIP on my LJ: Slashing the Slasher and the Reality of Celebrity and Internet Performances"; "Geek Hierarchies, Boundary Policing, and the Gendering of the Good Fan"; and "Fictional Consents and the Ethical Enjoyment of the Dark Desires".
I'm not opposed to a research book on the eros in fan fiction, but I sure would like to know that's what I'm about to read.
I will say that it's clear Busse is quite knowledgeable on the subject and has done a tremendous amount of research here and I'd like to see her write something that isn't meant to be graded.
Unfortunately, this book just didn't work on too many different levels.
Looking for a good book? Unless you're looking for a potential classroom textbook, Framing Fan Fiction by Kristina Busse is probably not going to hold much interest for the casual reader (or fan).
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, though Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
November 9, 2017
Fascinating Collection of Papers
As a fan involved in fandom and with many online friends who do the same, I found this collection of papers absolutely fascinating. I enjoyed the melding of academic literature and exemplary fanfic from a wide variety of styles and fandoms. Of course, some chapters appealed to me more than others – the middle section on Canon in particular, as well as chapter 9 on the Geek Hierarchy.
Given the ever-changing nature of fandom, it is unsurprising that some of the content feels a little dated, but the conclusions are still robust and applicable to modern times. The academic style of these papers did make them quite heavy reading, but no more so than any other academic paper. I would recommend these to anyone with more than a passing interest in fanfic, literature, media studies, or any combination or derivative of the above. Fanfic as a field is varied and interesting, and as diverse as this collection is, it makes clear there is still so much more to study.
I received a copy of this story from the author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
As a fan involved in fandom and with many online friends who do the same, I found this collection of papers absolutely fascinating. I enjoyed the melding of academic literature and exemplary fanfic from a wide variety of styles and fandoms. Of course, some chapters appealed to me more than others – the middle section on Canon in particular, as well as chapter 9 on the Geek Hierarchy.
Given the ever-changing nature of fandom, it is unsurprising that some of the content feels a little dated, but the conclusions are still robust and applicable to modern times. The academic style of these papers did make them quite heavy reading, but no more so than any other academic paper. I would recommend these to anyone with more than a passing interest in fanfic, literature, media studies, or any combination or derivative of the above. Fanfic as a field is varied and interesting, and as diverse as this collection is, it makes clear there is still so much more to study.
I received a copy of this story from the author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 3, 2022
I enjoyed this book so much, hands down the best work I've read on fanfic so far. I set out to browse the book for useful chapters and ended up reading the whole thing because every single essay was a freakin banger.
I love (as Busse herself states in the Afterword) that a bunch of the topics her essays focus on are, well, a bit on the weird side. Cos fanfic IS weird! Not all of it, certainly, and weird does not automatically mean "without any (literary) merit," but the fact of the matter is that many of our beloved tropes and writing practices would, to the uninitiated, range from mildly confusing to deeply wtf territory. AND THAT IS FINE. Fanfic is interesting and valid not because it's palatable or ingeniuos, but just because it *is*.
It felt so gratifying to read something that was clearly written by someone who is in fandom herself, and who has moreover read/participated in decades' worth of academic writing and fan discussions. A book such as this feels like the natural (and necessary) continuation of earlier scholarship.
I love (as Busse herself states in the Afterword) that a bunch of the topics her essays focus on are, well, a bit on the weird side. Cos fanfic IS weird! Not all of it, certainly, and weird does not automatically mean "without any (literary) merit," but the fact of the matter is that many of our beloved tropes and writing practices would, to the uninitiated, range from mildly confusing to deeply wtf territory. AND THAT IS FINE. Fanfic is interesting and valid not because it's palatable or ingeniuos, but just because it *is*.
It felt so gratifying to read something that was clearly written by someone who is in fandom herself, and who has moreover read/participated in decades' worth of academic writing and fan discussions. A book such as this feels like the natural (and necessary) continuation of earlier scholarship.
July 19, 2017
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.
Kristina Busse has written a thoughtful and thought provoking book that takes fans and fan fiction seriously. While she concentrates on elements of sex, particularly slash fiction, the underlying ideas seemed true for all of fan fiction. I particularly appreciated her focus on community within fandoms. Her focus on gender was fascinating and gave me a lot to think about.
I enjoyed stretching my academic reading muscles with this book. It is a worthwhile read for people who are fans or interested in fandom and fan fiction.
Kristina Busse has written a thoughtful and thought provoking book that takes fans and fan fiction seriously. While she concentrates on elements of sex, particularly slash fiction, the underlying ideas seemed true for all of fan fiction. I particularly appreciated her focus on community within fandoms. Her focus on gender was fascinating and gave me a lot to think about.
I enjoyed stretching my academic reading muscles with this book. It is a worthwhile read for people who are fans or interested in fandom and fan fiction.
August 17, 2017
There is a huge culture of fan fiction on the internet and this book gives it the credit it deserves. Yes there is some rubbish out there, but there is also some excellent writing and a way for many writers to hone their craft. Ms Busse has written a series of essays which treat the genre seriously and academically. There are some dense passages where I got a bit lost occasionally but there are many gems and the way the topics are handled is fresh and sent me off to explore. There can be no greater accolade for a book examining fan fiction, than it made me want to go and examine fan fiction.
I was given copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I was given copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.
August 22, 2017
Thank you to the publishers for providing an ARC of the book through NetGalley.
This was so interesting! Belonging to the fan community and reading about it, seeing it from the other side effectively, was absolutely incredible.
Kristina Busse takes fanfiction and fans seriously, and concentrates on certain tropes within fanfiction and the involvement of gender and the understanding of the self through these tropes. She uses various different fandoms as examples and it felt like a thorough read. Some parts were quite dense and difficult to read, but overall it was really interesting.
This was so interesting! Belonging to the fan community and reading about it, seeing it from the other side effectively, was absolutely incredible.
Kristina Busse takes fanfiction and fans seriously, and concentrates on certain tropes within fanfiction and the involvement of gender and the understanding of the self through these tropes. She uses various different fandoms as examples and it felt like a thorough read. Some parts were quite dense and difficult to read, but overall it was really interesting.
March 6, 2019
Research
I'm writing a course paper on fanfic writers and readers as information communities for my grad class, and I'm p!eased to say that I really enjoyed reading this to help focus my research and topic.
I'm writing a course paper on fanfic writers and readers as information communities for my grad class, and I'm p!eased to say that I really enjoyed reading this to help focus my research and topic.
November 17, 2017
A really interesting thesis! A bit dense at times but that's to be expected for a non-fiction piece of this caliber.
abandoned
October 26, 2017I made it through the introduction of this book. This topic is wildly fascinating as I have just recently become active in fan culture. However, I had to abandon the book because the formatting made it painfully difficult to read.
Read
November 30, 2018technically finished reading for research, but I'll be back in a couple weeks to reread it all in one sitting
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews