Fan fiction and premodern literature: Methods and definitions

Authors

  • Anna Wilson Harvard University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2021.2037

Keywords:

Affect theory, Classical studies, Early modern studies, Fan fiction research, Medieval studies, Queer theory

Abstract

It is a cliché of any introduction to fan fiction to claim its precursors in canonical authors, including Virgil, Shakespeare, Dante, Chaucer, and Milton. But what does it mean to call the Aeneid or the Divine Comedy fan fiction? What kinds of analyses might such an approach generate? A survey of the nascent field of premodern fan fiction studies reveals three main axes of approaches to reading premodern literature through the lens of fan fiction (poaching, transformation, and affect), which are organized in turn around different definitions of fan fiction, suggesting one possible interdisciplinary theoretical model. Rather than focusing on the selection of canonical texts, this burgeoning and vibrant field of study must instead focus on developing its methodology.

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Published

2021-09-14

Issue

Vol. 36 (2021): General

Section

Theory

License

Copyright (c) 2021 Anna Wilson

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