On reading.
Jan. 6th, 2007 06:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
emmagrant01I just read this post by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
maeglinyedi about the recent Laurell K. Hamilton wank, and followed the links there for some entertaining reading. And while checking out the comments left on several of those posts, it occurred to me that I only vaguely know who that author is.
Because here's the thing: with the exception of the HP books and some Star Wars profic, I haven't read fiction in... years. I can only recall reading one novel in the last five years -- Playing With Boys, by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez. And I only read that because I was about to get on a long flight and it was half-price in the airport book shop. It was okay, though I remember thinking at the time that it really wasn't as good as a lot of the fanfic I read.
It sounds kind of weird, but my pleasure reading consists almost exclusively of fan fiction these days. And you know, I don't feel a bit bad about that. I know I should read some of that great "literature" professional writers produce, but... I'd really rather read fanfic. There's more HP fanfic out there than I could ever hope to read, and it's (1) free, (2) written by people who share my obsession with the HP-verse, (3) contains much better quality smut (het and slash) than anything I've ever encountered in profic (including pro erotica), and (4) a few keystrokes away. If I read something I like, I can leave a comment for the author and most likely will get an acknowledgment. I can get to know the writer on LJ, and she can get to know me too, if she likes. We might even end up drinking beer together at a con sometime, heh.
But I think the big thing that draws me to fanfic is that there are authors writing in fandom who are incredibly talented, whose writing is far better than that of the majority of published novelists, and they're doing it in their spare time, just for the fun of it. And then they are generous enough to give it to other fans for free, expecting nothing in return. Many of them spend a great deal of their own time and money maintaining web sites for their fiction, just to make it easier for readers to find. That's the greatest thing ever, really. ♥
Fandom may have its wank, but hey -- read LKH's wanky blog post, and tell me that's not worse than the most spoiled and self-obsessed BNF rant you've ever seen. I'll take fandom, thanks. ;-)
maeglinyedi about the recent Laurell K. Hamilton wank, and followed the links there for some entertaining reading. And while checking out the comments left on several of those posts, it occurred to me that I only vaguely know who that author is. Because here's the thing: with the exception of the HP books and some Star Wars profic, I haven't read fiction in... years. I can only recall reading one novel in the last five years -- Playing With Boys, by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez. And I only read that because I was about to get on a long flight and it was half-price in the airport book shop. It was okay, though I remember thinking at the time that it really wasn't as good as a lot of the fanfic I read.
It sounds kind of weird, but my pleasure reading consists almost exclusively of fan fiction these days. And you know, I don't feel a bit bad about that. I know I should read some of that great "literature" professional writers produce, but... I'd really rather read fanfic. There's more HP fanfic out there than I could ever hope to read, and it's (1) free, (2) written by people who share my obsession with the HP-verse, (3) contains much better quality smut (het and slash) than anything I've ever encountered in profic (including pro erotica), and (4) a few keystrokes away. If I read something I like, I can leave a comment for the author and most likely will get an acknowledgment. I can get to know the writer on LJ, and she can get to know me too, if she likes. We might even end up drinking beer together at a con sometime, heh.
But I think the big thing that draws me to fanfic is that there are authors writing in fandom who are incredibly talented, whose writing is far better than that of the majority of published novelists, and they're doing it in their spare time, just for the fun of it. And then they are generous enough to give it to other fans for free, expecting nothing in return. Many of them spend a great deal of their own time and money maintaining web sites for their fiction, just to make it easier for readers to find. That's the greatest thing ever, really. ♥
Fandom may have its wank, but hey -- read LKH's wanky blog post, and tell me that's not worse than the most spoiled and self-obsessed BNF rant you've ever seen. I'll take fandom, thanks. ;-)
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Date: 2007-01-07 05:22 am (UTC)This discussion is really interesting. Since discovering fandom (and mostly as a lurker/reader, at that) I've often wondered how everyone finds so much time to read fic, write fic, beta, blog, comment, leave feedback, etc. and still be as well-read as everyone seems to be. I've always been a voracious reader, and I was alarmed to see how much my other reading dropped off once I discovered H/D. It's rebounded a bit, now that the shine has worn off some. Right now I'm feeling very gratified to know that I'm not the only one!
As much as I agree with you about the quality of a lot of fanfic, there are still things I can only get out of pro fic. I have a taste for historical fiction that could never be satisfied by fanfic. And...not to bring up any in-fandom wank, but I love to crit and analyse what I read (HP4GU everyday, for instance)--and though the community thing is great--this is an area that doesn't really exist for fanfic stories themselves. It gets a little touchy. Also, I like a nice, plotty story along with good characterization, and while there are some really great, plotty, long, fics out there, it's not enough for me. I like something epic sometimes. Plus...I'm always on the lookout for new characters to love.
I guess I'm not ready to throw my books away yet!
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Date: 2007-01-07 10:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-07 05:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-07 04:54 pm (UTC)