Imagine if you could rewrite a TV show or movie. Fan Fiction allows you to write an original story based on existing TV shows, movies, characters, settings, and more. So, if you wanted to move Spiderman from Marvel to DC Comics, you could. Or say you want to write a new ending to “Pretty Little Liars.” What would you add or change? New stories are born through fan fiction, and it has a big impact on pop culture. Let’s explore a few fan fiction themes.
Romance is a popular genre in Fan Fiction. Fabio Lanzoni, an Italian actor known for movies like “Zoolander” and “Dude, Where’s My Car?”, has made a few appearances in romance fiction. Known for his muscular build, golden flowing hair, and charming personality, he’s been the face of many romance novels. A book called “Gentle Rogue” by Johanna Lindsey features Fabio and a woman on the cover. Fabio’s presence exemplifies themes like love, heroism, and masculinity, all of which could inspire pop culture. Some people have even viewed Fabio as a real-life Thor due to his appearance and superhero stature. It would be interesting to see Fabio portray a superhero or even a mythological god, as these characters have inspired events like Comic conventions in today’s society.
Mystery is another popular genre in Fan Fiction. The Wizarding World is always full of secrets and mysteries to solve. Harry Potter being such a fan favorite for a lot of people has created numerous outlets for people to add to the story or even change some of the plots. On the WebNovel literature platform, there’s a story about Harry Potter and AI that stood out. The writer goes by the name of The Fanfic God. Essentially, Harry Potter is given an AI assistant that can enhance his magical powers, give him wit, and provide him with other resources. Through this, Harry can take a different approach when navigating his life as a wizard and family and friend dynamics. As AI becomes more popular nowadays, it’s very relevant to pop culture today. It could also make you wonder what the dangers are with Harry’s given wizard skills paired with AI. Would there be any conflict between the two? What if Harry was put in a different house such as Slytherin, how would Harry’s use of AI shift if at all? Harry Potter has made a large impact on pop culture. It’s given people opportunities to incorporate themes about diversity, gender, and technology, and even shift their perspectives. We’ve seen the effects it has on pop culture as there’s an entire Wizarding World of Harry Potter-themed-land at Universal Studios. Merchandise related to the Harry Potter houses and all of the characters in the film series is available in stores like Barnes and Noble. The franchise has created a community of Harry Potter fans that we see today.
Fantasy romance is another genre we can find in fan fiction. Remember the Team Edward vs. Team Jacob discussion? Finding Bella’s match was one of the most important things for Twilight Saga fans. Fan Fiction writers have explored other storylines such as pairing Bella with Jacob or even keeping Bella as a human. One story that caught my attention was a story called “A Killer Summer” by a writer who goes by the name So Many Anchors on FanFiction.net. It explores the dark side of Edward, a suspected killer of girls who look like Bella. While Bella’s love for him grows, she becomes skeptical about the disappearances of the girls and wonders who might be doing it. It tells an alternate story of Edward being a villain. Pop culture has been impacted by supernatural romance, “shipping” Bella with one of her love interests, and femininity to name a few.
Fan Fiction continues to grow as a popular and new way to convey storytelling and connect fans. This way of storytelling gives you the freedom to add another chapter to their story or to reimagine their story altogether. Had Fan Fiction not existed, we would have to say goodbye to our favorite TV shows, movies, and characters, like some of the ones mentioned. But because of Fan Fiction, it provides another outlet for new stories to be born and for existing ones to stay alive. A new story starts with you.
