Have you ever read a novel that you suspect was originally fanfic?

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Aren't they mostly dead?

They weren't in 1999 when the movie was made.

[Freeshadow]

I wouldn't touch fanfic with a stick...

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

I wouldn't touch fanfic with a stick...

Why not?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Why not?

Not everyone likes fanfic. While I've read a few in my distant past, it's not really my cup of tea. Not because I think the quality is poor (as with self-pubs, I've seen some excellent writers there), but in general I dislike shared universes and prequels/sequels/side books written by other authors than the original one. This is just a quirk of mine. That's why I don't read officially published Star Trek or Star Wars books either. Or sequels/prequels to famous classics written by modern authors. For me, it's the original or nothing.

OTOH, I don't mind genre tropes as such, so I can read books with some similarity in plot/characters/world building happily enough. I just want it to be an original work, at least in some aspects. I wouldn't mind if it had started its life as fanfic, as long as enough original elements were introduced later on.

[hildea]

I've read a lot of published novels which were fanfic, but none where I didn't know that's what it was from the beginning.

The only one that's typical modern fanfic was a hockey romance where I'd read a review mentioning that it started as a captain America/Bucky Barnes fanfic. I doubt anyone who only knew the films and comics would recognize the inspiration, though. It had several of the fanfic tropes, but a lot of those have moved pretty far away from the original inspiration. It's quite good. (Rachel Reid's Game Changer)

The vast majority of published fanfic I've read have been based on works which are no longer under copyright, so they could state it openly: Sherlock Holmes, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Georgette Heyer, Prisoner of Zenda, HC Andersen, probably more. I'd also put fairy tale and myth retellings in this category. I enjoy seeing different takes on the same story.

[Freeshadow]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Why not?

If someone is good/creative enough to write a good! story s/he doesn't need to rip off somebody else's background.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

If someone is good/creative enough to write a good! story s/he doesn't need to rip off somebody else's background.

is all I can react to that argument.

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

is all I can react to that argument.

Agreed!

Many use other people's work to basically encourage themselves to put their own spin on already established characters of what they wanted to see. If they discover they have developed a good following of people who like their versions of stories, that then gives them the courage to write their own characters and stories and even publish them with an already built in audience! That's a win for everyone.

So long as they aren't selling the stories I have no problem with them writing fanfic for fun and other people's enjoyment.

A fan fic story introduced me to an author who I then proceeded to buy just about every book she has written. So that "rip off" can work both ways!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

Agreed!

Many use other people's work to basically encourage themselves to put their own spin on already established characters of what they wanted to see. If they discover they have developed a good following of people who like their versions of stories, that then gives them the courage to write their own characters and stories and even publish them with an already built in audience! That's a win for everyone.

So long as they aren't selling the stories I have no problem with them writing fanfic for fun and other people's enjoyment.

A fan fic story introduced me to an author who I then proceeded to buy just about every book she has written. So that "rip off" can work both ways!

I've been introduced some authors because of their work writing tie-in fiction such as Star Trek. I see this as no problem at all.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

If someone is good/creative enough to write a good! story s/he doesn't need to rip off somebody else's background.

And WHY! does it count as a rip-off?
A number of Authors allow Fans to play in their universe. How much editorial control they use?? I can't say. (And those that say MINE, go away)

Then there are 'Collaborations' ? You see a particular Authors name included on the cover along with a (sometimes not-so) Newbie team up.

Some folk have a good tale idea, but writing style is , thus this pairing works ( $$ ) for both .

In other cases the original authors well or health has run low and the fans still get served.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

If someone is good/creative enough to write a good! story s/he doesn't need to rip off somebody else's background.

Oddly, several series that I read are set in a shared universe. One example is Eric Flint's 1632/Ring of Fire books. There was a mass of short stories written in the Grantville Gazette (~100 issues as ebooks) plus the 1632 & Beyond books. I suspect that quite a few people share my love for those stories. Yes, some of the stories were written by known names but the majority were written by people with their first entry in professional writing.

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've been introduced some authors because of their work writing tie-in fiction such as Star Trek. I see this as no problem at all.

Neither do I. Shoot it was fan fic that kept me reading when the print in paper books simply became too hard to read. Then I got my first Sony ereader and I haven't looked back!

[Apache]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Oddly, several series that I read are set in a shared universe. One example is Eric Flint's 1632/Ring of Fire books. There was a mass of short stories written in the Grantville Gazette (~100 issues as ebooks) plus the 1632 & Beyond books. I suspect that quite a few people share my love for those stories. Yes, some of the stories were written by known names but the majority were written by people with their first entry in professional writing.

I always thought Eric Flint was smart to allow others to write in his Universe. It gave readers more stories to read and helped people get a start as an author.
Apache

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Apache

I always thought Eric Flint was smart to allow others to write in his Universe. It gave readers more stories to read and helped people get a start as an author.
Apache

There was quite a bit of argument about that. I was in the it's a great idea group since as you said the readers got more stories especially for those of us who love having the background characters get their own stories. A lot of the authors involved would agree as many them got to write a story within the canon and get feedback from professional authors and editors.

[Freeshadow]

there is a difference for me between writing WITH the original authors permission be it by teaming or writing along the lines the author of the bookverse has set up for doing so and fanfic. I always regarded 'fanfic' as "let's trespass somebody else's bookverse and run our own barbecue unasked"