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Are works of fanfiction within the site scope (either as independent text, or in context of the main literary work that they are fanfiction of).

I'm asking about questions with fanfic as their topic.

I'm NOT asking if fanfics can be used in answers (which is a wholly separate question).

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  • 3
    I'd be very disappointed if something like HPMOR wouldn't be on-topic :(
    – muru
    Jan 19, 2017 at 15:16
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    @muru - I was thinking more "My Immortal" </troll> :)
    – DVK
    Jan 19, 2017 at 15:18
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    How would you distinguish fan-fiction from any other literature without professional publishing? Clarifying the defition a little might help answering the question (or resolve it altogether).
    – Cahir Mawr Dyffryn æp Ceallach
    Jan 19, 2017 at 15:25
  • @ChristianRau - fanfiction openly admits to belong to a universe of an existing work, usually. (let's not talk about 50 shades here, please? :)
    – DVK
    Jan 19, 2017 at 15:26
  • This is another meta question trying to solve a problem we don't actually have.
    – Helmar
    Jan 20, 2017 at 9:37
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    @Helmar - since I actively plan to ask a question on that topic, it is very certainly a problem that "we" have since hopefully, I as a user am considered as part of "we"
    – DVK
    Jan 20, 2017 at 23:44
  • I wasn't challenging any definition of we, but that we try to establish stuff without any actual question. Ask your question and if it is well received we don't need this meta question at all. Then ask another one, and some more after that. I'm saying there is no need to meta something on-topic that very likely is. Just ask. If it's disputed you can always come back to meta.
    – Helmar
    Jan 20, 2017 at 23:51
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    @Helmar - (1) This is different from asking a wholly theoretical scope question - I already know I'll ask fanfic questions if they're in scope; (2) that policy of organic scope getting has a problem in that a poorly received question (on merits) acts as a poison pill to acceptance of the topic. Not all of my questions are well received, as such I'd rather establish scope before possibly ruining things. .
    – DVK
    Jan 20, 2017 at 23:59
  • It's not, because without example no one can answer this meta question. Only you know what you really have in mind. That's why I implore you to just ask your question. Every indication so far is pointing to them being on-topic. But we really can only judge on that when we have an actual question.
    – Helmar
    Jan 21, 2017 at 0:05
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    @Helmar - What I have in mind is 100% crystal clear (at least, in my mind, I may have expressed it less clearly but that's an issue with my question, not with its approach). I want to ask the same exact question that would/could be asked of a normal published literature test, except the work being asked about is a fanfic.
    – DVK
    Jan 21, 2017 at 0:11

3 Answers 3

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Absolutely yes. Fanfic is fiction, after all — stories. Stories are literature.

It might help if the poster put a link to the story in the question if possible, since the likelihood is high that people willing to answer won't have read it (even blockbusters like My Immortal).

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I'd say a tentative Yes for questions about fan-fic, with the understanding that fan-fics will tend to generally be lower quality, might have a lot of logical issues depending on the particular fan-fic, and aren't considered part of the original canon.

I think the default for answers should use in-canon sources (like Pottermore for example) unless the question specifically allows fan-fic.

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  • Sorry for being unclear, I edited. I'm asking about fanfics being the question's subject, not the answer's source.
    – DVK
    Jan 19, 2017 at 15:37
  • @DVK attempted to make my answerer clearer
    – DForck42
    Jan 19, 2017 at 15:40
  • The last paragraph seems a bit superfluous, to be honest, since the question pre-supposes that the question does indeed allow fan-fic :)
    – DVK
    Jan 19, 2017 at 15:42
  • @DVK better to have it written somewhere than assumed and cause confusion later
    – DForck42
    Jan 19, 2017 at 15:43
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Fanfiction is literature, albeit, it's generally lower quality than the work it was based off of. I don't see a problem with allowing it on the site for now, but the only real way to see if it will have a negative impact on the site is to wait and see.

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