Rainbow Rowell, a young adult novelist, has managed to do something original enough to make a stir in the literary world.
She’s written a fanfiction of a fanfiction.
For those who don’t know, a fanfiction is when someone takes the world or characters of a published book, TV show, movie or comic, and creates a new story based on these pre-existing works.
For years, fanfiction managed to fly peaceably under the radar. It was exchanged through newsletter chains and then email listservs. It was shared through entries in LiveJournal or Wattpad, and gossiped over in relative anonymity on fanfiction.net. People knew about it if they knew about it and would rarely stumble over it unintentionally unless combing through the recesses of the Internet.
Nowadays, because (of course) of the rise of technology, fandom communities are gaining a louder, more present and persuasive voice, and because of certain pop culture sensations that wouldn’t exist without fanfiction — *cough* Fifty Shades of Grey *cough* — the medium has expanded beyond its relatively obscure roots.
Personally, I love it. Do you hate the fact that Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley got married? Perhaps they don’t have to. Need more "Orange is the New Black" to tide you over until the next season? There is plenty more drama out there. Itching to dig your teeth into the details of "Gossip Girl"? Curious about the backstory of Legolas from "Lord of the Rings"? Jonesing for some softcore literary porn? Look no further than fanfiction, my friend.
Whatever your opinions are on the genre, whether you think it’s an insult to an author’s original work, a respectful homage to the influence of a writer or simply an expression of playful creativity, fanfiction is here to stay and it’s growing fast.
Rainbow Rowell’s recently released novel, "Carry On," is special because of its very purpose as a reimagined work of fanfiction.
In "Carry On," Rowell writes about characters from the fictional literary series in one of her previous books, "Fangirl." In "Fangirl" (which 10/10 would recommend), the imagined literary series is a careful but obvious rip-off of the magical world of Harry Potter.
In "Carry On," Rowell is essentially writing a fanfiction of her own work, mixed with something super similar to a fanfiction of Harry Potter. In the immortal words of Keanu Reeves, whoa.
This is an achievement for the literary world because it manages to use a template from someone else to create something truly original and exciting. Better yet, instead of sweeping that template under the rug, as many other authors have done, "Carry On" admits where the seeds of its creation came from.
Rowell consciously knows aspects of her world are similar to the world of Hogwarts, but her novel is a testament to just how good fanfiction can really be. And sometimes, it’s good enough to stand on its own.
Authors have used other authors’ ideas or built off of other people’s worlds for decades. They are skilled in taking a concept and twisting it, turning it upside down or looking at it from a different angle to fit a new creative vision.
A new version of Sherlock Holmes? That’s fanfiction. A remake of a popular superhero movie? Pretty much fanfiction.
Rainbow Rowell’s "Carry On" is a great novel, and it’s great fanfiction. Hopefully, it will help more people realize these two things do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Sally Greider is an English and public relations major. Her columns appear on Wednesdays.
