Yes, it’s messy, derivative and occasionally incomprehensible – but so is life
F
an fiction is democracy in its purest, most chaotic form. It’s the people seizing the means of production. Every “what if?” is a tiny revolution. What if the side character got a backstory? What if the finale didn’t end in heartbreak? What if Harry Styles and Zayn Malik kissed just once, for morale?
Of course, many would argue that fan fiction isn’t real literature. It borrows worlds and characters that someone else created. It’s often unedited, published online for free and written by people with no verified experience. To the purists, it lacks originality, polish and commercial value, the hallmarks of what they believe “serious” writing should be.
But this is to misunderstand the purpose of fan fiction. Fan fiction starts with the itch of dissatisfaction, it is the art of emotional correction. When what is canon fails to deliver, the fan fiction writers step in, armed with Word documents and righteous indignation. You think this character deserved more hand-holding? Fine. Someone out there is writing 10,000 words of forehead kisses and mutual healing right now.
