Must-read fan fiction for 'Firefly,' 'Sleepy Hollow,' 'X-Files'
One True Pairing (OTP), shipper wars (Buffy/Angel vs. Buffy/Spike), canon (Mulder/Scully) or non-canon (Harry/Hermione). These are some of the topics that fan fiction writers explore, debate, fight over and often consider sacred ground.
In this month's post, I wanted to share some fandom/fan fiction jargon, some of which has crossed over into mainstream pop culture. Once upon a time I didn't know what One True Pairing, canon or shipper wars meant. Today, I hear them used in various situations, not only relating to fan fiction or fandom. In other words, fan fiction is going mainstream.
A somewhat surprising trend (at least to me) is the impact of fandoms and fan fiction on television programming. Of course, I'm not 1,000% sure about this, but the fangirl in me likes to dream (and dream big). So when a non-canon character such as Arrow's Felicity Smoak (played by Emily Bett Rickards) — who was not originally in the DC Comics — emerges as Oliver Queen's OTP, my fangirl heart goes pitter-pat. And who knows, "Olicity" may become even more canon soon. Another example comes from fans of Sleepy Hollow. They can take a little credit for recent changes to that show (I know I am!).
THIS WEEK'S FANFIC RECS
In this post, my fan fiction recommendations are from the fandoms of three television shows. One was canceled, one is on hiatus and another is making a return after 13 years off the air.
(A reminder: I will reveal the identity of the fan fiction author only with the author's written permission or if it's already public knowledge.)
Fandom: Firefly
This fandom was born a while ago but still ranks high on my list of favorites — Joss Whedon's Firefly. There were 14 episodes produced, but only 11 aired during the show's first and only season. But the enthusiasm of the "Browncoats," the name adopted by the fandom, could not be denied and helped the film Serenity become a reality.
There are many excellent fan fiction stories from this fandom, but my first recommendation is a story featuring Zoe (played by Gina Torres) and Mal (played by Nathan Fillion). Although not an OTP in terms of romance, Zoe and Mal were the OTP of what friendship is all about.
Water's Edge asks, What if Zoe and Mal had a fight? Who would win? Enjoy!
Fandom: Sleepy Hollow
First off, a virtual fist-bump to the head honchos at Fox for the recent announcement of a third season for this fantastic show. And yes, I am a huge fan! So, hurrah!
Fan fiction has been popping up all over the place since the show premiered in 2013. Now, with a third season and major cast changes (you know what I'm saying), there's a real possibility that my OTP for this show may become canon — fingers crossed. In the meantime, Bleak reads like an episode. The only risk is it's a WIP (work in progress) but seemingly regularly updated, so I had to rec it.
More Sleepy Hollow fan fiction can be found at the following websites:
Archive of Our Own (general Sleepy Hollow fanfiction)
Archive of Our Own (Ichabod Crane and Abbie Mills fanfic)
Fandom: The X-Files
The X-Files was one of the most prolific fan fiction fandoms going before Harry Potter took over fic-dom beginning in the late 1990s. The X-Files fandom produced a huge amount of fic, and recently, the loyal fan base received some exciting news about the return of Scully and Mulder. The X-Files six-part event is slated to go into production this summer and will be on the air sooner than we can say OTP!
Here are a few websites and Internet sanctums to visit for X-Files fan fiction:
The X-Files is Love on Live Journal
xf_book_club on Live Journal
Denny S. Bryce won the 2014 RWA Golden Heart in romantic suspense. Her website is www.dennysbryce.com. You can also follow her on Twitter (@dennysbryce) or connect with her on Facebook