Itâs pure coincidence that the editors over at AfterElton sent us this sort-of literary story this morning (we guard our editorial schedule like a hooker guards their real age). In it, Michael Ricci takes a look at âslash fiction:â âself-published stories written by fans featuring characters from television, movies and books.â While the genre got itâs name from the backslash separating the characters involved, we prefer to think it came from some over zealous fan having one too many slashes and finding a geeky outlet for their amphetamine soaked imaginations. But thatâs just us.
While GLAAD may bemoan the dearth of gay characters on television, theyâll find plenty of homo-lovinâ in these fictional takes on television favorites. For example, Angel and Spike are bitter enemies on Buffy, but may find themselves getting a little closer than they ever did on television. It may surprise you to know that many of the pensters behind slash fiction are women. Why? Good question.
Marianne Landon, whose slash fiction career started ten years ago, says:
In my case, I can tell you that television writers have a massive problem right now in heterosexual relationships. Itâs a simple one really: They donât know how to write them. I donât tune into shows, watch movies or read books for the unresolved sexual tension. I tune [in] to watch the characters and the advancement of their relationships. Iâd rather see no romance at all than what television considers romance these days. They go into it to tease us with the âwill they, wonât they,â and at a certain point I stop caring⌠The fact that the characters are both men is not an obstacle to me â nor should it be. In truth, itâs a factor that very rarely enters my mind.
Hmmm, not so much of an explanation, so we canât help but assume this young lassie gets her rocks off thinking about hunky men enjoying other hunky men. And, really, can we blame her?
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The first slash fictions arose after Star Trek got the televisual ax. Itâs gained popularity ever since. Not surprisingly, not everyoneâs so enthused. Anne Rice, the Queen of vampire books, says:
It upsets me terribly to even think about fan fiction with my characters. I advise my readers to write your own original stories with your own characters. It is absolutely essential that you respect my wishes.
We tend to agree with Rice. Why not stretch your imagination a little and write something original. Yes, we all have our favorite tv characters, but why not save them for your masturbatory fantasies like the rest of us?
demoniodehiel
I love spangel slash !
Thaks for article đ
Lee
I think Anne Rice needs to get over herself. For one thing…it will help her mental health greatly as there is not one frakking thing she can do about it. I also think fanfic is a normal psychological outlet when people get frustrated with the places the writers have take the characters. I don’t think it hurts anyone. It is free so is not hurting sales, etc. I think one mans sushi is another man’s steak… Anne Rice needs some breathing exercises… She can’t control the world and once her characters are out there…she can’t control…my hand…or anyone else’s.
…and I’m not even saying I would like it if I was an author and someone did it to my characters. I am just saying there are a lot more important things to be upset about than things you have NO control over.
Lee
Tami
Slash fiction started with Star Trek: The Original Series. The truth of it is, we write it because the writers are never consistent. You bring up Spangel. I love Spangel fic, slash or otherwise. Joss Whedon in BTVS S2, wrote that Angel was Spike’s Sire, but then changed that in BTVS S5, when the WB network told him that he couldn’t portray Angelus biting Spike. So he changed it to Drusilla turning Spike. When in the reality of the ATS/BTVS lore, Drusilla was too insane to sire minions let alone a vampire of Spike’s caliber. So, the fanfic writers write what they like to have happened, and you know what? 80% of the fanfiction out there for any TV show is better than what any of the professional writers could come up with. Joss Whedon knows about fanfiction. When asked once what fans should do now that both ATS and BTVS were off the air, he said “write fanfiction”. As for Spike/Angel’s relationship, Joss commented ATS S5 was the relationship between Spike/Angel. And in a commentary on ATS S5 DVD set that “Angel and Spike have a long history. They spent years and years being all kinds of deviant. They’re vampires! Come on people, are we saying they never?” So, yes…Spangel is canon and it is Slash and we write it because we enjoy exploring that relationship.
Nona
Just so you know, not *all* fanfiction is slash: there’s a whole wide world of stories of all stripes, from slash to het romance to the entirely G-rated. As someone who reads (and writes) all three, I have to say that telling fanwriters to go make up our own stories is missing the point a little: what a lot of us are there for is the community of like-minded writers, all working with the same characters and context. It’s awfully interesting to see someone watch the same show or read the same book as you, and draw entirely different conclusions that get expressed as some very entertaining reading. Not that that’s the only reason to be a fanwriter– I’d imagine that there are as many of those as there are of us.
Amanda
I’m more into Xander/Spike but I’m all for saving slash. I think that BtVS fans can write all they want of slash since Joss said that fans can write fanfics.