Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Curtis Gruenler
Document Type
Poster
Event Date
4-11-2014
Abstract
As the Internet is playing an increasing role in our lives and consciousness, literary scholars are now entering the conversation on how technology has impacted the way we think about and experience literature. New trends in digital literature such as the extraordinarily popular phenomenon of fan fiction—web-based fiction written by amateur fan-authors who build upon already established characters, settings, and plotlines—have created quite the controversy, causing us to re-examine many concepts, from the roles of readers and writers in the creative process to how we define literature itself. Does fan fiction have a place in the literary world or is it merely another new craze of popular culture? In my theoretical inquiry into fan fiction, I apply a framework of analysis developed by J.R.R. Tolkien in his study of fairy stories which may serve to point out the potential of this new digital literacy and address some key concerns involved in an in-depth investigation of fan fiction.
Recommended Citation
Repository citation: Palomino, Amanda, "The Tolkien Guide to the Literary Phenomenon of Fan Fiction" (2014). 13th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Performance (2014). Paper 73.
https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/curcp_13/73
April 11, 2014. Copyright © 2014 Hope College, Holland, Michigan.
Comments
This project was supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Scholars Program in the Arts & Humanities at Hope College.