Inverse

Welcome to Fan Fiction Week

Without fan fiction, much of our literary canon simply would not exist. From classics like The Odyssey to modern phenomena like The Love Hypothesis, many of our favorite stories are inspired by, based upon, or an outright homage to others that came before them. And while not everything that pays tribute to another great piece of art is legally or technically fanfic, you can find the spirit of fan fiction everywhere.

At Bustle and Inverse, we love exploring the most interesting corners of entertainment. But we, like you, are fans — fans who let the TV, films, and books become part of our imaginings.

Fan fiction can be steamy and sometimes elicit a chuckle or make us blush (or both!). But it is prevalent in pop culture, and as this week’s series of articles will reveal, it's also woven into the history of the best fictional worlds. Over the next few days, we’re teaming up to dive into Heated Rivalry’s fic boom, the rise of LitRPGs, how Star Trek created fanfic as we know it, the story behind the Star Wars fic that created The Love Hypothesis, how fans got their own sex education via the spiciest fics, and much more.

We hope you’ll discover something new to love about your favorite fandom or, even better, feel inspired to create your very own fanfic. If there’s anything we’ve learned from writing, editing, and researching this special issue, it’s that the power of great fiction is already in all of us.

— Gabrielle Bondi, Entertainment Editor, Bustle

— Ryan Britt, Features Editor, Inverse