Fandoms in Publishing and Readers’ Advisory
Having renewed the Roman Catholic Church with “a new Pentecost,” Pope John XXIII was named Time magazine’s “Man of the Year” for 1962, the first pope to receive the title (Time, 1963). Decades later, Pope John Paul II attributed John XXIII with saying, “What unites us is much greater than what divides us” (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2001). These words ring true even today, when our nation is fraught with turmoil and unrest.
What are the things that unite us? For centuries, groups of people have been drawn together by common interest and activities. Derived from fanatic, the word “fan” has been used since the late 19th century to refer to “the devoted observers of, or participants in, a sport” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). However, this term has since expanded to include any “ardent admirer or enthusiast (as of a celebrity or a pursuit)” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Wikipedia (Fandom, 2021) defines a fandom as “a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest.”
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Kratos cosplayer at New York Comic Con in 2018.
Photo by Rhododentrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
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The word “fandoms” may bring to mind the television series Star Trek and its avid viewers who dress up as Spock and Kirk, attend conventions to meet the creators and actors, or write letters in a campaign to extend the franchise. However, the concept extends backwards in time to those who devoured Sherlock Holmes mysteries over a hundred years ago (Brown, 2009), or those who once fawned over the musical talents of Frank Sinatra, Elvis, the Beatles, or even Romantic musician
Franz Liszt (American Library Association, 2015).
The advent of the Internet cannot be ignored as a catalyst for the formation and promulgation of various fandoms, be it through blogs, fan forums, archives, online communities, or other formats (Romano, 2012). Reid (2018) reports that over 250,000 fans purchased tickets to attend the New York Comic Con in 2018, most of which tickets were purchased online.
The extensive power of fandoms to unite people bled over from the general zeitgeist of the 21st century into mainstream literature. This essay will discuss the impact of fandoms in recent publishing trends and how this impacts readers’ advisory. It also provides a list of fandom-inspired reading suggestions to help introduce a librarian to the trend, as well as new and future publications to keep an eye out for.
Recent Publishing Trends
While the concept of fandoms extends several decades and even centuries into our past, the influence of fandoms on mainstream publishing is particularly evident in the past decade. In 2013, the publisher St. Martin’s Griffin released
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, in which a girl named Cath navigates not only her transition from high school to college but also her obsession with a fictional character (Rowell, 2013). This depiction of fandom in the real world spawned a number of similar works, particularly in young adult and middle grade fiction.
In 2019, the Marvel Cinematic Universe – which supports a very large fan base – concluded its third phase of motion picture debuts with
Avengers: Endgame and
Spiderman: Far from Home (Ford & Kit, 2014). The hype has translated into literature with the publication of works that features superheroes in everyday situations;
Infinity Son by Adam Silvera and
The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune both feature superpowered individuals on alternate Earths where Internet-based fans are suddenly pulled into the action (BookPage, 2020).
Fandoms have the power to connect individuals who otherwise never would have met, and personal information – such as names – is often kept confidential amid online interactions (BookPage, 2020). In her recent work
I Kissed Alice, Anna Birch utilizes these aspects of fandoms in the story of two prep school rivals who unknowingly collaborate on an “Alice in Wonderland” webcomic and fall in love (Birch, 2020). There has also been a recent surge of work that feature fans engaging in fandom activities in the real world, such as
This Is How We Fly by Anna Meriano. This work stars a “muggle Quidditch team,” which consists of “no flying, no magic, just a bunch of scrappy players holding PVC pipe between their legs and throwing dodgeballs” in imitation of the wizarding sport from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series (Meriano, 2020).
It goes without saying that a readers’ advisory librarian should keep abreast of recent publication trends. It is only through a familiarity with new literature that a librarian can keep themselves relevant and informed. A knowledge of recent publishing trends will help both new and existing patrons to develop and deepen their trust in librarians. It can also help reluctant patrons be engaged with new literature and programs that relate to topics they care about.
Reading Suggestions
A librarian who desires to further understand this trend should read the aforementioned Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. This coming-of-age story which heavily features fanfiction was largely without precedent, and it served to kickstart the trend into overdrive. The remainder of the reading suggestions have not been previously named in this essay.
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson (2014): Teenager Kamala Khan dreams of joining the Avengers, but when dream comes true and she’s suddenly empowered with superhuman gifts, she struggles with her identity and her legacy as she tries to help her community. This graphic novel portrays the challenges that arise when a fan is drawn into the world they adore, as well as touching on topics like diversity, culture, and family relationships.
The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash (2016): Graham plans to use the upcoming comic book convention to get his lifelong best friend Roxy to fall in love with him, but he soon learns that real-life can be more complicated than fiction. The use of the comic con as a setting and plot device clearly demonstrates the cultural impact that fandoms have had on modern society.
Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky (2016): When four friends sneak into a Manhattan hotel to catch a glimpse of The Ruperts, their favorite boy band, things take a turn for the worse when one of them kidnaps and ties up one of the band members. And when Rupert is killed, things get even worse. Rife with dark, sadistic humor, this book shows the effect of fandoms through the extreme (and here, comically exaggerated) actions of fans.
All the Feels by Danika Stone (2016): When superfan Liv’s favorite character Spartan is killed off in the latest movie installment of Starveil, she launches a campaign to bring him back from the dead. This work offers a view into the inner world of fans, particularly the online venues in which they thrive. It also showcases the influence fans can have on real-life entities like movie producers and writers.
New and Future Publications
What I Like about You by Marisa Kanter (April 2020): After achieving popularity and becoming a couple with web comic author Nash via her Twitter pseudonym, Halle moves to her grandfather’s small town and is shocked to meet Nash in person. She struggles as to when and how to reveal her secret identity to the boy who may have already fallen in love with her alter ego.
Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston (August 2020): This retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” stars a teenage heartthrob who evades a tabloid scandal by fleeing to a small town where he meets a bookish girl in mourning over her mother’s death.
Spoiler Alert: A Novel by Olivia Dade (October 2020): Despite studio rules, Marcus, the star of a fantasy TV series, writes clandestine fanfiction about his character. When geologist April’s plus-sized cosplay goes viral on social media, Marcus asks her out and soon realizes that she is the fellow fanfiction writer he has befriended online. But how can he reveal the truth to her, and can their online romance survive in the real world?
Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala (January 2021): Winning the upcoming cosplay competition could secure Raffy an admission to art school, not to mention drum up respect for his talent. But things get complicated when he’s paired with his main competitor, ex-boyfriend Luca.
Down with This Ship by Katie Kingman (expected June 2021): Kole tries to keep her superb writing skills anonymous, but when she wins a major contest for her fanfiction and her identity is revealed, she’s thrown into heated ship wars, as well as social drama at school.
Conclusion
For centuries, humans have gravitated towards those who share their common interests. In today’s digital world, our potential to connect with each other has increased exponentially. Fans of almost any topic can find spaces to connect, create, and share with fellow fans. The power of fandoms has impacted mainstream publishing, resulting in several recent publishing trends. A readers’ advisory librarian should keep themselves current with new publications to establish trust with their patrons. An understanding of fandom-inspired literature could also help a library reach new patrons who otherwise may not have interest in library services. For example, a library could further leverage existent interest in science fiction fandoms to host “tournaments or other face-to-face social activities” in pursuit of their goals to be “centers of community and engagement” (American Library Association, 2015).
References
American Library Association. (2015, September 25). Fandom. Retrieved March 11, 2021, from http://www.ala.org/tools/future/trends/fandom
Birch, A. (2020). I kissed Alice. Macmillan.
BookPage. (2020, April 21). 9 publishing trends we’re loving right now. https://bookpage.com/features/25093-9-publishing-trends-were-loving-right-now
Brown, S. (2009, April 20). Scott Brown on Sherlock Holmes, obsessed nerds, and fan fiction. Wired. https://www.wired.com/2009/04/pl-brown-6/
Fandom. (2021, February 18). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fandom&oldid=1007484580
Ford, R. & Kit, B. (2014, October 28). Marvel reveals complete Phase 3 plans, dates ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Inhumans,’ ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/marvel-reveals-complete-phase-3-plans-dates-black-panther-inhumans-avengers-infinity-war-744455
Libreria Editrice Vaticana. (2001, February 9). Address of John Paul II to the catholic bishops of the Russian Federation on their "Ad Limina" visit. http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/2001/february/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20010209_russia-ad-limina.html
Meriano, A. (2020). This is how we fly. Philomel Books.
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Fan. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved March 10, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fan
Reid, C. (2018, October 10). A record 250,000 fans mob New York Comic Con 2018. Publishers Weekly. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/78281-a-record-250-000-fans-mob-new-york-comic-con-2018.html
Romano, A. (2012, August 7). A beginner’s guide to fandom. Daily Dot. Retrieved March 11, 2021, from https://www.dailydot.com/culture/beginners-guide-fandom-fanworks/
Rowell, R. (2013). Fangirl. St. Martin’s Griffin.
Time. (1963, January 4). Man of the Year. 81(1), 58-62
