h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oh dear, another person who has made only the most cursory attempt at proper research into the world of fanfic and yet again has managed to pollute what I am sure was meant to be a well-balanced, informative article with their own prejudices. Perhaps next time you are asked research and present an article you might be asked to tackle a subject you actually have at least basic respect for.

I've been writing fanfic for three years, in varied fandoms, and was puzzled to discover that accepted genre names and 'net shorthand has apparently been changed overnight to mean something completely different to the established norm. 'Gen' fic is not a form of 'ship' fic, it is the telling of a story that handles day-to-day events in your chosen characters lives. For example, within the Stargate fandom it would mean that you were telling the tale of an SG1 adventure off-world. Sorry to let you down, but nary a mention would be made of UST between O'Neill/Carter or Jackson/Fraser because people do not read gen fics for the romance. Also, humour is not lowered to basic toilet humour or ridiculous extremes because most authors who choose to write in this genre are in the main skilled and well-versed in the art of writing comedy and are more than capable of raising a laugh without sinking to the author of this article's desperate measures.

A very disappointing effort at understanding the culture of fanfic and its impact on the wider world.

MOst authors who choose to write fanfic - like most authors who choose to write anything - are terrible. The vast bulk of fanfiction in all fields is beyond dire to the point of being unreadable. What has happened in the years since the writing of this article however is a proliferation of accessible, user-friendly and highly selective archives, which has made it much easier to find the good stuff.

All definitions used in the article are based on extensive research of fan fiction sies across the internet and across genres. At the time, the definition of Gen was very strongly slanted towards describing either het or canon relationship or sex fiction.

I don't deny that if I wrote it today the article would be very different, but I don't think I've been unfair to anyone. The bulk of fan fiction is terrible and the fact that some people write stuff that is very good will not change that.

'Gen' fic is not a form of 'ship' fic, it is the telling of a story that handles day-to-day events in your chosen characters lives. For example, within the Stargate fandom it would mean that you were telling the tale of an SG1 adventure off-world. Sorry to let you down, but nary a mention would be made of UST between O'Neill/Carter or Jackson/Fraser because people do not read gen fics for the romance

Ah, but to write in "canon" for those characters a certain amount (at least with Jack/Sam) of UST must be there, since the writers of the show themselves say it exists.

And if you, as I suspect you probably do (as a fic writer), hang around in online Stargate fandom - you'll realise that it is a massive bone of contention... since I think it seems to be accepted these days that Genfic is close to canon.

Or is my brain fried by having seen (against my will) a massive listing of Harry Potter slashfic?

"Or is my brain fried by having seen (against my will) a massive listing of Harry Potter slashfic?"

An area I am prepared to go out on a limb and say is just plain wrong in all ways.

Having just seen HP3 I can now say... ok, I can take the teachers being slashed. In fact, I'm itching to do Lupin/Black

But... I've seen too many summaries with HP & Snape for instance, and that thought alone fair turns the stomach.

Heck, I think I'd reather read a tentacle rape fic.