A Fanfiction Syllabus

A Fanfiction Syllabus: Ten classics that cover the history, breadth, and depth of the form, with original custom-designed covers is a 2015 essay written by Abraham Riesman. It is part of It’s a Fanmade World: From One Direction to Soderbergh, a collection of nine essays and posts by various commentators. 
The article cited consultation help from several fans known for their meta writing, including Aja Romano and Gavia Baker-Whitelaw. It received a mixed response from fans who felt the syllabus failed to properly represent the range and diversity of fanfiction.
== The "Fanfiction Syllabus" ==
It’s a Fanmade World: From One Direction to Soderbergh is a 2015 collection of nine essays and posts by various commentators, of which "A Fanfiction Syllabus" is one of the main essays. The majority of fan comments and reactions to the collection were in response to the Fanfiction Syllabus, which stirred up some controversy. Fan comments faulted the essay for being too focused on dudeslash, on slash in general, and lots of fans had opinions on what fandoms should have counted as "classic examples."
The "Fanfiction Syllabus" is described as follows: "Ten classics that cover the history, breadth, and depth of the form, with original custom-designed covers." The section was written by Abraham Riesman, with "consultation help" from Cyndy Aleo, Emily Asher-Perrin, Charlotte Geater, Anne Jamison, Aja Romano, and Gavia Baker-Whitelaw.
The Syllabus:
* After by Anna Todd, 2013 (One Direction): "There's a real, and counterintuitive, homey charm to Todd's rendering of an emotionally unbalanced, Fifty Shades-ish romance between a teenage girl and Harry Styles."
* The Shoebox Project by Lady Jaida and Dorkorific, 2004 (Harry Potter): "A beautiful literary collage of items—love notes, photographs—that Hogwarts professor Remus Lupin stored in a shoe box."
* Written by the Victors by Speranza, 2007 (Stargate: Atlantis): "This work clocks in at a burly 52,843 words, and takes the form of fake encyclopedia articles, invented indexes, and tales from iffy narrators. Very Borges-ian."
* Kraith Collected edited by by Carol Lynn, 1972 (Star Trek): "This early fanfiction was published in Star Trek fanzines beginning in the '70s, and developed a level of world-building detail far beyond what Gene Roddenberry achieved.
* Flesh Mechanic by Kel and Lise, 2003 ('N Sync): "Justin Timberlake's former bandmates start to suspect he might be a serial killer in this story recounted through sequential webpages mocked up to look like maps and New York Times articles."
* The Sandwich Story by Meredith, 2008 (Calvin & Hobbes): "Calvin grows up, and stuffed-animal magic no longer seems so real. Sandwich foregrounds the melancholy subtext of Bill Watterson's original."
* American Captain by Robyn Kenealy, 2012 (Captain America): "A series of subdued, elegant comic strips presented as autobiographical vignettes drawn by Captain America to document the mundanities of civilian life in the 21st century."
* The Paradox Series by Wordstrings, 2010 (Sherlock): "Things get steamy in this collection, but what sets it apart isn't the sex—it's the way it challenges Holmes-Watson fans to accept that Sherlock is a sociopath."
* The Very Secret Diaries by Cassandra Clare, 2001 (Lord of the Rings): "Tolkien's epic is wittily retold in the mercifully pithy form of diary entries from its protagonists. Written by one of the rare fic authors to get a book deal."
* Scales of Justice by Marian Kelly, 1985 (Starsky & Hutch): "The slick California cops face a threat more fantastical than pimps and drug dealers: dragons. If you'd ever read Heavy Metal, you'd love Scales, which was first published in a fanzine in 1983.
==Covers==
Image:Your Guide to the Fanfiction Explosion-Vulture.png|Cover by Matt Dorfman
Image:Sandwich Story NYMag book cover.jpg| the sandwich story designed by Christopher Brian King
==Fan Comments==
===From Fail-Fandomanon===
Below are comments from fans at , March 11, 2015.
====General Reactions====
====A Variety of Fanworks====
====Needs More Fandom Diversity====
====Why All the Dudeslash?====
 
 
 
===From Tumblr===
 
From If You Want to Talk About Something Weird, Let's Talk About Geoducks, Not Fanfiction: 
===On Consultants===
The article cited consultation help from Cyndy Aleo, Emily Asher-Perrin, Charlotte Geater, Anne Jamison, Aja Romano, and Gavia Baker-Whitelaw.
Many fans criticized the list for being overwhelmingly white, male, and slash-focused. 
Much of this commentary focused on Aja Romano. While it was acknowledged that Aja was not the author of the article and did not bear full responsibility for the lack of diversity, Romano's presence as a consultant on the article and as a prominent member of fandom (and reporter thereof) meant that she received a lot of attention following the publication of the article and was a focal point of the discussion that ensued. For example, Aja received the following Ask on her Tumblr on 12 March 2015:
Aja's response stated that she had protested the list being described as comprehensive and objected to the non-diverse nature of it before it was posted. She noted that she didn't have final say on the selections and acknowledged some of the shortcomings of the list, but also emphasized the subversive nature of the works in general. Her response generated further discussion around the Two White Guys fandom trope. However, aside from this general issue, Romano's specific comments drew criticism. Tumblr user allofthefeelings reblogged the above post and added:
Tumblr user sidewaystime added:
(Concentrated post of the above discussion here).
On 14 March 2015, there was another ask on Aja's Tumblr which said in part, "If you're not an expert them [sic] why didn't you try to get the author of the article access to more diverse input?" Aja responded:
This was seen by some commentators as her blaming other people's expectations. (for example). In another post later the same day, Aja wrote:
While the syllabus highlighted a general issue/trend in fandom, many fans considered Aja's responses to be overly deflecting/disingenuous. Impertinence (stopthatimp on Tumblr) reblogged the last post and added:
Nonnies on F_FA rolled their eyes. A sample comment:
Tumblr user musicforswimming reblogged and added that she had sent the Ask herself, but had done so anonymously because Aja had blocked her, possibly due to criticism of the article on Andy Blake. musicforswimming< March 15, 2015 
==References==
Category:2015 Meta
Category:2015 News Media
Category:Slash Meta
Category:Scandals
Category:Fanfiction News Media