riddle me this

[kaigou]

Define fanfiction.

note: that's fanfiction, so it's okay if you can't think of the ninety-nine other categories of fan____.

Comments

[mishalak]

I would suggest a modification:

Fiction created so to be dependent on narrative content already extant in the a large or small subset of the public consciousness, generally without legal right to profit by it.

My reasons are twofold. Most people are not familiar with the term "intertextuality" and it is poorly defined (it took me some time to try to figure out what you meant and even then I'm not sure my suggested alternative is what you intended). Second while tie-in books might be fairly described as formal for profit fanfic, most people would not describe them as such without much disagreement.

[kaigou]

Ehehe, the 'intertextuality' snuck in there because I originally had philosophical meanderings and then segued into fanfiction -- and I tried to split the two (so as not to over-jargonize the public post) and... looks like I missed a few. Heh.

while tie-in books might be fairly described as formal for profit fanfic, most people would not describe them as such without much disagreement.

I think there's a double negative in there that's tripping me up. You mean, tie-books could be formally described as, and people would mostly agree? or that people would not mostly disagree? or would mostly disagree?

eerrrrggghhh, nothing gets me worse than double negatives. I have no idea why.