After many many years, we've returned in full flow. A Harry Potter here, a Star Wars there, some Pokemons in the air, Lilo and Stitch in another adventure together, along with Arthur on the run; we've covered a wee bit of the creativity ground. This month's sub-genre's vast and profound, much like the scifi going around. We present FanFic Scifi!

May the force be with you! 🤖

The word Fanfic Scifi conjures up images of KPop, BTS, 1D, TaylorSwift universes merged with the scifi characters of Terry Prachett, Ray Bradbury, Neil Gaiman, Isaac Asimov. And AO3(Archive Of Our Own) and FFN(Fanfiction.Net). Can't complain though. I've read some of the most amazing works on AO3 in worlds unthought of.

There are claims of the legitimacy of this subgenre. One thing is for sure--fanfic scifi has one of the biggest, largest, audiences out there in the world. People voraciously read and proudly write in Fanfic Scifi. Many writers I know. have started their writing journey writing and dipping their keyboards, cellphones, pens, fingers, quills, fountain-pens in this encompassing subgenre.

Many-a-times Fanfic SF writers aren't given enough credit even though they put a lot of hardwork in their stories just as writers of other genres do. The immersive nature of this amazing subgenre guarantees double enjoyment as we get to explore our beloved characters in unique settings and universes along with new lores. The thorough research allows for surprising plot benefits an extensive explorations of human characteristics. And not to mention--the Fanfic SF ships are absolutely cool!

As we verify the credibility of Fanfic SF, let's consider what this subgenre actually is. By definition, Fanfiction, or fanfic, is a work of creative writing written by fans of TV shows, movies, novels, and video games. Dubbed fandoms, these communities have been around for centuries.

In the Cultural Science Journal article, Henry Jenkins had attributed the origin of fanfiction to the fans of nineteenth-century Belgian inventor Hugo Gernsback, who is generally considered the father of modern fanfiction science fiction. His audiences were inspired by his creativity when he published science fiction stories in popular magazines, They started to write stories of their own, which in turn, led to fans reading each other's work. The result of this was the first Worldcon, or World Science Fiction Convention in 1939, giving rise to a completely new genre. Fanfic SF was here to stay. Forever.

These are the different types:

Canon fics: A canon fic works to keep its story and plotline as close to the original story as possible. In many canon fics, the author retells the original story through the perspective of a new character, shedding light on what may have been going on in that character's mind as the story develops. Canon divergence is another type of canon fic that explains how the original story could have been different if the characters had made different choices during the book or movie.

Crossover fics: In a crossover fic, multiple worlds collide. For example, the vampires from Twilight might run into the vampires from True Blood, and together, the two groups might try to fight off a nemesis. Often, crossover fictions form because fans of two different worlds want to see certain characters collide romantically.

Original characters: Some fanfictions stick with the original setting and storyline of the work but add in a new original character to provide a new perspective. The character may come with an extensive backstory or may exist to provide readers with a new view into the fantasy world. Sometimes, authors make themselves the new character in the world, telling the story from their point of view to the reader. This can be especially fun for megafans, as they have the chance to imagine what it would be like to interact with their favorite characters on their home turf.

Alternate universe: An alternate universe places characters from one world into a new world. For example, an alternate universe fanfic that involves Marvel superheroes may place all of them in a high school classroom or on vacation together. This type of universe can provide readers and fans with answers about how their favorite characters might act in different situations.

Slash fiction: This common type of fanfiction involves the author putting two characters together romantically, even though they were not romantically involved in the original story. While this is not considered canon, it can fulfill the hopes of people who have become deeply invested in their favorite characters and want to see them experience romantic happiness. In addition, many slash fanfic writers love reading the comments on their stories to see who readers would like to see their favorite characters romantically involved with next.

The journey to acceptance wasn't easy. And Fanfic SF did have to jump through a lot of significant loopholes to expand their reach. Prominent among the roads taken was the creation of a fanzine(fan magazine) Spockanalia, centered around the TV show Star Trek in 1967.

Deemed by Star Trek's creator Gene Roddenberry "required reading" for "every new writer and anyone who makes decisions on show policy". The fanzine quickly blasted off in popularity and played a critical role in the development of the scifi subcategory of slash fanfiction.

As you are aware, Slash fanfiction takes two commonly deemed heterosexual characters and places them in a situation with romantic undertones. In particular, the slash pairing of Captain Kirk and Spock is credited as "the first widely circulated same-sex couple within the slash genre, as established by the 105-page fic "The Ring of Soshern", written by Jennifer Guttridge. These fanzines and slash fanfics were the OG's from which all other fanfics bloomed and spread far and wide.

The pursuit of technique in Fanfic Scifi reflects great skills used to develop the audience. It explores the notion of taking an established universe by the original author and adding our own unique writing style and perspective to the plot. The new story is practically undistinguishable from the original, leading to the cultivation of creativity and highly enhancing motivation. I believe writing is therapeutic and healing. And Fanfic SF is a wonderful attestment of it.

Now, for our recommendations:

- THE TITAN EXPERIMENT by ericdabbs

Sarah wants to save Jake.

The admiral wants the power she possesses...

Sarah Lawson was enslaved by the government because she's immortal. Put to work on a space station, she escaped after a terrible accident and she's been running ever since. The only person she lost was her husband, Jake, and when she's caught by the creators of the Titan X program, she finds out why - they want a working version of the serum that made Sarah immortal. Forced to work alongside the only people that can help her rescue her husband, Sarah has to risk everything to save him.

- HIS LIGHT - Paul Atreides by Ian0delrey:

In which Paul Atreides has a prophecy, but the most important person in it is his life-long best friend, Aliyah Petrovna.

- GOOD AND BAD - Luke Skywalker by astarionswaifu:

Smack-dab in the middle. After Episode VI.

Feel free to drop your Fanfiction SF favourites in the inline comments here-->

This is it for May. We meet in June with another smashing issue, laden with stories galore. Till then, love you, take care and stay safe! ❤️

Cheers, Nab =]

Nablai