Cultus Dispatches: Tolkien Fanfiction and Fanon

Some of fanfiction's most beloved ideas, pairings, and details were never so much as imagined, much less written down, by Tolkien. Fanon, or fan-generated ideas and details, pervade fanworks, but these details are more than just inventions or even personalized touches added to the legendarium. In many cases, they are the fruits of conversations carried across decades.

Yet fanon hasn't always enjoyed a comfortable acceptance in all corners of the Tolkien fanfiction fandom. At times, despite its ubiquity, it has been dismissed as frivolous or even harmful to Tolkien's legacy. Yet evidence suggests these viewpoints have shifted over time.

In this month's Cultus Dispatches column, Dawn uses Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data to consider fanon and fan-generated ideas more broadly. Looking at both how readers and writers view fanon, she reveals shifting attitudes as the fandom matures.

You can read Talking amongst Ourselves: Tolkien Fanfiction and Fanon here.

Posted on 16 September 2023 (updated 21 October 2023) by SWG Moderators