Fan fiction is fiction based on another person’s characters or fictional world, generally posted or published with other material relating to that world. For example, there are numerous web sites that relate to Star Wars, generally created by fans of the movies. These sites may have fan fiction, poetry, bios of the characters, discussions, movie clips, artwork created by fans, and information about the actors and actresses. They may have links to other related sites, or even have factual articles about the science of Star Wars or the philosophies of the characters. This type of site could have whatever some fan, somewhere, thinks is relative and may be of interest to another fan, somewhere.
Continuing with the Star Wars example, fan fiction runs the gamut from alternative history, in which the plots may be the same as the movies but turn out differently (Such as, what if the Rebels had managed to win the battle for Hoth?), or they may take the characters through completely different adventures that fill in some of the gaps in the movie (Such as, what happened to Luke Skywalker between Episodes Four and Five?). They may use different characters in the same milieu (Such as the adventures of Jedi Leroy Smith in the setting of Episode One.).
Fan fiction can be serious, and is sometimes of literary quality. Sometimes it can simply be silly, such as my own “Red-turn of the Jedi,” in which Luke goes in search of Obi-Wan’s cousin Bubba, a jedi who turned to the red side long before. Bubba now primarily uses the force to float beer from his trailer’s refrigerator out to the yard where he works on his Y-wing fighter. (Yes, it’s up on blocks.)
Note that fan fiction is not usually sanctioned, officially, by the studios or publishers. Owners of the appropriate copyrights have to walk a fine line between protecting their copyright interests and allowing fair use of their characters.
Why would they allow it? For one thing, it keeps their product favorably in the public eye. It can generate interest that they hope will result in the purchase of licensed products or of books. With no publicity at all, things like movies tend to fade away (How many Citizen Kane bobble heads have you seen lately?), and that is bad for business.
Why would they not allow it? Usually it is because they have their own series of books that complement the original series, and they do not want someone who posted a piece of fan fiction to claim that his idea was stolen. So the lawyers are the ones who stop fan fiction sites, when they are stopped, to avoid dilution of intellectual property rights.
Sometimes the powers that be let fan sites run until and unless they step too far outside what is acceptable. For example, a Star Wars site that features a story about Ben Kenobi enslaving the Jawas, or with nude drawings of Princess Leia, might well receive a “cease and desist” letter from Lucas Films, and understandably so. These run outside what the copyright owners might allow to be associated with their characters.
For the most part, fan fiction is fine, until someone starts making money off of it. Remember that movies and television shows often involve a lot of money. They may be entertaining, but they are also businesses, and no one wants their business siphoned off. For the same reason, fan fiction sites do not pay the authors for stories: fan fiction is not a business, but it can be a way to enjoy your favorite movie or series even more than by watching it again, and again, and again, and again . . . .
