Over the past ten years, fan fiction has outgrown its perceived taboo, as made by the public, and has evolved into a legitimate form of writing and self-expression. Academics, too, have recognized the potential for fan fiction studies through the lens of the humanities, psychology, sociology, and gender and queer studies. What makes 'Fix-It Fics: Challenging the Status Quo through Fanfiction' unique is in its specific focus on the fan fiction subgenre: fix-it fics. Also known in fan fiction communities as the fix-it, fans writing in this subgenre are motivated by fixing what they believe the original creators did not get right the first time. More significantly, fix-it fic writers generally use their prose to fix the unaddressed biases that are perpetuated on their favorite character, or plot lines, by either the original creator or other fans. The fix-it fic has existed for some time; however, it was after J.K. Rowling's degrading remarks about the transgender community that fix-it fic writers clearly saw themselves as the only ones who could challenge the prejudices associated with their fandoms. The essay featured in this book reflects on the fix-it fic as an outlet for self-advocacy and community activism through the written word. Chapters in this book focus on fandoms including but not limited to Supernatural, Harry Potter, Wentworth, Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, Hannibal, Star Trek, and Batman, while also addressing topics such as the Omegaverse, healing trauma, and creating community archives. 'Fix-It Fics: Challenging the Status Quo through Fanfiction' will appeal to popular culture, sociology, and gender and queer studies scholars who are invested in the larger academic conversation and offers an array of essays that any college professor teaching popular culture will surely benefit from including in their courses.
Kaitlin Tonti has a Ph.D. in English Literature and Criticism and has taught literature and composition at several colleges and universities. The thread that connects her scholarly interests is a fascination with individual and community identity formation. She is an expert in early American literature and the author of several publications in the early American field, including "Reclaiming the Narrative: Hamilton as a Repertory Archive" in 'The Hamilton Phenomenon'. However, Tonti has always considered popular culture and fandom as a secondary area of interest and expertise. In the past, she has studied representations of early America in popular culture and has presented on Salem 'witches' in modern television at several academic conferences. Inspired by Star Trek actors who in 2020 agreed to perform a fix-it fic interpretation about their characters via Zoom, Tonti hosted a panel on performative fan fiction at the Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA) Conference in 2021. It evolved into this book. Furthering her interests in identity scholarship, 'Fix-It Fics: Challenging the Status Quo through Fan Fiction' explores the ways that fix-it fic authors encourage identity exploration through their writing, ultimately demonstrating that the fix-it fic is an outlet for personal advocacy and community activism.
