Psychology Today | 13.08.2026 06:51
The movies, books and television shows we love are particularly good at engaging our imagination because of their rich narratives and complex characters. When fans become fascinated by their favorite media, they naturally want to extend the story and explore other scenarios for those characters. For many fans, the way to do that is through fanfiction. Created by fans solely for the enjoyment of other fans, fanfiction is part of the "gift economy" of fandom, with writers investing a great deal of time in their stories and then sharing them for free. Thus, the culture of fandom has been one of appreciation instead of critique.
