#responsefic

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This week’s Featured Article is Unauthorized Sequels—of the fanfiction variety, that is. It’s often considered polite to ask permission before riffing on another fanwork, but not all writers feel that it’s necessary.

Since there are no set rules to this kind of interaction, fan opinions on this type of recursive fanfiction unsurprisingly run the gamut, and creators who feel strongly against it have gone so far as to threaten “copyright infringement.”

Read the fannish arguments for and against Unauthorized Sequels on Fanlore.

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What do you call a fanwork that responds to another fanwork, or fanwork trend? Today's Thurminology, responsefic, is the term widely used to describe such fanworks.

Responsefic has a long history in fandom, beginning with Trekkies in the 70s. It differs from a remix in that responsefic generally is more of a “rebuttal” to a fanfic than a rearranging or rewrite. Some fans believe that the tradition started to wane when fandom went online, as responsefic began to be seen as a negative thing.

Read more about responsefic on Fanlore!

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This week’s featured article gives us a glimpse into fanworks that are in conversation with each other.

Responsefic is a term used to describe fanfic created as a response to an existing fanwork, either as part of a trend or as a direct rebuttal. It's often associated with negative reactions to existing fanworks, and most fans are aware of responsefic examples even if they're not familiar with the term. But when you write fanfiction of fanfiction, do you need permission from the original fan writer?