Classic literature is despotic, in a way; there is one author of the text, and millions of readers whose only choice is to dutifully follow along. Those authors could seem like distant deities and, as John Updike wrote, “gods do not answer letters.” But in the direct democracy of fan fiction, the readers are writers, the writers are also readers, and they all answer letters. In this peaceful revolution against the sovereignty of authorship, an audience of readers comes together to become each other’s audience—and, once in a while, produces a piece of art that eclipses its influence. Above all,
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