Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion
2021 Read Harder Challenge
>
Task 6: Read a fanfic
Ok I’m an idiot what do they mean by “fanfic” cuz I was thinking they meant something like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, lord of The Rings etc books that had like cult following almost ...lol
Gw wrote: "Ok I’m an idiot what do they mean by “fanfic” cuz I was thinking they meant something like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, lord of The Rings etc books that had like cult following almost ...lol"Nah, fanfic are stories written, usually not for profit, by someone who enjoys a certain book/TV show/movie and want to explore other aspects of it, or even want to see how the characters would adapt in a universe outside of their original one. So, for example using one of the books you brought up: if someone wanted to see how the characters from Lord of the Rings would work in a contemporary setting or what they did in a scene that wasn't written in the books, or something, that person would be writing a fanfic of Lord of the Rings.
Ohhhh I am definitely going to need some help finding a fanfic book...lol
Gw wrote: "Ohhhh I am definitely going to need some help finding a fanfic book...lol"Archive of Our Own is a great place to find high quality fanfic! They even have a nice little feature where you can download stories in various eBook formats for sideloading onto your standalone eReader or eBook app of choice!
I'm wondering if I should find a fanfic online or read a book associated with a show. I have a Buffy the Vampire Slayer and a Supernatural novel.
The New York Public Library rec listfor the challenge reminded me that The Song of Achilles would count, along with Circe. The Song of Achilles was one of my favorite books I read last year.
Elizabeth wrote: "The New York Public Library rec listfor the challenge reminded me that The Song of Achilles would count, along with Circe. The Song of Achilles was one of my favorit..."Oh neat, I'm happy they made a rec list! Another source of interesting ideas
Soniah Kamal’s Unmarriageable. Fun spin-off of pride and prejudice set in Pakistan
Thank you for the Jane Austen suggestion. I read Unmarriageae by Soniah Kamal. Delightful.
Viggo wrote: "Fanfic is probably half of what I read in a year tbh. Just jump on AO3, find your favorite piece of media or character, and see what's there. There are some incredibly talented fanfic authors out t..."Totally agree. I've been down a reading rabbit hole for The Legend of Korra fandom for the last two months on AO3 and it's been wonderful. Favorites so far have been Seeking Balance by SimplyKorra and Roll With the Punches by GreatestChange
I'm going to read a Star Wars novel for this one
While traditionally published work like the books on the NYPL rec list can definitely be classed as fanfiction, I really encourage everyone to read fanfiction in it’s far more common form: online, written by someone who is making no profit for their work. There are many excellent pieces of writing out there (as others have said, AO3 is a fantastic resource). Moreover, at its heart, fanfiction is subversive. It is a way for fans to love something while also making space for identities and experiences that have too often been excluded from professional publishing. If you decide to read a novel that you are “pleasantly surprised happens to be fanfiction,” you are completing the challenge in name, but not in spirit. The purpose of Read Harder is to push yourself to read outside of your comfort zone. Fanfiction is the most accessible task on the list: it is available for free to everyone with internet access, in every genre and style, and at every length and age level. The Book Riot recommendations are a great place to start if you don’t know where to begin.
doreneemi wrote: "While traditionally published work like the books on the NYPL rec list can definitely be classed as fanfiction, I really encourage everyone to read fanfiction in it’s far more common form: online, ..."You have summed up my thoughts on this matter way more eloquently than I have managed to (I'm really out of practice with my writing), thank you.
Mercedes wrote: "Mistress Masham's ReposeI stumbled on this children’s book, which centers on events and characters from Gulliver’s Travels. I’m almost halfway through it, and it’s a lovely classic. ..."
Great idea -- I was planning the same thing. T. H. White was definitely a fan of Gulliver's Travels. And since fan fiction has been around way longer than the internet, it definitely fulfills the challenge!
doreneemi wrote: "While traditionally published work like the books on the NYPL rec list can definitely be classed as fanfiction, I really encourage everyone to read fanfiction in it’s far more common form: online, ..."I read fanfiction online all the time though (I have already completed this challenge multiple times over for this year and we are only two weeks in!), but I rarely read tie-in novels to shows/films, so that's the reason I'm going for a book over traditional fanfiction
I just finished reading Tattycoram for this challenge, and really enjoyed it. Harriet (Hattie) Coram is a minor character in Dickens' novel Little Dorrit, but you really don't have to have read the original to enjoy this version. I did read the original though, and I felt like that character really didn't get a fair shake. Loved reading a book that gives her a complex backstory.
I'm looking forward to reading The Other Bennet Sister. I'll check out some pieces on AO3, but I prefer reading books, rather than digital content for long periods of time.
If anyone is looking for lighthearted fanfiction under 5000 words, here are some ideas (:Chai, Samosas, and a Friend in the Wee Hours of the Morning by 800wordsofheaven
https://archiveofourown.org/works/454...
--> Harry Potter fanfiction about Neville and Hannah
Caution: You are Extremely Hot by bansheee
https://archiveofourown.org/works/112...
--> Love, Simon fanfiction about Simon and Bram meeting in a coffee shop (aka a Coffee Shop AU)
Five Sons Mr and Mrs Bennet Never Had by biichan
https://archiveofourown.org/works/102470
--> Pride & Prejudice fanfiction about what might have happened if the Bennets had five sons instead of five daughters
Another dedicated fanfic enthusiast here. I was genuinely delighted to see this prompt :) Can't praise AO3 enough as a resource - if you are new to the site, I would recommend sorting stories by 'kudos' (as others have suggested) and relying on the tags systems to find whatever you are in mood for.
I would also recommend reading about Organization for Transformative Work (AO3's parent organization). They have done amazing work for fan works and deserve all the
For recommendations, if you are looking for something not too 'ficcy'-
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality: is a Harry Potter fanfic that tries to explain the magic through scientific reasoning. A very interesting premise. You can find it on fanfiction.net or at http://www.hpmor.com/
The Redemption of Time: is an 'ascended' fanfic of Liu Cixin's exceptional Remembrance of Earth's Past series that was later published as an official part of the series with the author's blessings.
Among more conventional fics, I am a big fan of The Act of Creation Will Be Your Salvation (Marvel, Tony Stark focus) by scifigrl47 (or anything by her actually), and Dying to Return by StormDancer (Merlin)
For my own reading, in spirit of the challenge, I think I will read a Real-Person Fiction (RPF), a sub-genre I usually avoid
This is the other one left blank on my list at this point. I don’t really get what fan fic is. Fans writing stories from stories already written? 🤔 I can’t imagine...I saw some on the BR’s website.. none of them looked appealing..IDK..does Twilight have fanfic? What’s the best fanfic I’m trying to think of good stories that might have fanfic....I can’t..
For anyone who's a fan of the Green Creek Series by T.J. Klune, I read heart taking root by Countless Untruths and it was fantastic."Loving someone doesn't mean they love you back. Love isn't about being fair, either. Love is about choices, and Joe has to make his. (Missing scene, canon compliant)
Gw wrote: "This is the other one left blank on my list at this point. I don’t really get what fan fic is. Fans writing stories from stories already written? 🤔 I can’t imagine...I saw some on the BR’s website...."One of the reasons I do these challenges is to open my mind to books I would not otherwise have read. I would encourage you to keep an open mind about fan fiction, which is a very broad category. It can be anything from placing a well known story in a new setting, or telling the story of a minor character from a famous work, or just setting another story in the same fictional universe, with some of the same characters. You can go online to various fanfic web sites, and what you find will be of varying quality; some of it is actually really good. But if you want to play it safe, better to stick with published books. If you're a Jane Austen fan, Longbourn or Death Comes to Pemberley are both great books by well established authors. There are also a number of Sherlock Holmes spinoffs. It's pretty easy to find a modern take on just about any classic novel.
Amadei wrote: "Anna wrote: "Would Hope Never Dies fit this?"YES. PRESIDENTIAL FANFIC."
This sounds HILARIOUS. I don't know if I'll use it for this challenge, but I'm definitely adding it to my TBR list.
I've been watching this thread and thinking, and I've decided to try out some actual fan fiction for the first time - AKA the unpublished, online stuff - using A03. I thought "what have I read or watched lately that I wished had something different?" and I've recently finished watching Justified all the way through and was thinking it would have been great if Raylan Givens and Walton Goggins ended up in love at the end! Ha. So I'm going to seek out m/m slash fic (I'm learning the terms too) with them in love. Wish me luck!
Gw wrote: "This is the other one left blank on my list at this point. I don’t really get what fan fic is. Fans writing stories from stories already written? 🤔 I can’t imagine...I saw some on the BR’s website...."It made me chuckle that you asked if Twilight has fanfic. It does. Fifty Shades of Gray ;)
Leah wrote: "I think I might read Death Comes to Pemberley for this one!"I'm reading this one too. Fun to see the Pride & Prejudice characters in a different setting.
I am using this challenge to read a fanfic recommended by my daughter. They are putting great thought into it :)
I read No Reservations: Narnia because I love both Anthony Bourdain and the Chronicles of Narnia. What I really appreciated was the author's inclusion of a darker side of Narnia rarely spoken of, which was also often the point of Tony's show, No Reservations: to introduce us to cultures and foods that often get ignored or people barely know exist at all.
I read The Last Poem Of Jedha, as suggested by Book Riot :)
Sheri wrote: "I think I'm going to try March by Geraldine Brooks. A character is based on the father in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and he was based on Alcott's father. It's legit, yes? Plus I have it. I a..."I have that book too! Thanks for reminding me.
Jason wrote: "I read No Reservations: Narnia because I love both Anthony Bourdain and the Chronicles of Narnia. What I really appreciated was the author's inclusion of a darker side of Narnia rarely spoken of, w..."Thank you for sharing this! I can't wait to read it!
Hello. Would a book that originally started out as a fanfic count for this? I was thinking of Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren which apparently originated as a Twilight fanfic.
I’ve read so much John Dies At The End fanfiction on Ao3. Seeing my favorite characters presented as trans people has been amazingly affirming.
I, for one, am looking forward to having a sanctioned reason for reading smutty Firefly fic. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
For this challenge I read The Jane Austen Book Club. It was very similar to the movie, but just a bit different.
I haven’t made it into the smutty Firefly fanfiction yet, but you bet i’ll be there.
I used Wayward Son (Simon Snow #2) by Rainbow Rowell for this prompt for a few reasons. 1. To me it's fanfic because it is taken from the world of Harry Potter. There is magic. There are witches & magical creatures. There are wands & spells. The first book has a school for magic. The trio consists of 2 males & a female. There is a chosen one.
2. If the book isn't considered fanfic it is as close as I will get.
Elise wrote: "I, for one, am looking forward to having a sanctioned reason for reading smutty Firefly fic. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯"Omg, I hadn't even thought to look up Firefly fics! My latest fanfic find is for Tamora Pierce's Tortall world.
Sheila wrote: "Soniah Kamal’s Unmarriageable. Fun spin-off of pride and prejudice set in Pakistan"I don't usually like fanfic, but this one was great! The Pakistan setting worked really well.
Erika wrote: "You can add it, an ISBN is optional. You'd list the format as "eBook" (especially if you're choosing one on AO3, since you can actually download the story in various eBook formats)."Erika, thanks for sharing the book you added as an example!
As an avid fanfic reader, I totally agree with doreneemi's encouragement to push yourself with this challenge and read something free and online! One of the reasons we love AO3 (which stands for Archive Of Our Own) is that it's actually really great for searching for what you want to read.Here's a beginner's guide to searching AO3: https://ao3commentoftheday.tumblr.com...
If you're looking for some inspiration for fandoms or characters to start with, try here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/292...
Oh come on people, don’t cheapen this/cop out by reading a book that, sure, technically is ‘fiction written by a fan based on another property’. Read actual fanfiction. Doesn’t even need to be long, doesn’t need to have a romantic pairing, could be deliberately non-romantic, doesn’t need to be slash or smutty even if there is romance, it could be about fixing an ending of a book or movie that really ground your gears…. We’re all well aware how people feel about fanfic; we’ve heard it all and know very well that plenty of people sneer at it/us (we’re not all writing 50 Shades, come on). Just give it a try—that’s literally the point of this task. And you have private/incognito browsing for a reason, if you’re worried about people seeing what you’re reading. I’ve read better fanfiction over the years (and conversely, WAY worse, also) than a lot of the books people have no qualms about picking up, simply because it is a book versus fanfic. I’d rather be entertained and be happy with the writing.
Juulna wrote: "Oh come on people, don’t cheapen this/cop out by reading a book that, sure, technically is ‘fiction written by a fan based on another property’. Read actual fanfiction. Doesn’t even need to be long..."Yes! I don't really read fanfic at all, but I'm challenging myself by making it *unpublished* fanfic as my personal rule. Trying to figure out what works for me.
question - would a retelling of a Greek myth (circe, ariadne) be fanfic?
Or the Laura Sébastien retelling of Arthurian legend, from Elaine's perspective (Half Sick of Shadows)?
I read something for this a month or two back and didn't even think about this task at the time! Star Trek: The New Voyages, edited by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath. It's a very early collection of short stories written by fans, some of which were even published first in fanzines. There's a very strong focus on Kirk and Spock, but even so some of the stories were excellent.
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Puffs (other topics)Star Trek: The New Voyages (other topics)
The Jane Austen Book Club (other topics)
Pestilence (other topics)
Redshirts (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Matt Cox (other topics)T.J. Klune (other topics)
Sare Liz Anuszkiewicz (other topics)
Victoria Kincaid (other topics)
John Gardner (other topics)
More...
The Thirteen Letters
Not Easily Conquered
if anyone is a marvel fan, the Not Easily Conquered series on Archive of Our Own (AO3) is famous among captain america/bucky fans. it’s really well written, esp. for fanfic. if you want a ‘real’ fic, check it out: https://archiveofourown.org/series/11...