Elizabeth Minkel - Fansplaining

Announcements

(Re)Introducing Fansplaining

Reporting, analysis, criticism, and more—all by, for, and about fandom.

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Announcements

Fansplaining’s Next Chapter

We’re relaunching as a weekly publication featuring reporting, analysis, criticism, personal essays, and more—all by, for, and about fandom.

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Criticism

The Endless Appetite for Fanfiction

In 2024, everyone wanted a piece of fic, from AI grifters to traditional publishers to ravenous audiences. Where did that leave the people who write it?

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Surveys

The Fic and the Source Material

Do you need to know the canon to read the fic? Breaking down the preferences of the 6,744 people who responded to our most recent mini-survey.

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Interviews

You Did the Thing

A conversation with Gretchen McCulloch about the language of fandom.

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Features

“You’re Gonna Love This Franchise”

Fandom, corporate media, and San Diego Comic-Con.

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Criticism

The Year of Loving Things Again

On giving yourself permission.

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Criticism

Mary Sue

From self-inserts to imagines, how young women write themselves into the narrative.

Surveys

Five Tropes Fanfic Readers Love (And One They Hate)

More than 7,500 fanfiction readers filled out the Fansplaining Fic Preferences Survey. What can we learn from the results?

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Articles

The Hillary Fandom

Politics as fandom, and fandom as politics.

Announcements

Fansplaining: The Patreon!

The podcast by, for, and about fandom is asking for $$$.

Harry Potter hardcovers in a row. The final book’s authors are listed as Rowling | Tiffany | Thorne.

Criticism

Harry Potter and the Sanctioned Follow-On Work (or, Fanfiction vs. the Patriarchy)

How we talk about The Cursed Child—and why it matters.