How Fans Make Fictional Languages Real
Na’vi, Klingon, and other conlangs get more use IRL than they ever have onscreen.
Latest
The Vampire Lestat: Sparing the Ambiguity
In episode 6, “Montreal,” Louis and Lestat share a tumultuous night ahead of Lestat’s farewell show.
Heated Rivalry is at the Center of Fanfic’s AI Reckoning
A controversial anonymous document exposing Claude remnants in fics has collided with a fandom culture of production at hyper-speed.
The Vampire Lestat: The Queen of the Damned
In episode 5, “New York,” Lestat strips back his rock-star facade and confronts his memories of Akasha.
Be Gay, Do (Sea) Crimes: Pirate Tropes and Queer Resistance
As Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote, pirate stories thrive on “all the old romance, retold exactly in the ancient way.”
The Vampire Lestat: Hurtling Towards End Times
In episode 4, “The Devil’s Road,” Lestat’s reality begins to fracture as Armand returns with portents of doom.
Special Episode 37: The Fruitful Void
Exploring the intersections of TTRPGs, fannish roleplaying, and fanfiction.
The Global Crackdown on Creativity
Governments around the world are censoring—and criminalizing—the currents in which fanworks flow.
The Vampire Lestat: You Have to Ask for It
In episode 3, “Toronto,” the show takes bold creative swings as Lestat tries (and fails) to rewrite his own sexual trauma.
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Dragons
Working in the Game of Thrones content mines killed my fannish feelings for the franchise. Here’s how I got them back.
The Vampire Lestat: The Oedipiphany
In episode 2, “Toledo,” Gabriella stars in a Freudian trip down memory lane, pairing flashbacks to Lestat’s youth with a sleazy mother/son date in Ohio.
Drake and His Fans vs the World
The chart-topping album Iceman has broken records—and done little to quell ongoing criticisms of the artist. Where does that leave his fandom?
Recaps
The Vampire Lestat: Sex, Drugs, and Unstable Narrators
In episode 1, “Detroit,” Sam Reid reintroduces Lestat as a messy, self-destructive rock star—and proves he was born to play this role.
Criticism
The Limits of Fan Service in Thailand’s Vibrant GL Genre
Thai “Girls Love” thrives on real-life star pairings—for better and for worse.
Criticism
Too Big To Fail (On Television)
TV’s structure was perfect for tech’s failure narratives—but as Silicon Valley embraces a post-failure mindset, will audiences still tune in?
Criticism
Good Omens’ Final Love Letter to Fanfiction
The author is dead. Long live the authors.
Special Episodes
Special Episode 36: The Devil Wears Prada 2
A Mirandy shipper’s ebullient journey through a sequel that is otherwise…perhaps not so great.
Features
The Elation and Anxiety of Reading Fic in Your Native Tongue
For fans in Kenya, Nigeria, and Burundi, “uncringing” non-English fanfiction is an endeavor in decolonialism.
Criticism
Three Bags Full’s Faithful Flock
How a German novel about Irish sheep (detectives) inspired a legion of devotees around the world.
Features
The Pitt Fandom Phenomenon
The hit medical drama showcases three things you need to build a juggernaut fanfic community: popularity, modularity, and intimacy.
Announcements
(Re)Introducing Fansplaining
Reporting, analysis, criticism, and more—all by, for, and about fandom.
Criticism
The Success of Heated Rivalry Should Not Be a Surprise
Romancelandia understands why the show is a hit. Why is it so hard for Hollywood to get the message?
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.
Special Episodes
Special Episode 35: Wake Up Dead Man
When you want to discuss a film about a priest, you know who you have to call…