Documentation
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| Tropes and genres | |
|---|---|
| Synonym(s) | documentation!fic, ephemera, Wizarding Ephemera |
| Related tropes/genres | Epistolary Fic |
| See also | Multimedia (Multiple Media) |
| Related articles on Fanlore. | |
Documentation (for fic also "documentation!fic") is a genre of fanart and fanfic, sometimes also fancrafts, that creates everyday documents and other ephemera of a fandom's universe, such as posters, advertisements, brochures, catalogs, etc. Some of these tell a story and therefore can also be classified as multimedia fanfic or epistolary fic. However, the point is often just to create or depict the imagined artifact, and the narrative element of the document lies in the reference to canon it evokes.
Documentation is especially popular in fandoms with science fiction or fantasy elements, such as Harry Potter, because the contrast between the mundane object and the fantastical universe it takes for granted. In Harry Potter this genre is sometimes labelled Wizarding Ephemera.
Examples
Harry Potter
- D.B. Dibber Seed Catalogue, Page 17 by Gnatkip
- Extracts from an OFSTED report by Rosemaryandrue
- An extract from The Witch's Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, and Baby Care, by Alarica Rosier. Chapter Nine: What if my Baby is a Squib? by nineveh_uk
- Pugilistic Plants page 137, "Whomping Willow" by Gnatkip
- Put-Outer Advertisement and Receipt by Gnatkip, "Advertisement from the June 1936 issue of Modern Sorcery, page 28. Found in the effects of the late Albus Dumbledore."
- Veritaserum, Then and Now by incapricious, Examples of Ministry-issue Veritaserum bottles and their warning labels, from the 17th century and the 20th century.
- Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes: The Spring 2006 Edition by xylodemon
Professionals
- Classified, a zine that consisted of a portfolio full of 435 separate documents -- letters, memos, cards, notes, and artwork -- numbered in a sequence that formed a story
Sherlock Holmes
- Sub Rosa by Professor Pangaea, a post-Reichenbach Falls story composed of telegrams
Sliders
- Travelogue, contained within the fansite, Earth Prime, the Travelogue is a series of info pages provided by a mock travel company that detail the alternate versions of Earth featured in the show. The result is both fanwork and wiki-style canon information.
Stargate Atlantis
Star Trek: TOS
- From The Terran Coyote to The Klingon K'Ortar: Tricksters of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants (Revised Expanded 4th Edition) by LJC (text) with art by Melannen
Marvel
- United States v. Barnes, 617 F. Supp. 2d 143 (D.D.C. 2015) which is a social media and documentation fic that covers the trial of the Winter Soldier told through newspaper articles and other documents.