Fandom Classic

You may be looking for the glossary term Classic, which is a jargon for a specific genre of fanwork that is canon compliant or ignores certain episodes or seasons.

Synonyms:
See also:
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A fandom classic is a fanwork that is more or less recognized as "must-read" or "must view" by fans within the same fandom.

Online fandoms develop so quickly that a fanwork can be labeled "classic" within months.

How Are Classics Defined?

There is no one metric by which a fanwork can be defined as a "classic". However, a multitude of factors can contribute to a work being given that label. They include:

• The number of recs a work receives.
• The number of times the work comes up in fannish discussions.
• Fanwork awards.
• The popularity of the fanwork's creator. BNFs and creators with a preexisting reputation for producing well-liked works will receive more attention than other fans.
• The pairing or subject matter of the work; for example, a work featuring a fandom's juggernaut pairing will typically receive more attention than other works.
• The fanwork's length. Fanworks that are exceptionally long may receive attention based solely on their impressive length.
• The fanwork's genre.
• Mentions from mainstream or otherwise non-fannish media sources.

Note that not all fannish attention comes from a place of praise. Shockfic and badfic can become incredibly well-known within a fandom without necessarily earning the label of "classic", as can works that otherwise rock some fannish boats. On the flip side, works labelled as "classics" can be subject to more critical scrutiny than they would have received if they remained obscure.

Some Examples of Fandom Classics

Fiction

All for the Game

• Lessons in Cartography by crazy_like_a

Blake's 7

• Bizarro Universe by Leah Rosenthal and Annie Wortham
• From the Log of the Hellhound by Katarina Larkin and Susanne Tilley

Captain America

• Not Easily Conquered by dropdeaddream and WhatAreFears

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

• Rhyme & Reason by Michael "Questy" Demcio
• Under the Bridge by John Nowak
• Death Of A Comedian by The J.A.M. (requires three more fics to be read first; see the fandom article)
• Of Mice and Mayhem by fish
• The Rangerillion by Sir Salazar Ovid Spumoni

due South

• With Six You Get Eggroll by Speranza
• How Ray Got His Groove Back by Aristide and Bone

Haikyuu

• National hot dad alliance is now calling... by diceapolis and owlinaminor
• The courtship ritual of the hercules beetle by kittebasu
• I like the way your clothes smell by mysecretfanmoments
• Vienna Waits For You by Pouler
• jaywalkers by batman

Hanson

• Catapult by Ella
• Devil Angel by Aspen
• Lived by Amanda Dupuis
• Tulsa 74132 by Sarah, Laurie and Melissa
• Zac Says Tay Still Wets The Bed by Nick

Harry Potter

• The Paradigm of Uncertainty by Madlori
• The Draco Trilogy by Cassandra Claire
• The Shoebox Project by Lady Jaida and Rave
• Stealing Harry by Sam Starbuck
• Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky
• All The Young Dudes by MsKingBean89

Les Misérables

• World Ain't Ready by idiopathicsmiles

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

• Fallout: Equestria by Kkat

One Direction

• These Inconvenient Fireworks by mdasch and everydayslike
• Wild and Unruly by 100percentsassy and gloria_andrews
• Room 317 by lellsy
• The Killing Type by protagonist_m
• May You Enjoy Your New Life by aimmyarrowshigh
• Fading by tothemoonmydear

The Professionals

• Harlequin Airs by Ellis Ward
• Waiting to Fall by Rob

Sherlock Holmes

• The Progress of Sherlock Holmes by Ivy Blossom
• Performance in a Leading Role by Madlori

Stargate Atlantis

• Freedom's Just Another Word for Nothing Left To Lose by Synecdochic

Star Trek

• Full Circle by Killa
• Courts of Honor by Syn Ferguson
• This Deadly Innocence, Or The End of the Hurt/Comfort Syndrome by Leslie Fish

Starsky & Hutch

• Mojave Crossing by Connie Faddis
• The Thousandth Man by Suzan Lovett

Supernatural

• Twist and Shout by gabriel and standbyme
• Last Outpost Of All That Is by gekizetsu

Transformers

• Nine Rings of Vos by sanjuno

The Walking Dead

• Broken Mirrors and Sweet Junction by theramblinrose

X-Files

• Classics (or, Your Fanfic Education is Not Complete Until You've Read ...) - a list of "must-read" The X-Files stories posted at X-Files Lost & Found
• Oklahoma, by Amperage and Livengoo
• Iolokus Series by RivkaT and MustangSally
• Ghosts by torch

X-Men

• X-Manson by Dr. Benway

Yuri on Ice

• Rivals series by Reiya/Kazliin
• From Almaty, With Love by boxwineconfessions

Art

• art by Suzan Lovett for the zine Master of the Revels (The Professionals)

Vids

• Closer by Killa and TJonesy (Star Trek: TOS)
• The Rose by Kendra Hunter and Diana Barbour (Starsky & Hutch)
• Us by Lim (multi-fandom, meta)

Podfics

Written by the Victors (podfic) – organised and edited by lim; narrated by zoetrope and 35 others

Meta Essays

• How Fanfiction Makes Us Poor by cupidsbow (multi-fandom)
• Another Addict Raves About K/S by Joanna Russ (Star Trek: TOS)
• Open Letter to Star Wars Fans by the Duncans by Tracy Duncan & Nancy Duncan (Star Wars)
• The good old days before google were dark and involved horses by seperis (multi-fandom)

Meta and Further Reading

• What Makes a "Fandom Classic"?, Paper Droids, Published October 16, 2014. (Article discussing what defines a "fandom classic", with some examples of fandom classics from major fandoms including Sherlock, Star Trek and Supernatural).