Pan-fandom
| Synonyms: | |
| See also: | Fanhand, Multifandom |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Within media fandom, pan-fandom refers to media fandom overall, in a meta sense -- not just the sum total of all possible fandoms (and fans), but also things like zine-based fandom, cons, fanfic in general, fanart in general, widespread story tropes, vidding, fannish lingo, etc.
Thus, spaces that encourage interaction among fans without focusing on individual fandom preferences would be pan-fandom spaces (e.g. Fandom Wank, Metafandom, the Fanfic Symposium, FCA-L). Pan-fandom podcasts such as Shipping & Handling and Fansplaining include wide-ranging explorations of fandoms and fandom life. Similarly, Robin Hobb's Fan Fiction Rant is a pan-fandom rant, in that it talks about all fanfic writers everywhere.
Pan-fandom, as the alternate form panfandom, most often refers to a type of roleplay/roleplay forum where different series get crossed over and characters from them are thrown into one "neutral" world not a part of any preexisting media. This genre of RP was popularized in the late 2000s and spiked in popularity from 2016 to 2021.
Contrast this term with multifandom, which refers to multiple individual fandoms, while leaving out the more meta aspects.
Examples
- The Wave Theory of Slash by Lezlie Shell (1993)
- The Fannish Potlatch: Creation of Status Within the Fan Community by Rachael Sabotini (1999)
- Fanfic Symposium - pan-fandom archive (1999-2006)
- Fanfic Symposium/Essays
- Transformative Works and Cultures - peer-reviewed academic journal (2008-ongoing)
- The Secret Lives of Fen by criticalcricket at Fanthropology (2008)
- So you want to write fanfictions on the internets by CC (traveller) (2009)
- The Weird World of Fan Fiction by Alexandra Alter (WSJ, 2012)
- The ‘Spotlight Effect’ in Media and Fandom by saathi1013 (2013)
- The Promise and Potential of Fan Fiction by Stephanie Burt (2017)