Fandoms are a group of subcultures based around shared interests between people, or large groups of fans. A fan being someone who is significantly invested in a particular subject: from works of fiction to celebrities to hobbies. The word ‘fandom’ is a combination of fan and kingdom. Active fandoms can be traced back to the times of Sherlock Holmes and science fiction in the ‘30s but let’s get back to the present.
Most fandoms have a strong online presence, most fan interactions happen on social media websites. On the web, fans can discuss and debate their prefered topics. Most notably, reddit has subreddits dedicated to particular fandoms to ease the search for a community and tumblr will not fail those looking for more niche content with its long-lasting fanbases. Those with a keyboard at their fingertips will also find fandom.com- a wiki-type platform that gracefully compiles heaps of information about multitudes of fandoms. Whilst much of fan activity takes place on the internet, conventions- often shortened to ‘cons’- were a different way of interacting with fans; however large gatherings of people have recently been put on hold.
Some of the more popular fandoms at the moment include movies- James Bond, Star Wars and Star Trek, TV shows- Doctor Who, books -Harry Potter and the works of Tolkein and George R.R. Martin (fantasy being particularly popular), and music such as boy bands and K-pop. Other genres of fans involve anime stans (another word for fans), sports fans, and furries (we don’t talk about them).
Toni Agbede says about fandoms: “A lot of people who are into less popular media often struggle to find people to connect with at school so online communities can be very beneficial to them. However, some people can be picked on or bullied for having an uncommon interest that others deem ‘cringy’ or ‘childish’. Especially with anime, the foreign aspect can be quite jarring to some. Despite this, I believe fandoms can really help people understand more about themselves while forming meaningful relationships with others.”
I believe the most valuable contributions a fan can make to a community are their own home-made content; the most widespread forms of these are fan art and fan fiction. There are a plethora of sources for written works online including Archive Of Our Own (or AO3 for short), fanfiction.net and Wattpad. Fanfiction writers add to a story or premise by imagining it in a different way than in canon- a term meaning the original plot or storyline as intended by the author of an original work- and introduce their own creativity to stories they already know and love.
In general, fandoms are groups of people defined and united by their interest in an activity or celebrity or a piece of fiction. They contribute their opinions, creativity and passion towards this community through meaningful conversations, jokes and banter, fan-made content, and general bonding over their common interest. And although they may seem a bit weird or toxic at times, they are generally well-meaning.
