Fan Fiction

Catalog description

What is imitation (sincerest form of flattery) to literary canons? Vergil’s Aeneid appropriated Aeneas from the Iliad , Joyce’s Ulysses modernized the Odyssey . Admiration as a source of inspiration is a major force in the evolution of fiction. ”Fan Fiction” explores intriguing characters in greater detail and new contexts, allowing them new lives in contemporary imagination. This course presents pairs or sets of works that are explicitly linked by the intimate relation of imitation. Classic readings will be paired with their mostly contemporary updates, including Pride and Prejudice/Murder at Pemberley , Heart of Darkness/State of Wonder , and Monkey/Tripmaster Monkey .