From “subtext” and “tropes” to “performativity” and “identity,” the word cloud on the cover of Kristina Busse's Framing Fan Fiction reminds the reader of the ever-widening scope of fan studies and promises a more comprehensive study of its multiple facets. The book is one of the newest additions in a series of works challenging traditional assumptions about fandom, and it represents a daring individual effort in contrast with the edited collections that dominate the field currently. As an acafan (an academic who is also a fan), Busse sets out to redefine existing scholarly approaches through a fusion of these different perspectives, which results in a revelatory, albeit limited, exploration of fan communities and fan fiction.
The book begins by teasing out the intricate dynamics between the research needs of a scholar and the ethical duties of a fan. Having been a member of multiple fandoms (het, slash, gen) for almost...