Fan fiction is one of the biggest things out there. I include in that not only things written on fan message boards or in that journal some teenage girl keeps hidden under her bed, but also things on the shelf in bookstores that are part of an already established universe. Every universe that has had publishing success has these books, from Star Wars to Star Trek to Warhammer. Just to go any Barnes & Noble and you'll find shelf after shelf filled with these tomes.
I confess that, with rare exception, I don't like these. The reason is the lack of consistency between the books. I get how hard it is to keep up with every nuance of every book out there in a particular universe, but as a fan, I find it exhausting to try and figure it out. Are the Borg extinct in this book, or did they retreat into interstellar space like that other one said? Was Luke ever married? Seems so in one but not another. This book says that Spock made Captain, but that one over there says he only ever wanted to be a science officer.
Like I said - exhausting.
This is why I prefer original stories all written by the same author. One person is better able to keep up with his or her universe. When I get into The Great War Series, I don't have to worry if one author or another is going to tweak details that they want changed but I find maddening. A single point of filtration means that I get one person's vision, which is what I want since no two people are likely to have the same vision.
Some of you like these canonical stories, and that's great, but I'm not one of them. I want to create an original universe, for I find it fun when I have to come up with everything involved. Writing canon seems lazy to me, as if I'd be riding someone else's coattails. Sorry, but I want to make my own coattails.
I confess that, with rare exception, I don't like these. The reason is the lack of consistency between the books. I get how hard it is to keep up with every nuance of every book out there in a particular universe, but as a fan, I find it exhausting to try and figure it out. Are the Borg extinct in this book, or did they retreat into interstellar space like that other one said? Was Luke ever married? Seems so in one but not another. This book says that Spock made Captain, but that one over there says he only ever wanted to be a science officer.
Like I said - exhausting.
This is why I prefer original stories all written by the same author. One person is better able to keep up with his or her universe. When I get into The Great War Series, I don't have to worry if one author or another is going to tweak details that they want changed but I find maddening. A single point of filtration means that I get one person's vision, which is what I want since no two people are likely to have the same vision.
Some of you like these canonical stories, and that's great, but I'm not one of them. I want to create an original universe, for I find it fun when I have to come up with everything involved. Writing canon seems lazy to me, as if I'd be riding someone else's coattails. Sorry, but I want to make my own coattails.
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