ABSTRACT
Fans have always been creative, as evidenced by Sherlock Holmes pastiches and early Star Trek magazines such as Spockanalia. With the rise of digital technologies, fandom grew exponentially. For example, Archive of Our Own hosts more than twelve million fan works and Fanfiction.net features 847K fics in Harry Potter fandom alone (March 2024). YouTube offers countless video essays and fan videos related to fandom, while TikTok is full of impersonations, dances, fanfiction readings, and recipes inspired by beloved stories and characters. Fandom has made a lasting imprint on mainstream digital culture, lifestyles, and ideologies.
