What’s so important about the history of fan fiction, you may ask? Aside from possibly helping you on Jeopardy, it makes the concept seem less trivial. If fan fiction as we know it had first come to be in, say, the late 1990s instead of the 1960s, would you really look at it the same? No, and that’s just in the modern sense–similar concepts have existed as far back as the 19th century, possibly even longer.
I personally feel that while fan fiction isn’t school subject material, it is certainly interesting to know. The fact that it was around in the 1960s alone gives it a sense of greater cultural impact. And that’s not even getting into the concept being mentioned in official works…
Until next time, stay tuned!