seeing fics vs published literature discourse again and man i gotta say......feels kinda pretentious to think you're smarter/better than everyone else because you prefer to read published literature (and i say this as someone who loves books and research lol) - ThreadSky

cyanspade.bsky.social • 20 hours ago

seeing fics vs published literature discourse again and man i gotta say......feels kinda pretentious to think you're smarter/better than everyone else because you prefer to read published literature (and i say this as someone who loves books and research lol)

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cyanspade.bsky.social•20 hours ago

like ofc broadening horizons with more literature is always good thing! but this weird positioning of fics vs. "real literature" feels like the classic low culture vs. high culture dichotomy

cyanspade.bsky.social•18 hours ago

and yes, i get that anti-intellectualism is on the rise hence the call for more people to read books/improve their literacy + critical thinking…..but imo it’s not productive to position yourself as better than anyone based on the media you consume

emeraldlatias.bsky.social•18 hours ago

I think people don't realize it's an 'and' not an 'or' - sometimes you don’t have the brainpower to read dense topics all the time. The important part is to read so much you avoid bad takes on the internet. 😘

cyanspade.bsky.social•17 hours ago

yesss i hate that this whole thing is being framed as “you only consume one more than the other, therefore you are inferior!1!!!”

nlanswrites.bsky.social•18 hours ago

I think this discourse also misses the fact that many traditionally published books are actually *not as good* as high-quality fanfic. I've picked up several BookTok recommendations and been severely let down by poor character development, clumsy prose, and awful pacing.

nlanswrites.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Being released in paperback is not an automatic stamp of quality.

cyanspade.bsky.social•17 hours ago

oh for sure 🙂‍↕️ there’s something to be said about how certain status markers (like being traditionally published) are indicators of a cultural artifact’s legitimacy while the aesthetic quality of the artifact is secondary (or even tertiary lol)

cyanspade.bsky.social•18 hours ago

to ppl who critique fics as a legitimate creative, intellectual, and meaningful medium, i recommend they read Popular Culture & High Culture by Herbert Gans. i've also added a quote which i think poignantly sums up this debate (alt text available)

cyanspade.bsky.social•17 hours ago

“ppl who read fics don’t engage with material that challenges them intellectually!!! ppl need that in order for them to grow!!!”

i agree that reading pieces that challenge you are important for critical thinking, but this argument presupposes 1) fics are inherently dumbed down and—

cyanspade.bsky.social•17 hours ago

2) ppl must ALWAYS seek intellectual growth when they read—entertainment and recreation are either secondary or frivolous

which imo are flawed arguments bc ppl can absolutely use media for a variety of reasons and putting one reason over the other is counterproductive

dpsisquared.bsky.social•17 hours ago

I find it hard to believe any anti-intellectuals are actually reading fanfic lol.

cyanspade.bsky.social•17 hours ago

yep. if anything, i think the most anti-intellectual content out there isn’t fics, but rather the ai-generated slop posted everywhere on the daily lol

djubilant.bsky.social•19 hours ago

I'm trying SO HARD to be good and not interact with it but [sucks teeth]

cyanspade.bsky.social•17 hours ago

it’s been so grating lol. at least bsky discussions have been more productive and civil than twitter

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