Fanfiction, defined as any work inspired by an existing work of fiction, has taken the world of literature by storm. Three of this year’s top-selling “romantasy” — romance fantasy — novels started as fanfiction, but the fanfiction-to-bestseller pipeline goes even further back.
They Who Must Not Be Named
If your TikTok algorithm landed you on BookTok any time this year, you’ve probably heard of the dark fantasy novel that’s taking the world by storm. “Alchemised” by Senlinyu follows Helena Marino, an ex-healer turned prisoner of both war and her
own mind.
Clocking in at more than 1000 pages, the story features more trigger warnings than you can count and even more tearjerking quotes. It became an instant #1 New York Times Bestseller, and even prior to publication, Senlinyu sold the film rights for a whopping $3 million.
But “Alchemised” didn’t start on shelves; it started as a “Dramione” fanfiction on Archive of Our Own, or “AO3” — a fanfiction website that garners more than 30 million daily viewers. “Dramione” refers to the controversial pairing between “Harry Potter” characters Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. In the canon “Harry Potter” books and movies, Draco and Hermione loath each other, but in thousands of stories posted across AO3 and other fanfiction websites, they’re star-crossed lovers.
This year alone, “Alchemised”— formerly known as “Manacled” — was joined by two other “Dramione” fanfictions turned bestsellers: Brigitte Knightley’s “The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy,” which began as “Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love,” and Julie Soto’s “Rose in Chains,” which was first known as “The Auction.”
The Ethics of Fanfiction
“Alchemised” in particular received a whole lot of backlash for its pitch-black plot, but the ethics surrounding fanfiction have been a topic of heated discussion since way before the first installment of “Manacled” was released online in April of 2018. Because virtually anyone can post to these fanfiction sites, there’s usually little “quality control” — meaning, yes, not every story you find on these sites will be of the utmost quality. However, with how oversaturated the publishing industry can be, these sites are often standout ways for authors to get their start.
Literary journal The Letter Review estimates only 23% of authors find a publisher, due in part to the fact that most major publishing houses refuse to review unsolicited manuscripts. When a writer is able to establish a fanbase online first, they’re walking into the industry with a little more credibility under their belt. After all, “Manacled” drew more than 10 million readers.
Fifty Shades of Grey” by E.L. James . . . . started as “Master of the Universe,” a “Twilight” fanfiction
“The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood . . . . . started as “Head Over Feet,” a
“Star Wars” fanfiction
“After” by Anna Todd . . . . . started as “After,” a Harry Styles fanfiction
“Point Pleasant” by Jen Archer
Wood . . . . . started as “Point Pleasant,” a “Supernatural” fanfiction
“Beautiful Bastard” by Christina Lauren . . . . . started as “The Office,” a
“Twilight” fanfiction
Then, of course, there’s the legal question: Can a work inspired by another’s work ever be truly original? Well, there’s a whole rulebook that fanfiction authors strictly follow to avoid legal issues like copyright infringement. They aren’t allowed to make profit off of the stories, and they’re required to explicitly label the story as inspired by a previous work.
But ethically, if you ever decide to venture into the world of fanfiction, you’ll find that most stories have little in common with the works they’re inspired by. “Manacled” shares character names and a spot of world building with “Harry Potter,” but that’s where the similarities end. And once Senlinyu took the next step to make the story completely her own, one would have to squint to find the similarities even between “Manacled” and “Alchemised,” much less between the latter and the “Harry Potter”
books.
Inspiration has to come from somewhere. In cases of fanfiction, that inspiration can bring a whole new life to characters you already know and love — and sometimes, that inspiration can become something far bigger.
words_ariana glaser. photos_julia campbell. design_jay moyer.
This article was published in Distraction’s Winter 2025 print issue.
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