How Fan-Fiction Has Changed Star Wars

Carter, Greg, College of Letters & Science, History, Mentor, Oral Presentation, School and College, Student, White, Scott

Scott White, “How Fan-Fiction Has Changed Star Wars”
Mentor: Greg Carter, History
Oral Presentation 9:15am Union E250

For this project, I was the research assistant for Greg Carter (Department of History) as we studied the world of fan fiction and Star Wars. Fan fiction’s important to Star Wars because it allows fans to connect with the franchise personally and get creative with new concepts. We argue that, by writing and expressing their own stories within the Star Wars universe, fans get to expand upon the ideas and interpretations of characters and events within the stories. We examined independent fanzines from 1977-1983, correspondence between Lucasfilm and fans, licensed Lucasfilm novels, and advertisements from the same period. From the 1970s through the 2000s, Lucasfilm and Disney have fallen behind when it comes to including interracial and LGBTQIA+ relationships in Star Wars. Some of the dismissals even come from fans, who occasionally go as far as targeting actors and directors for how stories are handled. By introducing these into the franchise it can increase the enjoyment of underrepresented people in Star Wars or rewrite some of details to make the story appealing to new audiences.  Fan fiction has opened an avenue for writers to expand upon their own stories. This has allowed fans to see themselves represented in the Star Wars universe and has helped to promote greater acceptance and understanding of LGBTQIA+ identities within the fandom. Through gender-swapping and race-bending fan fiction, fans can explore and subvert traditional character archetypes, adding new layers of representation and complexity to the Star Wars universe. We conclude that the more conservative perspectives of the 1970s continue in contemporary antipathy towards interracial and queer relationships. The same issues have re-emerged with the recent Star Wars movies and television shows. To improve the inclusion of queer, minority, or feminist perspectives, both Lucasfilm/Disney and regular fan creators must challenge the status quo in proactive ways.