Andrea wrote: >The issue with slash isn't the erotica, nor is it the same sex >erotica but the fact that fans of television shows are taking the >fictive universes and doing with them as they see fit. Excellent point. Penley's chapter in _Technoculture_ touches briefly on the contrast between George Lukas's reaction to Star Wars zines and Gene Roddenberry/Paramount's reaction to Trek ones. Lukas apparently objects to fans interpreting SW for themselves... Not that I advocate copyright infringement, but I think it's ridiculous of the originator of a series to complain that people are so captivated by his creation that they've taken it into their hearts and minds. Admittedly, my point-of-view is biased since I'm a fan and not the originator of a series, but it seems to me that once the universe and characters are on the screen they become a sort of public property, a part of the common culture. The term I keep coming across in the literature is "poaching." Fans poach the characters and use them for their own ends, defying on occasion the creator's intent. I think that fans have every right to play with and alter the characters, and write their own versions. The versions already exist in their minds, why shouldn't they be permitted to share them with others who love the same series? They've committed themselves to the characters and the universe; it must in some way be theirs. Comments? Sue