Silvan is joined by special guest Jenn from The Book Refuge for a deep dive into the passionate world of Heated Rivalry fandom, fan fiction, and the phenomenon of AO3.
Jenn shares her journey into fan fiction culture, including how Heated Rivalry became one of the biggest fandoms on AO3. We unpack why these characters inspire such devotion, what makes romance adaptations so emotionally powerful when done well and why fandom spaces can feel both deeply creative and deeply personal.
Together we explore what AO3 actually is and how it works, why Heated Rivalry lends itself so perfectly to fan fiction, the blurred lines between authorship, creativity, and community and the legal and ethical complexities surrounding fan works.
If you are a longtime AO3 reader or someone hearing the term for the first time, this episode is a fascinating exploration of why people become so attached to fictional characters why Shane and Ilya continue to resonate so deeply with fans around the world.
The next episode of the podcast will be published on Sunday 31st May.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Setup
00:40 Exploring Heated Rivalry and Fan Fiction
03:41 Diving into the Fan Fiction World
06:28 The Impact of Adaptations on Romance
09:42 The Role of AO3 in Fan Fiction
12:29 The Significance of Romance in Storytelling
28:30 Exploring the World of Fan Fiction
30:21 The Legal Landscape of Fan Fiction
37:18 The Gift Economy of Fan Fiction
42:11 The Allure of Heated Rivalry Fan Fiction
46:35 Understanding Tags in Fan Fiction
58:03 The Impact of Wolfbird and Opal Apparition
01:00:33 The Popularity of Fan Fiction
01:02:25 The Impact of Unfinished Works
01:05:17 The Drama Surrounding Fan Fiction Authors
01:07:02 Navigating Fandom and Parasocial Relationships
01:11:03 The Role of Fiction in Understanding Diverse Experiences
01:13:51 Creating a Safe Space in Online Communities
01:14:00 Handling Criticism as a Content Creator
01:15:37 Exploring Diverse Romance in Literature
01:21:00 The Journey into MM Romance
Join our Long Game Podcast Book Club on Fable to read along with us each week.: https://fable.co/club/long-game-pod-book-club-with-long-game-pod-349252537194?invite=fc285de0-86ea-45c4-ab3f-8dcc82b8cad8&referralID=4tVUzsxlCC
Find Jenn:
Instagram: thebookrefuge18
Youtube: TheBookRefuge
Find us on instagram: longgame.heatedrivalry.pod
Write to us: longgamepod2481@gmail.com
Find Declan:
Instagram: declan712
Tiktok: declanmccallion1
Find Silvan:
Instagram: Silvates
Tiktok: silvates1
Listen to the Podcast on:
Apple podcast:
Spotify podcast:
Amazon podcast:
Watch it on youtube:
Listen to Silvan’s ‘Silvates’ podcast here:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/silvates/id1531620495
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xMX59teVzpf6M86Cv7WG9?si=016f5477aed14697
References for material Jenn spoke about today:
Series of YT videos by Jill Bearup: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj4N-R1RQxAs2v9G09lNy4oyAnGBBUtW3&si=d1osuTsCvf_6ykw8
An Exhaustive Defense of Fan Fiction: https://youtu.be/wvP_BLMgYBg?si=NoOIu5jxUh3AtigJ
Ao3’s Mission Statement: https://archiveofourown.org/about
Ao3’s FAQ Page: https://archiveofourown.org/faq/about-the-archive?language_id=en#whatisao3
Slash Fiction (Wiki): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slash_fiction#:~:text=It%20is%20commonly%20believed%20that,Spock%22)%20were%20used%20interchangeably
Reddit Thread about Opal Apparition: https://www.reddit.com/r/heatedrivalryfanfics/comments/1sbnnuz/this_has_actually_made_me_feel_physically_sick/
