Shane wrote:
Bit of a difference between Henry James and Joe Fanwriter.
I've not yet read fanfiction that's as good in my opinion as the authors I consider great in literature (though I'm hoping!).
But I've certainly read quite a lot (and published some in TTBA) that's way better than the average novels published in the past 5 years or so. Just because it's fanfiction doesn't automatically make it substandard (think of Wide Sargasso Sea). Just because it's amateur doesn't mean it's substandard (many 'great' authors don't/didn't make a living out of writing).
The answer to bad fanfiction (and there's certainly some of that around) is to write or encourage others to write better fanfiction, not to assume that the whole genre isn't worth reading and, moreover, to proselytise your rather negative view.
Tavia http://www.viragene.com/