Hello all! This week we’re coming to you with articles about The Batman, the demise of Character.ai, and the controversial levels of AI usage in the publishing industry. We also have Fansplaining coverage of Jane Austen fanfic and Fortnite, along with some appropriately gruesome Frankenstein art, and a multifandom rec list of werewolf fic. — Gav

new stuff

“Character.ai’s Bankruptcy Documents Show the Economics of AI Don’t Work” by Jason Koebler at 404 Media
This week saw what some are framing as “the first AI bubble domino to fall.” This one has direct fandom relevance: Character.AI has been marketed to fans, and plenty of fans were among its users. (Elizabeth reported on the platform in this context in 2023.) This piece does a great job of breaking down exactly why the company went bust.

“It’s Normal To Have Watched ‘The Batman’ Roughly Eight Times” by Kathryn Xu at Defector
“Something doesn't have to be perfect to be rewatched. In fact, perfection is at times antithetical to making for a perfect rewatch.”

“Book Publishers Are Quietly Using More AI. Staff Are Revolting” by Adam Morgan at WIRED
Not strictly fandom-related, but likely relevant to many readers of this newsletter. A snapshot of the current (bleak!) AI moment in the publishing world, where executives are forcing AI use and staff are doing what they can to resist.

Stephen King has Maine Character Syndrome

— Bethany Black (@bethanyblack.bsky.social) August 26, 2024 at 6:28 AM

new stuff: fansplaining

“Pride and Prejudice in the Jane Austen Fanfic Community” by Aja Romano
A deep dive into the past, present, and future of JAFF, aka Jane Austen Fanfic, where rigid boundaries and norms set on 90s forums still define the fandom today, even though much of Jaff writers’ output has been consumed by Amazon self-publishing over the past decade.

“Fortnite Is Selling Your Favorite Characters Back To You As Husks” by Sam Greszes
This piece was originally published by Aftermath, who ran one of Fansplaining’s features in a fun swap. A super-interesting analysis of Fortnite’s crossover brand deals, which populate the game with recognizable characters from other worlds—and strip away their meaning in the process. This piece is totally in front of the paywall (and now has added audio!).

Speaking of in front of the paywall, Fansplaining is unlocking a few pieces from the archives for the six-month anniversary celebration! First up is Soila Kenya’s “The Elation and Anxiety of Reading Fic in Your Native Tongue”: “For fans in Kenya, Nigeria, and Burundi, ‘uncringing’ non-English fanfiction is an endeavor in decolonialism.”

And in case you missed last week’s announcement about said anniversary celebration, there’s a BIG SALE now through the end of the month: 50% off subscriptions for your first six months. Read about it and take advantage of the deal.

Renfield: Did you know that urine is just blood that's been filtered by the kidneys? Dracula: I don't like where this is heading.

— Raysident Evil (@sireviscerate.myatproto.social) October 15, 2026 at 6:41 AM

older stuff

“Megan Thee Stallion and Anime – Or, the Male Gatekeeping of Fandom Spaces” by Stitch at Teen Vogue
“When someone says, ‘she only cares about anime to get us to care about her,’ who exactly is ‘us’?”

tumblr & beyond

Frankenstein fanart by nicki0kaye

“we have to make love. or the warp core will destabilize”

yeah, this probably would’ve made more sense.

overthinking luke skywalker’s iconic kick.

the universal star trek tos viewing experience

“at a certain degree of character obsession they become a sort of malware”

fanfiction

Last week, it was vampires; this week, it’s werewolves. Well, a couple of these are about werewolves + vampires (and one is about a were-bat!). Thanks so much to everyone who sent in a rec. — Elizabeth

“Blood in the Moonlight” by rosemeister. 80K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Baldur’s Gate 3; Ship: Shadowheart/Laezel
Recced by: poppyseedheart
Backstory: Shadowheart and Laezel are romanceable (and playable) characters in the D&D-inspired videogame Baldur’s Gate 3. In the narrative, they start out as enemies but find a grudging respect as they work together; in this AU, everything is the same except Shadowheart is also a werewolf.
Rec: This story helped me finally understand why werewolves are THE queer monster. Wonderful prose, multiple electrifying high-stakes moment, and such a loving rendering of two of my favorite video game characters of all time. We discussed it on the Fic Clique podcast and it’s one of the stories I still think about all the time.
Content warnings: Violence, (unintentional) self-harm

“My Big Fat Wolf Wedding” by AggressiveWhenStartled, galwednesday, quietnight, silentwalrus, and skellerbvvt. 13K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America; Ship: James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers
Recced by: Hellion
Backstory: Vampire!Steve takes a quick drink from a hot hunk on a night out, only to discover that in werewolf culture—to which his new hunk belongs—‘biting’ is synonymous with ‘proposing marriage.’ Shenanigans ensue.
Rec: It always makes me laugh! Funny and fluffy, with a beautiful iceberg of worldbuilding to chew on.
Content warnings: (Mild) speciesism

“the night like it is home” by hopeboos. 41K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: NCT (Band), K-pop; Ship: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno
Recced by: pezzax
Backstory: This is a canon-divergent story about a K-pop idol who gets physically attacked by a fan at the airport. While the group is trying to deal with their emotional responses to the attack, they discover he’s now a werewolf when he transforms on the night of the full moon.
Rec: The relationship between famous people and their fans has long been riddled with those fans who take it too far, and I love the emotional depth with which the attack is handled in this story. The supernatural element pulls the reader just enough outside the canon setting to enjoy the repercussions, and most of the story is focused on the hurt/comfort aftermath, making this a favorite comfort re-read!
Content warnings: N/A

“in midnight’s jaws” by Springsteen. 30K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: Formula 1 RPF; Ship: Oscar Piastri/Carlos Sainz Jr.
Recced by: Nat
Backstory: A Formula 1 weekend werewolf transformation: “There must be a logical explanation for the restlessness in Carlos’s blood, for the waves of pain so sudden and intense it feels as though his bones are trying to break free of his body. Surely there is a perfectly good reason for Carlos to have woken in the dirt the morning after a full moon, with no idea where he is or how he got there.”
Rec: This aims right for the niche of classic horror vibes and delivered perfectly. The THEMES, Carlos’ horror at himself, the portrayal of his attraction to Oscar. I will forever love the creeping sickly sensation of the mundane familiarity of an F1 weekend setup juxtaposed with this insane werewolf transformation.
Content warnings: N/A

“if you were a mythical thing” by Kangofu_CB. 75K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: The Avengers (Marvel Movies); Ships: James “Bucky” Barnes/Clint Barton, Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers
Recced by: dr_girlfriend
Backstory: After winding up in hot water with the Ukrainian mob, Clint finds himself relocating to a small town in northern Indiana to work as an elementary school gym teacher. He meets his hot single dad neighbor and his three adorable puppies.
Rec: This story is heartwarming and clever, with the reader enjoying Clint’s obliviousness to the supernatural elephant (werewolf) in the room while the whole town is in on the joke.
Content warnings: N/A

“Beat My Heart Just Like a Drum” by Maximum_Quinn. 10K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Batman, DC; Ship: Gen, Bruce Wayne & Dick Grayson
Recced by: Charley
Backstory: What if instead of Bruce adopting Dick after seeing his family’s tragic death at the circus, Dick was actually a bat that lived in the Batcave? (Or, Robin actually is magic, and learns how to be a human boy along the way.)
Rec: The relationship between Bruce and Dick has had so many different iterations over the years, but this one focuses on their earlier years and truly makes you believe in how deeply they love/trust one another. Dick is a bat child learning to be a part-time human, and Bruce is a loner who falls in love with having a son before he realizes it happened. It’s whimsical and sweet and a little odd.
Content warnings: N/A

And we got two recs for this fic, so we’ve combined them:

“sweet venom” by mintea. 27K words, rated Explicit.
Fandoms: ENHYPEN, &TEAM; Ship: Euijoo/Jungwon
Recced by: halotolerant and anon
Backstory: halotolerant writes: ENHYPEN and &TEAM are two kpop bands created around the same time with complementary and overlapping lore that ENHYPEN are vampires and &TEAM are werewolves. EJ and Jungwon also irl were trainees together, and are both leaders of the respective bands.
Rec: halotolerant writes: In this delightful AU, EJ’s pack of werewolves have moved into the house across the street from Jungwon’s coven of vampires, and a prank war has ensued that can only be resolved by... EJ and Jungwon fake dating? So that everyone has to get along? Sweet, hot and hilarious.
anon writes: This is a deliciously fun fake dating romp, full of group prank war shenanigans, bitey boys who pine while fucking and bond as leaders, and a satisfyingly sweet ending.
Content warnings: Werewolf biting and vampire biting

they should've made the sequel to the blair witch project about going in there with the army to kill her

— tinybaby (@tiny.baby) October 10, 2026 at 12:32 AM

FINAL THOUGHT

Fan Studies North America’s 2026 conference is next week! Virtual, Thursday through Sunday. The wide range of programming looks super interesting, and tickets are just $20 for independent scholars—highly recommended for anyone who’s interested in an academic lens on fandom. (Grad students are also $20, and undergraduates are $10!) You can check out the full programming and register here. — Elizabeth