Fictionmania
Encyclopedia
Fictionmania is a website
dedicated to publishing and archiving transgender
fiction, much of which is erotica
. It is open to submissions from any writer, provided the submitted literature "explores gender
." As of March 2008, Fictionmania was host to more than 15,000 story files; by Sept 2011, 3,500 more had been added.
known as the "Sierra Bulletin Board," owned and operated by Fictionmania founder Mindy Rich. By the mid 1990s, the bulletin board had largely been usurped by the newsgroup
alt.sex.stories.tg (see alt.sex.stories
). By this point, the archive had grown from dozens to a few hundred pieces of fiction.
With the advent of spam
in newsgroups, writers of transgender fiction began founding electronic mailing list
s and websites to share material while avoiding unwelcome spammers. In 1996, Mindy Rich created the "Maniapages" listserve and expanded the concept from gender transformation stories to any fiction exploring gender. In late 1997, Rich laid the groundwork to transform Maniapages from a listserve into a website, officially launching Fictionmania in February 1998. The number of archived stories quickly exploded from hundreds to thousands.
In December 1999, Rich temporarily shut down Fictionmania due to illness and a frustration with flaming
on the website's hyperboard
. A number of writers volunteered to take up webmaster duties for her and resurrected Fictionmania, after assuring Rich that the site's operations, policy, and focus would remain largely unchanged. The volunteers (calling themselves the Fictionmania Task Force) have since continued to operate the website free of charge. The Task Force also edits and uploads new submissions.
In 2008, the explicit nature of some content on the site led to its blacklisting by certain filtering systems. There may have been certain ISPs that completely blocked access to Fictionmania because of pornographic content.
From November 2008 until May 2009 the site was down due to a server failure. It is now back online, effective 1 June 2009, initially employing a different URL.
On February 10, 2010 Fictionmania's server was disconnected without explanation by its service provider. It, however, returned online on February 12, 2010 with a statement that the story files at the center of a recent controversy had been removed.
fantasies depicting characters being transformed
from one sex to the other. Other stories, however, explore cross-dressing or feminization through malice or blackmail.
Fictionmania also publishes poetry, lyrics, plays, essays, autobiographical pieces, romance, humor, satire, parody, science fiction, horror, etc. A great many stories are also part of shared universe
s: both fan fiction
based on pop culture
(TV shows
, movies, comic books, etc.) and unique fictional universe
s invented by Fictionmania authors. Great concern has been raised over pop culture stories violating copyright laws because they are derivative works without authorisation from a copyright owner.
Stories published by the site, are rated for content according to a system similar to the MPAA film rating system
. Content on Fictionmania ranges from G-rated to R-rated to X-rated
, with some intermediary ratings as well.
Topics are not limited to fantasy sex change, but can also explore: cross-dressing
, real-life sex reassignment surgery
, transitioning
, androgyny
, effeminancy
, gender identity
, role reversal and atypical gender role
s, as well as societal attitudes towards gender role
s. Authors may be professional or amateur, but their works must "explore the meaning of gender."
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
dedicated to publishing and archiving transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
fiction, much of which is erotica
Erotica
Erotica are works of art, including literature, photography, film, sculpture and painting, that deal substantively with erotically stimulating or sexually arousing descriptions...
. It is open to submissions from any writer, provided the submitted literature "explores gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
." As of March 2008, Fictionmania was host to more than 15,000 story files; by Sept 2011, 3,500 more had been added.
History
The website found its roots in the early 1990s as a free online bulletin boardBulletin board system
A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
known as the "Sierra Bulletin Board," owned and operated by Fictionmania founder Mindy Rich. By the mid 1990s, the bulletin board had largely been usurped by the newsgroup
Newsgroup
A usenet newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users in different locations. The term may be confusing to some, because it is usually a discussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionally similar to, discussion forums on...
alt.sex.stories.tg (see alt.sex.stories
Alt.sex.stories
alt.sex.stories is a Usenet newsgroup for erotic stories.Alt.sex.stories was created on May 7, 1992 by Tim Pierce as an alternative to pre-existing alt erotica newsgroups....
). By this point, the archive had grown from dozens to a few hundred pieces of fiction.
With the advent of spam
Spam (electronic)
Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately...
in newsgroups, writers of transgender fiction began founding electronic mailing list
Electronic mailing list
An electronic mailing list is a special usage of email that allows for widespread distribution of information to many Internet users. It is similar to a traditional mailing list — a list of names and addresses — as might be kept by an organization for sending publications to...
s and websites to share material while avoiding unwelcome spammers. In 1996, Mindy Rich created the "Maniapages" listserve and expanded the concept from gender transformation stories to any fiction exploring gender. In late 1997, Rich laid the groundwork to transform Maniapages from a listserve into a website, officially launching Fictionmania in February 1998. The number of archived stories quickly exploded from hundreds to thousands.
In December 1999, Rich temporarily shut down Fictionmania due to illness and a frustration with flaming
Flaming
Flaming, also known as bashing, is hostile and insulting interaction between Internet users. Flaming usually occurs in the social context of an Internet forum, Internet Relay Chat , Usenet, by e-mail, game servers such as Xbox Live or Playstation Network, and on video-sharing websites...
on the website's hyperboard
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
. A number of writers volunteered to take up webmaster duties for her and resurrected Fictionmania, after assuring Rich that the site's operations, policy, and focus would remain largely unchanged. The volunteers (calling themselves the Fictionmania Task Force) have since continued to operate the website free of charge. The Task Force also edits and uploads new submissions.
In 2008, the explicit nature of some content on the site led to its blacklisting by certain filtering systems. There may have been certain ISPs that completely blocked access to Fictionmania because of pornographic content.
From November 2008 until May 2009 the site was down due to a server failure. It is now back online, effective 1 June 2009, initially employing a different URL.
On February 10, 2010 Fictionmania's server was disconnected without explanation by its service provider. It, however, returned online on February 12, 2010 with a statement that the story files at the center of a recent controversy had been removed.
Content
The majority of Fictionmania's archives consist of short storyShort story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
fantasies depicting characters being transformed
Sex change
Sex change is a term often used for gender reassignment therapy, that is, all medical procedures transgendered people can have, or specifically to sexual reassignment surgery, which usually refers to genitalia surgery only...
from one sex to the other. Other stories, however, explore cross-dressing or feminization through malice or blackmail.
Fictionmania also publishes poetry, lyrics, plays, essays, autobiographical pieces, romance, humor, satire, parody, science fiction, horror, etc. A great many stories are also part of shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
s: both fan fiction
Fan fiction
Fan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...
based on pop culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
(TV shows
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, movies, comic books, etc.) and unique fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
s invented by Fictionmania authors. Great concern has been raised over pop culture stories violating copyright laws because they are derivative works without authorisation from a copyright owner.
Stories published by the site, are rated for content according to a system similar to the MPAA film rating system
MPAA film rating system
The Motion Picture Association of America's film-rating system is used in the U.S. and its territories to rate a film's thematic and content suitability for certain audiences. The MPAA system applies only to motion pictures that are submitted for rating. Other media may be rated by other entities...
. Content on Fictionmania ranges from G-rated to R-rated to X-rated
X-rated
In some countries, X is or has been a motion picture rating reserved for the most explicit films. Films rated X are intended only for viewing by adults, usually legally defined as people over the age of 17.-United Kingdom:...
, with some intermediary ratings as well.
Topics are not limited to fantasy sex change, but can also explore: cross-dressing
Cross-dressing
Cross-dressing is the wearing of clothing and other accoutrement commonly associated with a gender within a particular society that is seen as different than the one usually presented by the dresser...
, real-life sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
, transitioning
Transitioning (transgender)
Transitioning is the process of changing one's gender presentation to accord with one's internal sense of one's gender - the idea of what it means to be a man or woman...
, androgyny
Androgyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
, effeminancy
Effeminacy
Effeminacy describes traits in a human male, that are more often associated with traditional feminine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or gender roles rather than masculine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or roles....
, gender identity
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
, role reversal and atypical gender role
Atypical gender role
Gender role is a term used in the social sciences and humanities to denote a set of behavioral norms associated with a given gendered status in a given social group or system...
s, as well as societal attitudes towards gender role
Gender role
Gender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex in the context of a specific culture, which differ widely between cultures and over time...
s. Authors may be professional or amateur, but their works must "explore the meaning of gender."