For us, a lot of our fandom love starts with the books that we read. Everything from Twilight (which in all fairness, is an obvious choice for this list – but we challenged people to think outside of it) to anything Game of Thrones, Outlander to basically anything YA – we have read it all.
What books influenced fandom for us? Read all about them below
AFTER BY ANNA TODD
Erin: It’s hard to narrow that down – because there are so many things that have been influential. Fandom has changed drastically over the past decade. For me – it’s AFTER by Anna Todd. I know, I know – we talk a lot about AFTER. And this is all subjective. But for me the reasons come down to this Anna Todd changed the game of writing. She put Wattpad on the map, gave a loud voice to fan fiction, but also utilized social media to develop a relationship with her readers, making them the most important thing to her. AFTER influenced other writers, showed them that their dreams were achievable. And Anna has always been out there fighting for her readers. She wasn’t afraid to tell the hard stories, and AFTER is definitely tells the hard stories. Everything is not peachy, but it is REAL.
Jasmine: I’m going with Erin on this one. Anna Todd’s After series has definitely made an impact. It’s a story about two college kids who are falling in love but they both don’t know what the hell they are doing. This is not your typical love story. They go through some rough things in life and that’s what makes it so real. Tessa and Hardin are characters people can identify with and they show you that you relationships are not always this perfect happy thing.
A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES
Lizzie: A Discovery of Witches. It was maybe helped out a bit by the TV series, but this fandom has come out in full force, and sales for the two subsequent books in the All Souls trilogy have spiked, which makes me really happy, because Diana and Matthew deserve all the love. Of course, it helps that Sky One got the casting right in this case. It’s easier to read while imagining the perfect actors.
FAN FICTION
Lyra: I’m with Lacey here, does fanfiction count? Because over the past decade I have read entire sagas that were fanfiction and they were absolutely lovely, breathtaking, and memorable. So the answer is definitely going to be fanfiction.
McKenzie: I’m also jumping on the fanfiction train. I feel like this decade has definitely seen an explosion of it. I read more fanfiction than I do book’s now. I love having material that is specific to what I’m looking for at my fingertips. This also goes for online original work as well.
Lacey: Does fanfiction count? LOL
GAME OF THRONES SERIES BY GEORGE R.R. MARTIN
Shana: The still unfinished, probably a figment of all our imaginations, The Winds of Winter from George R. R. Martin. Thanks it its lack of existence, readers are stuck with nothing; and Game of Thrones viewers had to suffer through Benioff and Weiss’ godawful attempt at finishing Martin’s story themselves. Oh, what might have been, if only the source material hadn’t run out.
OUTLANDER BY DIANA GABALDON
Julie: Other than Game of Thrones, and obviously the Marvel comic books, I’m going to have to go with Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, which launched the TV show on Starz. Not your typical time travel romance, Gabaldon portrays just how truly awful life was in the past, but the people who you surround yourself with makes it worth living. And her characters, she made us fall in love with them. The epic love story of Jamie and Claire Fraser spans centuries, and they both have strengths and vulnerabilities that make them almost tangible. I mean, the big strong romantic hero fainted when he saw his love after nearly 20 years apart.
THE DIVERGENT SERIES BY VERONICA ROTH
Grace: The Divergent Series. I was obsessed with this series when it came out (I may even have a tattoo in dedication to my girl, Tris). I remember when this series was all over my Tumblr when it was at its peak. I wish the movies did the book series more justice, but beggars can’t be choosers. It may not have been the next The Hunger Games that everyone hoped it would become, but I love this series and it holds a special place in my heart.
What book influenced you the most this past decade?
