Fan Fiction Policies >> Card, Orson Scott
Orson
Scott Card!
Hatrack
River, Orson Scott Card's Official Web Site, has a
page which answers some research questions regarding his writing. One
of those questions ask about fan fiction. The following extract by
Orson Scott Card from that page answers that question.
I'm flattered; and then, if they try to publish it (including
on the net) except in very restricted circumstances, I will sue, because
if I do NOT act vigorously to protect my copyright, I will lose that copyright
-- and that is the only inheritance I have to leave my family. So fan fiction,
while flattering, is also an attack on my means of livelihood. It is also
a poor substitute for the writers' inventing their own characters and situations.
It does not help them as writers; it can easily harm me; and those who
care about my stories and characters know that what I write is "real" and
has authority, and what fans write is not and does not. So it's all pointless.
I'd prefer simply to ignore it when it happens, but the way copyright law
functions, I am told that I cannot ignore it. So there it is.
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