Fan Cultures (Sussex Studies in Culture and Communication)

Fans are one of the most widely-studied groups of media consumers. Often knowing more about a character or series than the star or program-makers themselves, and ready to make active, sometimes surprising readings of plot lines and characters, they are the ultimate active audience. Fan Cultures is the first comprehensive overview of fans and fan theory. From victims of capitalist exploitation to more positive interpretations, Matthew Hills outlines the ways in which fans have been conceptualized in cultural theory. Drawing on case studies of specific groups, from rock fans to opera buffs and Trekkies, he discusses a range of approaches to fandom, from the Frankfurt School to psychoanalytic readings, and asks whether the development of new media creates the possibility of new forms of fandom.