Sexuality in Fanfiction
Erotic Works in Fanfiction
It's difficult to discuss fanfiction without discussing sexuality; there are nearly 2,000,000 fanfictions tagged for sexual content on Archive of Our Own alone. Erotica in fanfiction goes by many names (lemon/lime, slash, porn without plot [PWP], smut) and has been integral to fanfiction since its modern inception, notably appearing in the Star Trek fanfiction "A Fragment Out of Time" by Diane Merchant (the first published Spock/Kirk fanfiction!). Fanfiction offers individuals a unique place to craft and share their personal fantasy and encourages community formation and engagement around specific "genres" -- undoubtedly the reason why erotica has found its home in every fandom.
