Slash Fiction and Fandom

Not really sure what Jason was referring to when he sent us an E mail saying we were going to be reading about queering culture? I was surprised i've never heard of it being a Purchase student and all that. I decided to check out Henry Jenkins site to culture myself a little on the topic before I sunk my teeth into. I'm reading along and realize before I do any of this I need to first learn what fandom means and what slash fiction is..... Thank god for wikipedia
Fandom is a subculture of people who are networked through their love/obsession for something. The people in these subcultures feel a sense of camaraderie amongst their fellow fans. Slash fiction is a genre of fan fiction in which homosexual romantic encounters/relationships are depicted by fan writers usually dealing with characters or stories they are fans of. I was surprised to some that some of these slash fiction writers have become famous from their work. Then I realized how narrow-minded I was being and accepted the fact that slash fiction, although almost parody like, is in itself its own form of art and takes on its own aura.
Anyways, the two stories I read were DMZ and Stand Down. DMZ particularly caught me off guard because I wasn't ready for the explicitness of the material. It is about two male characters and their first sexual encounter with one another. It is very detailed and gives you a very distinct visual of what is going on. You can really feel the awkwardness/sexual tension between the male characters and I found that very surprising.
I think slash fiction could really sway ones narrow view of homosexuality. It shows how compassionate and romantic a homosexual relationship could be. It goes against the stereotypes that we mainly hear about in mainstream society. It would be interesting to know of the sexuality of the authors, because although one may assume they are homosexual themselves, you never know. I also think slash fiction is a good depiction of fandom and how obsessed fans can get with something. For someone who is not associated with fandom, I find it odd that people could devote so much time to something. However although I find it strange that people write homosexual love stories between those they are fans of, at least this way they are somewhat more involved in their obsession. This way they can share their ideas and stories with other fans.