Hannah Taylor published in collection “Who Makes the Franchise?”

Hannah Taylor, PhD candidate, was published in the book collection, “Who Makes the Franchise?”

About the book: Fans and the billion-dollar franchises in which they participate have together become powerful agents within popular culture. These franchises have launched avenues for fans to expand and influence the stories that they tell.

This book examines those fan-driven narratives as “wilderness texts,” in which fans use their platforms to create for themselves while also communicating their visions to the franchises, thus spurring innovation.

The essays in this collection look at how fans intervene in the production of mass media. Scholars analyze the negotiations between fan desires for both novelty and familiarity that franchises must maintain in order to achieve critical and commercial success.

Applying varying theoretical approaches to discussions of fan responses to franchises, including Star Wars, Marvel, Godzilla, Firefly, The Terminator, Star Trek, DC, and The Muppets, these essays provide insight into the ever-changing relationships between fandom and transmedia storytelling.

Hannah’s chapter is titled, “Where Auteur Fails: Zack Snyder and the ­Author-Function.” 

You can learn more about the book or order it here.