Tolkien fan fiction

Tolkien fan fiction is fantasy fiction, often published on the Internet, by Tolkien fans, in large quantities. It is based either directly on J. R. R. Tolkien's books on his fantasy world of Middle-earth, or on an adaptation of this world, especially in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film series or other film depictions of that world. Enormous quantities of writing have resulted, including homoerotic slash fiction and several strands of feminist storytelling.

Many works of fan fiction, including slash, are written by women. They often select as subjects Tolkien's minor female characters, where the limited detail provided allows them to write as they please. An alternative is to invent non-canonical characters, again often women, embodying authors' personal wish-fulfilment. Scholars have discussed the validity of fan fiction, given Tolkien's apparent dislike of the genre, but noting that he had indicated the possibility of "other minds and hands, wielding paint and music and drama." Scholars have begun to accept fan fiction as one of multiple genres within the Middle-earth tradition.

Early fan fiction was published in fanzines, followed by mailing lists and other Internet platforms. The genre accelerated with the arrival of the World Wide Web and specialised websites for fan fiction. These had rules governing what could be written. Much fan fiction is potentially in breach of copyright law, even on non-commercial websites.