ICYMI Your Next Favorite Book Will Be Fanfiction

Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim discuss the latest in Labubu-land, from a TikTok blackface controversy to leaving one on an iconic anti-capitalist’s grave. Then, they dive into the growing trend of fanfiction getting a big marketing push from the publishing world. From Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis starting as Reylo fanfic to Julie Soto basing her latest novel on a Dramione ship, traditional publishing is reaching into the channels of AO3, Tumblr, and Wattpad to find their next big hit. But what do we lose when our favorite fanfictions get taken mainstream? And is it good or bad for the community they originated from? Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts.

You can listen to ICYMI Your Next Favorite Book Will Be Fanfiction online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

ICYMI Your Next Favorite Book Will Be Fanfiction is an episode from Audio Book Club.

This episode is 45:45 long.

This episode was published on Aug 6, 2025.

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