Introduction
Welcome to canon_sidekicks! This post will explain the purpose of the community as well as provide guidelines for community-accepted behavior. These guidelines are subject to change and clarification as the community grows, so please check this post if you have any questions. If your questions are not answered in the post, please comment with them and they will be answered as soon as possible.
Why was this community created?
The idea behind canon_sidekicks is to point out, discuss, and review tie-in novels by professional authors. Just about every visual media-based fandom has them, and they don't get much attention.
Canon source material in fandom gets considerable attention from fans, whether that source is visual or written media. Fans are usually familiar with the source material for their specific fannish interest. Derivative work such as fan fiction gets a similar level of attention from many fans, and participants in fandom often point fellow fans and newcomers alike toward fan-created derivative work that they consider to be noteworthy.
Tie-in novels fall between canon source material and fan-created derivative work, and do not tend to get this same level of attention. There are several reasons for this. While source material and fans tend to advertise their work, tie-in authors do not generate that same level of publicity, either external to a fandom or within it. Tie-in novels can be very difficult to find unless you are specifically looking for them, and that can be frustrating. People in search of entertainment tend to follow the path of least resistance, and tie-in novels are generally not on that path.
This community was created to consolidate information about tie-in novels and encourage fans to read and discuss these books.
What do you mean by canon?
Canon refers to the official source material for a fandom. For example, in Harry Potter fandom, the primary source materials are the original written media in the case of novels by JKR, and to some extent the derivative visual media in the case of the films. When the word canon is used within the context of this community and this post, it references official source material.
What about fan fiction?
I approve of it wholeheartedly, as do many of the members of this community. Many of us write it and/or read it on a regular basis. With that in mind, this community is not a place to discuss, review, or link to individual works of fan fiction. Discussions about fan fiction as it relates to tie-in novels are fine. There are many other communities available that focus on fan fiction. This community is for tie-in novels.
What exactly is a tie-in novel?
Tie-in novels are derivative works, typically written by professional authors and with the approval of the creators of the source material. Much like fan fiction, these works usually have little to no impact on events taking place within the canon source material. However, they can and often do provide an interesting take on a character or situation, as well as explain loose ends and provide additional material for consideration.
What kinds of posts will I find in this community?
In addition to lists of tie-in novels and general information about them, this community will feature fan-written reviews. These reviews are intended to assist you, the reader, in making the decision to read or bypass a tie-in novel. There will also be community-relevant news items, and possibly discussion posts when the community grows larger.
What are the rules for posts and/or comments in this community?
Any community member may create a post, and posts will be tagged, added to memories, and linked within the appropriate fandom list posts. Please do not post locked content in this community.
The following list of fandoms have an official presence in this community, but any fandom with a tie-in novel can be included. If your fandom is not listed, please comment to this post to find out how to get your fandom added.
Fandoms: Click the link to view posts tagged for that fandom, or visit the Reading Lists By Fandom for all available lists.
Why was this community created?
The idea behind canon_sidekicks is to point out, discuss, and review tie-in novels by professional authors. Just about every visual media-based fandom has them, and they don't get much attention.
Canon source material in fandom gets considerable attention from fans, whether that source is visual or written media. Fans are usually familiar with the source material for their specific fannish interest. Derivative work such as fan fiction gets a similar level of attention from many fans, and participants in fandom often point fellow fans and newcomers alike toward fan-created derivative work that they consider to be noteworthy.
Tie-in novels fall between canon source material and fan-created derivative work, and do not tend to get this same level of attention. There are several reasons for this. While source material and fans tend to advertise their work, tie-in authors do not generate that same level of publicity, either external to a fandom or within it. Tie-in novels can be very difficult to find unless you are specifically looking for them, and that can be frustrating. People in search of entertainment tend to follow the path of least resistance, and tie-in novels are generally not on that path.
This community was created to consolidate information about tie-in novels and encourage fans to read and discuss these books.
What do you mean by canon?
Canon refers to the official source material for a fandom. For example, in Harry Potter fandom, the primary source materials are the original written media in the case of novels by JKR, and to some extent the derivative visual media in the case of the films. When the word canon is used within the context of this community and this post, it references official source material.
What about fan fiction?
I approve of it wholeheartedly, as do many of the members of this community. Many of us write it and/or read it on a regular basis. With that in mind, this community is not a place to discuss, review, or link to individual works of fan fiction. Discussions about fan fiction as it relates to tie-in novels are fine. There are many other communities available that focus on fan fiction. This community is for tie-in novels.
What exactly is a tie-in novel?
Tie-in novels are derivative works, typically written by professional authors and with the approval of the creators of the source material. Much like fan fiction, these works usually have little to no impact on events taking place within the canon source material. However, they can and often do provide an interesting take on a character or situation, as well as explain loose ends and provide additional material for consideration.
What kinds of posts will I find in this community?
In addition to lists of tie-in novels and general information about them, this community will feature fan-written reviews. These reviews are intended to assist you, the reader, in making the decision to read or bypass a tie-in novel. There will also be community-relevant news items, and possibly discussion posts when the community grows larger.
What are the rules for posts and/or comments in this community?
Any community member may create a post, and posts will be tagged, added to memories, and linked within the appropriate fandom list posts. Please do not post locked content in this community.
- Be polite - Above all else, be polite and courteous to the members of this community. This is not a forum for debate. If you disagree with a review, please by all means write your own, or politely address the post in question with your concerns. Personal attacks or flames on any post will not be tolerated.
If you feel that a review is misleading or otherwise flawed to a degree that it presents a problem, please feel free to email me and share your concerns. - Stay on topic - The purpose of this community is to discuss and provide information about tie-in novels. Posts that are off topic will be removed. Repeated violations of this will result in banning. On-topic posts are reviews of tie-novels, discussion posts about particular novels and/or authors, and discussion posts about tie-in novels in general. If you have any questions about this, please comment here and ask them.
- Writing reviews - When writing a review, please include the name of the author and the title of the book, as well as what fandom(s) that book is related to. Also include what you liked and/or disliked about the book. A review saying a book was wonderful or awful is not enough. I'm not asking you to write a lengthy review, but I am asking you to be specific about what worked or did not work for you. If you'd like to review a book that has already been reviewed by someone else, please feel free to do so.
- Linking to reviews - Links as a part of your review are fine, but a post containing only links will be removed. If you are aware of a great tie-in novel review in another journal/community or on a website, please visit the External Resources post and comment with a link.
The following list of fandoms have an official presence in this community, but any fandom with a tie-in novel can be included. If your fandom is not listed, please comment to this post to find out how to get your fandom added.
Fandoms: Click the link to view posts tagged for that fandom, or visit the Reading Lists By Fandom for all available lists.