An author named David Stewart once spoke at length about the nature of IP and how it can change ownership past the original author/creator. In the discussion, he made a point that has stuck with me ever since. The original creator creates the work. Anything they create is the canon of that work. No matter who gains control of the IP thereafter, it is just fan fiction.
The only difference between the fan fiction found on random websites and the fan fiction done by the IP holder is that the IP holder is doing ‘sanctioned fan fiction’. I like this view. It makes a lot of sense. Why in the world does paying money to take over someone else’s idea mean that you are suddenly the arbiter of truth for that IP?
No matter how much money I throw at an IP, let’s say the Wheel of Time, there’s zero chance I can say I know what the original author wanted or would have done. If I contradict Robert Jordan on something he wrote, my version isn’t suddenly correct. Legally, I might be able to claim it is, but legal and ethical aren’t the same thing. Legal and right aren’t the same things either. Lucas is the final word on Star Wars, for better or worse in some cases. Whatever Disney does that contradicts what he put out isn’t suddenly correct. It’s just bad fan fiction from people who didn’t bother understanding the source material.
Not Always, of Course
There are edge cases to this. Anne McCaffrey co-wrote books in her most famous series with her son Todd, drawing him into the creation process and making it a joint effort. At a certain point, he was doing all the writing with just her input. I can see a case for saying any solo books he did in the series are still part of the main canon in this case. Similarly, the open nature of the Cthulhu mythos means that more than H.P.Lovecraft are considered canon to that universe. I can’t speak to authorial intent there, but there’s a case to be made that open world universes are coauthorable without the original creator involved. My own Cryptidverse falls within this example.
Obviously this gets more confusing on large creative projects. Which Silent Hill game would one consider the last true one? Konami has always owned the IP, but the people who developed the game originally fell away over the course of games so that none of the original remained at a certain point? Personally, I draw the line at 3, but I can see an argument for other points as well.
Why do I mention it?
So what got me on this odd little kick? Dungeons and Dragons. Chainmail through Advanced D&D Second Edition had a clean line of progression. They were all leading a direction with the same handful of people involved along the way. At the core was Gygax, his lowest involvement being the way Advanced 2e went. Thereafter, WotC purchased the IP and took it a very different direction.
Spell names and settings were the same. The core stats were the same. Everything else was changed to new systems. Derivative games made in the 80s as spin-offs from D&D had more in common with the original game than 3rd edition did. Was it a bad game? No, just different. Each new edition moved it in new directions so that now it is a wholly different game with a very different feel.
It’s moved so far, that they now trash talk the original with false allegations just to imply their version is the only one worth playing. They refuse to acknowledge the original creators and instead call it their own. At one time, all of it bothered me, as D&D helped me become who I am today. It was how I met many of the friends who proved most worth having in my life. Race, gender, and status were all meaningless because we all shared a love of the game.
Only by allowing myself to let go and accept the view of David Stewart have I finally made peace with this twisting of truth and warping of a thing so dear to me. D&D was wonderful, but it is no longer there. I could play it again, if I found others with an interest in the older systems, but even I have to admit that the systems are feeling their age.
There are a few options. NeoD&D, OSR, PbtA, and many Unique systems. At the end of the day, The OSR and the Hasbro version of D&D are no different. Fan works derived from a source material. Neither is canon. Neither is D&D. It doesn’t matter that Hasbro owns WotC and they own the IP. They write sanctioned fan fiction and bad fan fiction at that. You’re welcome to like it. You’re even welcome to prefer it. 50 Shades of Gray might be terrible Twilight fanfic (and not exactly high literature either), but it was still popular and made the creator lots of money. People aren’t wrong for liking what they like. That said, I don’t have to accept the lie that owning IP makes you the arbiter of truth for that IP.
In Conclusion
If this little delve into my thoughts helps even one person to let go of the frustration that comes from watching corporations twist their beloved IPs for every penny they can, great. You don’t have to listen to them. If they ignore the original, then they’re just writing trash fan fiction. Don’t give them your money and move on. No one gets to take the better originals from you. If they do manage to make something that builds upon the original and expands it, even better. Fan fiction or not, you can add it to your view of that IP because it doesn’t do damage to the canon.
Stay calm and carry on.
