There’s actually no official definition of what fanfiction really is. But what is generally understood about it is that if you’re a fan of a particular body of work, be it a book, movie, show, or whatnot, and you wrote a work of fiction based on the characters and the world within that work, then it’s fanfiction. It’s not as socially accepted as fan art, with many fanfic writers mostly anonymous and readers reading them in secret, but many continue to make them regardless of public opinion.
And contrary to popular belief, it’s not all new either. For the past centuries fanfiction has been hiding right under our noses. Don’t believe me? Check these five literary classics that are secretly fan fiction. Spoiler alert for those who haven’t read any of the books below!