What is fan fiction?

Fan fiction is basically fiction based on the works of someone else. So for those who aren't familiar with the term, when we refer to Jane Austen fan fiction, we are talking about stories written by others, making use of characters, storylines and plots that Austen invented.

For web-based fan fiction, there are a number of communities which allow members to post, discuss and encourage stories that are based on Jane Austen work. Below is a list of what I consider to be the best sources of Jane Austen fan fiction on the net. Note that some are 'adult-only'  - in other words, the stories are a bit more (okay, a lot more in some cases!) explicit in the bedroom than Jane Austen could ever have contemplated. Personally I have no issue with that, but if it's not your thing, don't go there...and if you're under 18, some sites won't let you register to read their stories. In general, most stories are the equivalent of the US movie classification PG-13 (or less), and if they fall into the R or NC-17 categories, this is stated upfront.  

Some stories have been published in book form, and I have put together my own list of these - the list is quite long, so it deserves its own page: Published fan fiction