Slash

Slash is a fan fiction term designating romantic and/or erotic (and/or pornographic) same-sex relationships between fictional characters.

The term comes from the typographical "slash" character: "/", placed between the names or initials of the characters paired in such a relationship, e.g.: "Kirk/Spock" or "K/S", after one of the early popular slash pairings.

Vocabulary

• Slash fiction is also referred to as slash, in an abbreviated way, or "slash fic".

• The verb to slash derives from the noun. Fans use it to designate the writing of slash fiction, the practice of reading same-sex relationships in a text, or the making of implications about such relationships (for instance, in fannish conversations about a fandom).

• Slash fan: someone who writes or enjoys slash. Also, slasher, though this is less common.

• Slashy, adj., something that has slash-like qualities. Often refers to subtext in the source material, notably in acting performances or in the writing. Also designates fan productions that involve slash, e.g., slashy artwork.

• Saffic: alternative name for slash fiction concerning female character. (It's a pun on "sapphic".) It is sometimes favoured over the term femmeslash, because the construction of the word "femmeslash" carries the implication that slash is only about male same-sex relationships.

Translations of the term "slash"

• In French:
  • Biaiser, verb, meaning "to slash"
• (Insert other translations)

Practice and Theory of Slash

Practice

The inventors of slash are women.

Women have created, named, and driven the slash phenomenon, and are still the primary producers and consumers of slash.

The position of women as fans in a male-dominated, heterosexist popular culture is intimately linked to the production of slash, and the relations of production of slash.

Theory

There is some controversy over the definition of slash, particularly concerning the requirement of non-canonicity in slash relationships. This is because the term slash emerged in a context where canonical erotic and/or romantic same-sex relationships were rare to non-existent: products of (primarily) North American and British popular culture in the 1970s, especially on television and in the movies. Therefore, in the absence of overt homoerotic material, the distinction between canon and non-canon same-sex relationships became moot.

Since the emergence of canonical same-sex relationships and their increasing overtness in Western popular culture, it has been suggested that the term homoerotic could usefully co-exist with slash to designate, respectively, canonical and non-canonical same-sex relationships. However, this suggestion is not standard usage.

Earlier references to slash also tended to designate only, or primarily, male same-sex relationships. This is due at least in part to the prevalence of male characters over female characters onscreen, and the increased importance accorded to them by the producers of popular culture.

Further reading

• Joanna Russ, Pornography By Women For Women, With Love
• "What Is Slash?", essay at The Fanfic Symposium