Fangirl Jeanne, fanfic elder, is back to revisit the fan fiction formerly known as “Manacled,” now traditionally published as “Alchemised” by SenLinYu. Three years after our initial discussion about Manacled in episodes 116 and 117, we delve into the transformation of this Harry Potter/”Dramione” (aka Draco-Hermione) + Handmaid’s Tale fanfic into a commercially-published romantasy novel. What happens to subtext when you remove the context of the text? What are the ethics of profiting from fanfic? What’s the harm in supporting derivative works of a prolific anti-Trans activist?

File off those serial numbers and sit back and relax an absolute descent into madness as we try to figure out what the heck went on here.

To counteract some of the harm of discussing this book, Jeanne suggests supporting trans charities such as the Good Law Project and the Trevor Project.

Jeanne also recommends several books by trans authors or featuring trans characters:

• Reforged by Seth Haddon
• Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
• Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White
• A Lady for the Duke by Alexis Hall

Andrea recommended:

• A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander

Guest: Fangirl Jeanne

Website | BlueSky | Threads

Topics:

• 00:25 Revisiting Manacled: Three Years Later 
• 01:33 The Rise of Fan Fiction in the TikTok Era 
• 03:21 From Fan Fiction to Published Novels 
• 08:11 The Ethics of Consuming Fan Fiction 
• 21:48 Highlighting Trans Charities and Authors 
• 26:55 The Transformation of Manacled to Alchemised 
• 38:31 Alchemised: A Romantasy Review 
• 51:41 The Resonance Dilemma 
• 52:40 Lazy Worldbuilding 
• 52:57 Info Dumps and Pacing Issues 
• 54:21 Immigrant Labor and Alchemy 
• 54:41 Confusing Technology and Setting 
• 56:01 The Good Guy Government 
• 01:00:22 Character Backstories and Relationships 
• 01:10:00 Romantasy and Market Trends 
• 01:11:52 Critique of Alchemised 
• 01:13:55 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

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