JANE AUSTEN FANFICTION

Jane Austen’s legacy stretches far and wide. Jane’s novels and characters have brought joy and comfort to her readers for over two centuries, tens of thousands visit her home of Chawton every year, and the explosion in her popularity in recent decades shows no sign of waning as more and more people discover her work and fellow Janeites. Filmmakers continue to re-tell Jane’s novels— there are at least two new versions of Persuasion currently in production!  

In addition to her own works, Jane has given inspiration to countless other writers and creators, who write stories, plays, and scripts for our reading, listening, and viewing pleasure. Long derided as ‘not proper literature,’ Jane Austen ‘fanfiction’ has proven to be highly popular and commercially successful. Stories are beautifully crafted by highly talented writers, many of whom continue the lives of their most loved Austen characters, giving hungry audiences another hour, week, or month in the wonderful world of Jane Austen. They are not all to our individual taste, but they’re not supposed to be, and that’s not the point. New interpretations, tellings, and genres bring new audiences who may not otherwise discover Jane’s work, many of whom go on to enjoy more Austen interpretations and the magic of Jane’s original texts.     

We celebrate the inspiration Jane gives other writers and were fascinated to know more about the ever-growing array of Jane Austen inspired literature. Who better to ask than Meredith Esparza, aka Austenesque Reviews, about her love of Austen inspired works and for a guide to the vast selection of fanfiction on offer. Meredith has read and reviewed 600 Austeneque books over the past 12 years, a labor of love and commendable service, helping readers pick novels they will enjoy.   

Meredith Esparza from Austenesque Reviews shares her love of Austen inspired works.

I became a devoted and ardent admirer of Jane Austen and her novels the summer I found Pride and Prejudice on a “suggested” Summer Reading list for an upcoming AP Literature course. Thinking I'd heard of it somewhere before and appreciating that it was written by a woman author, I decided to give it a whirl. And like many, I thought it was completely wonderful and full of such remarkable genius. Even though I also read (and equally adored) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë that same summer, I was drawn more to Jane Austen's timeless characters, her brilliant powers of understanding, and the inviting world of her novels.

I was so drawn to Jane Austen's characters and their lives that I never wanted my time with them to end. As soon as I finished one Jane Austen novel, I immediately picked up another. And when I learned that there were “other” stories about Jane Austen's characters, I immediately searched high and low to find them in every library or bookstore I visited. (This was back in 2002, before the ease and convenience of discovering published books on Amazon). 

When I did finally discover the joys of online book retailers and the catalogues of previously released Jane Austen sequels, I was elated. I had found an endless supply of Austenesque stories that continued to flesh out the lives of her characters. I could continue to visit them as many times as my heart desired and see what becomes of them and learn what happens next.

But if you are an avid reader of Austenesque books, then you probably are well aware that Austenesque stories are not only sequels of Jane Austen's novels. Nowadays, there are so many different types of stories that are inspired by Jane Austen and her characters. 

Here is a brief sampling of the most common types of Austenesque books that exist.

SEQUELS: stories that show what happens next, after a Jane Austen novel ends

• The Darcys of Pemberley by Shannon Winslow

CONTINUATIONS: stories that finish an uncompleted manuscript such as Sanditon or The Watsons

• Emma and Elizabeth by Ann Mychal

PREQUELS: stories that show what took place before a Jane Austen novel begins

• The Courtship of Edward Gardiner by Nicole Clarkston

MODERN ADAPTATIONS: stories that follow similar themes and events of a particular Jane Austen novel in a contemporary time period

• Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

RETELLINGS: stories that follow similar themes and events of a particular Jane Austen  novel in different time periods, other than contemporary time period

•  Longbourn's Songbird by Beau North

VARIATIONS (CANON): stories that follow the same course of a particular Jane Austen novel but deviate with some slight changes

• A Fair Prospect trilogy by Cass Grafton

VARIATIONS (OUTSIDE OF CANON): stories that include some of the framework and themes of a particular Jane Austen novel but deviates greatly in either timing, circumstances, or events

• The Best Part of Love by Amy D'Orazio

ALTERNATE POINT-OF-VIEW: stories that retell a particular Jane Austen novel from a  different character's perspective

• George Knightley, Esquire by Barbara Cornthwaite

SECONDARY CHARACTER: stories that spotlight or flesh-out the life of a secondary character from a Jane Austen novel

•  The Clergyman's Wife by Molly Greeley

MYSTERY: stories that combine Jane Austen characters with murders, crimes, and  sleuthing

• Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mysteries series by Carrie Bebris

FANTASY: stories that combine Jane Austen characters with magical elements and/or creatures

• Jane Austen's Dragons series by Maria Grace

PARANORMAL: stories that combine Jane Austen characters with supernatural elements and/or creatures

• Tempt Me by Julie Cooper

TIME TRAVEL/TIME SLIP: stories where Jane Austen characters or modern characters travel through time or slip into the body of a character from a different time

• Nine Ladies by Heather Moll

AUSTEN-INSPIRED: stories that reference Jane Austen characters or novels or are about Jane Austen admirers, but don't necessarily follow the events of a particular Jane Austen novel

• The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

JANE AUSTEN AS A FICTIONAL CHARACTER: fictional stories about Jane Austen's  life or where Jane Austen is a main character

• Being a Jane Austen Mystery series by Stephanie Barron

YOUNG ADULT ADAPTATIONS: stories that parallel Jane Austen's characters or follow similar themes of a particular Jane Austen novel with young adult characters

• The Jane Austen Diaries series by Jenni James

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: stories about Jane Austen or her characters written for young readers

• A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Found Her Voice by Jasmine A. Stirling and Vesper Stamper

In addition to this brief list of fictional Austenesque works, there are also many nonfiction works such as biographies, histories, reference works, and annotated editions of Jane Austen's novels. We are so fortunate to live in a time where there is no shortage of novels inspired by or about Jane Austen for us to explore! 

Just like with any other fandom, Austenesque literature exists as a form of honoring and appreciating the novels and characters readers so passionately love and admire. After all these years, Jane Austen's characters continue to inspire, entertain, and transcend time. And Austenesque stories deliver all the wonderful feelings of joy, comfort, diversion, and escape readers have always sought in Jane Austen's novels.

Twenty years ago, I journeyed into Jane Austen's world through the pages of Pride and Prejudice, and now I travel there on a daily basis through a variety of different works and vehicles. I love dwelling in Jane Austen's time and having my daily encounters with her characters. If I go too long without reading an Austenesque story, then all doesn't seem right in my world. I find myself terribly missing the Bennets, or longing for a sojourn to Highbury or Lyme, or craving stories that unite universal truths with rational creatures and clever wit. I am so grateful that this ever-expanding world of Austenesque literature exists. Its longevity and perpetual growth are a testament to both the fervent admiration of Jane Austen's readers and writers and the endlessness of possibilities Jane Austen's creative genius inspires.

©️Meredith Esparza, creator of Austenesque Reviews, is devoted to reading, reviewing, and celebrating all things Austenesque. Aside from reading and blogging, Meredith loves the beach, hiking, traveling, being outside, and tacos.

Justin Young, lead writer and executive producer of the upcoming Sanditon Season 2, speaks to our founder & chair, Caroline Jane Knight, about the making of the much anticipated second season of this Austen inspired series. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to make sure you don't miss it!