BLERD: The Exploration of Blackness in gaming spaces, practice of fan-interpretations, and creation of counterpublics

Abstract

The politics of visibility is determined and impacted by existing physical and digital environments. In recent years, the focal point of game studies has shifted to the culture and impact that games have on everyday life in and out of virtual spaces, one of these spaces being fanfiction communities. Gaming spaces and counterpublics have historically been sites for critical intervention and play. Fanfiction is a unique landscape that culturally exists at the intersection of pop culture, politics of space and play. Black fanfiction communities and counter publics are an important source for understanding Black discourse in academia. As such it is important to consider how fanfiction communities add to existing narratives and create a collaborative individual experience. Fanfiction is an art form that centers Black cultural production. Drawing on the works such as of Mary Flanagan in Critical Play, Intersectional Tech by Kishonna Gray, and Black fanfiction authors, I argue that Fanfiction provides grounds for understanding and integrating Black discourse surrounding fandom and video games within academia. Including these interpretations of game media complicates the players understanding and interaction with the game as a technological artifact.