This work is part of a series, starting at “Fanfiction 101: Where to read and post” Modern AUs or Mundane AUs are transformative works that take characters from a SFF or historical setting and transport them to our modern and mundane world. In the reddit thread “What counts as a “Modern AU?” user 15stepsdown defines modern AU as: Anything that places the characters in a setting like our own 2000-2021 era right now. Of course, what counts as a "modern era" will change with time. Whatever is "modern" for the time the fic is posted. It can also define an era of progress for technology. The modern era usually consists of flip phones or smartphones, and possesses cars. Internet is usually a thing. This doesn't mean everywhere in that world has reached that standard of living, but for what the top 20% of humans (or other sentient beings) experience, that can be akin to our "modern" tech. Modern AU's also don't necessarily need to take place in our world. For example, in my fandom, the world has alternate countries and the map is basically the irl world map but upside down and inverted. A modern AU in my fandom could be the characters doing stuff is California US or Vancouver Canada, but, they could also still be in their canonical town in the canon, but modernized. They have a slice-of-life quality to them. The characters instead of going on adventures to defeat the Big Bad Evil, have to endure the trials of being a service worker. Because of that Modern AUs or Mundane AUs are most popular in fandoms whose original work is very fast-paced and packed with action. When the stakes are lower, and there are no imminent threats, the fanfic writer can instead divert their attention to Character and focus more on the relationships between them. Domesticity is a key player too but, it has less to do with a 50s white-middle-class way of living and more with the little comforts a generation born in the middle of a climate-crisis can achieve. In other words, Modern AUs give us a break from the events of canon for a more quiet life. A pro unique for the author that decides to write a Modern AU, is that you don’t have to pay a lot of attention to lore, and instead write for a setting you’re more familiarized by. That being said, the true au-master knows how to translate the elements that made the story “The Story” from one world to another. If the characters become unrecognizable, you may as well label it original fiction. The role of the internet, technology and social media plays a role as big as the author wants but it is prominent. Modern AU authors therefore have to master what few YA writers can, finding a balance between the irl world and the virtual one, and making it true to reality. Learn more about the role of social media in fanfics by clicking here. In the end Modern AUs will not be everyone’s cup of tea, they are getting rid of the worldbuilding aspect that makes SFF (and Historical Fiction) so dear to readers but, they are also de-constructing our own to fit our beloved characters and give them an slice-of-life plot that offers them a break from their wild adventures. Ari Ochoa Petzois a Mexican-Venezuelan bi genderfluid writer. They like dancing to old music and history. In their free time you can find xem trying to coerce their friends to participate in another of their crazy projects.
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