I think the difference between Shakespeare and a lot of other writers who I'd otherwise compare him to is that Shakespeare, for whatever reason, doesn't get fanfic'ed as much as other writers of equivalent entertainment value. Fanfic'ed and pro-fic'ed both.
I mean, people write Cthulhu mythos things ALL THE TIME, even multiple roleplaying games. Jack Kirby's creations have been written by other writers ever since.
And yet, Shakespeare fanfiction and derivative works, while they certainly EXIST, and many of them are excellent, aren't as ubiquitous as a lot of other authors.
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Date: 2014-02-03 02:50 am (UTC)I mean, people write Cthulhu mythos things ALL THE TIME, even multiple roleplaying games. Jack Kirby's creations have been written by other writers ever since.
And yet, Shakespeare fanfiction and derivative works, while they certainly EXIST, and many of them are excellent, aren't as ubiquitous as a lot of other authors.