Um. I need to ask something.
What *is* "The Backrooms" ... ? I don't mean what is the fictional world concept about, but what do you call the way that people are ... playing? Making? this ... RPG? Game? Campfire Story?
If you aren't familiar people interact with "The Backrooms" mostly by making up new areas that can be explored. It's like a RPG where everyone is the DM.
Is there a word for this?
@futurebird
I think "The Backrooms" as a creative phenomena straddles some genres.
I think it partly fits into:
* Urban Legend
* Creepypasta
* Shared Universe
@fivetonsflax @futurebird
I'm sure you're right.
Mythology certainly seemed to be that way. Each locale or author had their own variant of events.
Even what came to be thought of as canonical scripture (not intended as fiction) had multiple authors with their own perspectives on things.
I'd heard things to the effect that Cervantes rushed the second part of Don Quixote so he wasn't overtaken by the many fanfic/knockoff followups being circulated.
@fivetonsflax @futurebird
There was a whole genre for awhile of "Edisonades", which sometimes actually involved Thomas Edison as the protgonist DURING EDISON'S LIFETIME, without his approval.
@fivetonsflax @futurebird
I tend to think this kind of thing decreased particularly due to a couple factors:
* Easier printing over time made single-author ownership of a work more of a thing. Less time for a story to circulate and community variants to arise.
* Stronger legal copyright protections made it easier to wall off ideas, for better or ill.
* Increasing corporate ownership of IP made defense and exploitation of works more cutthroat and rigorous.
myrmepropagandist
Peter Kisner ≈
Ben Rosengart