Slash

What is slash in fan fiction?

Same-sex romance fan fiction

Slash is fan fiction that places two or more characters of the same gender in a romantic or sexual situation. These characters may hook up, or their love may remain unrealized.

For example, fan fiction that stars Harry Potter and Ron Weasley and imagines the two becoming a romantic couple would be slash fiction.

What is the origin of slash fan fiction?

The original slash fan fiction starred Star Trek TOS characters Captain Kirk and Commander Spock. To differentiate between stories in which Kirk and Spock were platonic friends or romantic partners, writers labeled their stories either K&S (platonic) or K/S (romantic).

Over time, fan fiction writers began using / to denote other stories that included a same-sex romantic pairing. This convention gave rise to the name slash, which is now used to refer to the entire genre of same-sex romance fan fiction.

Example

Well, that story definitely should have been labeled slash
A writer wondering where to post their slash fiction
A writer wondering where to post their slash fiction

Related Slang

FanficFan fiction
RPFReal person fiction
Y/NYour name
ShippingHoping for two people to get into a relationship
HeadcanonA fan's unverified beliefs about a story
RetconRetroactively change
TOSThe Original Series
FandomCommunity of fans
SuperfanAn extremely dedicated fan
YAYoung Adult

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Updated September 1, 2021

Slash definition by Slang.net

This page explains what the slang term "Slash" means. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the Slang.net team.

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