Omegaverse
Omegaverse is a subgenre of speculative erotic fiction, and originally a subgenre of erotic fan fiction (slash fiction). Stories in the genre are premised on societies wherein humans are divided into a dominance hierarchy of dominant "alphas", neutral "betas", and submissive "omegas". These terms are derived from those used in ethology to describe social hierarchies in animals.[1]
Genre characteristics
Omegaverse fiction typically focuses on wolf or other canid-like behavior in humans, especially as it pertains to sex. This includes rutting and heat cycles, pheromonal attraction between alphas and omegas, penises with knots ("knotting"),[1] scent marking,[2] breeding, and pack structures.[3] Male omegas are also often conceived of as being able to become pregnant. The genre often features other fantasy elements, such as the presence of werewolves or other fantastical creatures.[1] Omegaverse works are most frequently focused on male-male couples, a subgenre of fanfiction known as slash fiction, though heterosexual Omegaverse works have been produced.[2]
History
Genre tropes associated with Omegaverse emerged in fan communities focused on the American television series Supernatural, originating as an offshoot of the male pregnancy ("mpreg") subgenre of erotic fan fiction.[4] The genre subseqently expanded in popularity to other fan communities, particularly those focused around the 2013 television series Hannibal and the 2011 television series Teen Wolf.[1]
Impact
As of 2020[update], over 70,000 Omegaverse fan works have been published on the fan fiction website Archive of Our Own.[1] In addition to these derivative works, Omegaverse has emerged as its own genre of original commercial erotic fiction: the 2007 novel With Caution by J.L. Langley is noted as the first commercially-published novel with Omegaverse tropes,[5] and roughly 200 Omegaverse novels were published on Amazon from January to June 2020.[1] Omegaverse has also emerged as a subgenre of both commercial and non-commercial yaoi (Japanese manga featuring male-male couples).[6]
Copyright lawsuit
In 2016, author Addison Cain released Born to be Bound, a novel that features Omegaverse genre tropes. In April 2018, Cain and her publisher Blushing Books filed a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notice against author Zoey Ellis, whose 2018 novel Crave to Conquer similarly features Omegaverse genre tropes, for plagiarism and copyright infringement.[2][7] Ellis subsequently brought a lawsuit against Cain and Blushing Books for damages due to lost revenue and reputational harm; as of May 2020, the lawsuit is ongoing.[1] The lawsuit was covered by The New York Times, which noted that the case could set a significant legal precedent for commercial works based on fan-generated material; the Times further noted the case as an example of "how easily intellectual property law can be weaponized by authors seeking to take down their rivals."[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Alter, Alexandra (23 May 2020). "A Feud in Wolf-Kink Erotica Raises a Deep Legal Question". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020.
{{cite news}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; 11 June 2020 suggested (help) - ^ a b c Tanjeem, Namera (18 July 2019). "The Omegaverse Plagiarism Lawsuit, One Year On". Book Riot. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ Shrayber, Mark (18 June 2014). "'Knotting' Is the Weird Fanfic Sex Trend That Cannot Be Unseen". Jezebel. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
- ^ Kristina Busse (26 November 2013). "Pon Farr, Mpreg, and the rise of the Omegaverse". Fic: Why Fanfiction is Taking Over the World. By Jamieson, Anne. United States: Smart Pop. ISBN 978-1939529190.
- ^ "《2019年版》おすすめオメガバースBL漫画17選【初心者向けから上級者向けまで】" [Top 17 Recommended BL Omegaverse Manga for 2019]. BookLive! (in Japanese). 2018-07-11. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
- ^ "New Omegaverse(A/B/O) Titles Coming to Renta" (Press release). Anime News Network. 22 December 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ Dalisay, Butch (6 July 2020). "Trouble in literary wolf-land". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 17 July 2020.