Canon (fiction)

In the context of fiction, the canon of a fictional universe comprises those novels, stories, films, etc. that are considered to be genuine (or "official"), and those events, characters, settings, etc. that are considered to have inarguable existence within the fictional universe. Usually items that are considered canon come from the original source of the fictional universe while non-canon material comes from adaptations or unofficial items. Generally, Expanded Universes are not considered canon, though there are exceptions which are considered near-canon.

Other factors

The fact the majority of fans of a fictional setting view certain things as non-canonical, or even an official statement to that effect from its creators, does not oblige everyone to agree. In addition, a story can belong to two overlapping canons. The most obvious example of this is Philip José Farmer's Wold Newton family. Some (but not all) of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, Doc Savage etc. are canonical in the Wold Newton setting. This does not mean that the events of Farmer's books are canonical from a Sherlockian perspective. Similarly, fans of Laurie R. King's novels of Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell consider all the Holmes stories to be canonical in King's setting.

Related Topics:
Philip José Farmer - Wold Newton family - Tarzan - Doc Savage - Laurie R. King - Sherlock Holmes - Mary Russell

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The difference can be even less clear cut than this. Current Star Trek novels maintain a tight continuity with each other, and avoid contradicting the television series. When a Lost Era novel set between the movies and The Next Generation features a younger version of a character introduced in a Deep Space Nine novel, it's obvious there's some sort of "canonical" novel-setting, even if the TV series is not obliged to conform to it. This is where fanon and canon often collide, especially when a TV series, movie or other officially canonical source contradicts it. An example is the Trek novel Starfleet Year One which appeared in print before the TV series ' was announced, but was completely invalidated by the series; there are some Trek fans who prefer the Starfleet Year One version of events as canon, rejecting the TV series. Generally, though, in the case of televised fiction, only facts which appear in the as-originally-aired version of a program are considered canonical (including scenes cut from re-runs, but not including such things as deleted scenes and scenes from unaired pilots and other such material that 'leaks out' over the internet).

Related Topics:
Fanon - Starfleet Year One

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In some fictional universes interviews and other communications from authors are also considered canon - like the letters of J. R. R. Tolkien with relation to Middle Earth. Also items such as interviews, internet chat sessions, and website of J. K. Rowling in relation to Harry Potter This usually only happens in cases where all works in the universe have the same author.

Related Topics:
The letters of J. R. R. Tolkien - Middle Earth - J. K. Rowling - Harry Potter

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~