MacLennan, AnneLatchford, FancesBischoping, KatherineTel, Hendrike Johanna Janny2021-03-082021-03-082020-122021-03-08http://hdl.handle.net/10315/38213Although asexual activism and asexuality scholars show that asexuality encompasses a wide range of experiences, asexual people remain an understudied sexual minority. Pop-cultural representations of asexuality are uncommon, but one place where asexual people are often represented is in fanfiction: transformative stories written by fans of cultural works. This thesis studies asexual depictions of two characters: the unsociable genius Sherlock Holmes (BBC) and the playboy superhero Tony Stark (Marvel Studios). Using content and discourse analysis to study a sample of 100 stories, this thesis shows that while asexual stories are diverse, they contain a number of recurring tropes and storylines. They depict asexuality as a cause for both negative and positive emotions and portray asexual characters as active participants in romantic relationships and sometimes in sex. This thesis shows that fanfiction can play a key role in providing representation of marginalized sexualities and furthering our understanding of asexual perspectives.Author owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.SociologyElectronic Thesis or Dissertation2021-03-08FandomFandom studiesFanfictionFan fictionAsexualityAsexuality studiesQueer studiesSexuality studiesNarrative