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A Fair Maiden by Joyce Carol writerFifteen-year-old Katya Spivak and much older Marcus Kidder develop a relationship that seems friendly at the beginning, but throughout the story grows into something more iniquitous. Working class nanny Katya is impressed by artist Marcus's affluence and interesting lifestyle.
genres mystery thriller keywords child abuse - rape or sexual assault - young girl being prayed upon by an older man - class - revenge content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 231 pages -
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin writer
The Song of Ice and Fire book series chronicles the events on the continents of Westeros and Essos. In the beginning the story centers around the Stark family. Lord Eddard Stark, his wife Catelyn and their chlidren rule the wintery north of Westeros where behind a wall the undead await. On Essos the last heirs to the former king, Daenerys Targaryen and her older brother Rhaegar, seek out allies to reconquer the realm of Westeros. Intrigue, murder, rape and ultimately war awaits the many characters of this story.
genres fantasy keywords child abuse - domestic violence - homophobia - major character death - racism - rape or sexual assault - self-harm - sexism - suicide - torture - politics - intrigue - war - magic - dragons content warnings profanity: yes - violence: graphic - sex: graphic languages English length 780 source material related works Game of Thrones TV series in which all characters who are minors and children in the book, become about 6-10 years older on TV. (While it is fine to have murder and rape of children and teenagers in novels we cannot handle it in film or TV - See also Battle Royale for this curious western attitude.) availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes The SOng of Ice and Fire is the current (2018) "big" fantasy novel series. Though the story is convoluted and to this point is missing any mythological depth in narrative and theme its strengths lie in other parts. What George R. R. Martin does really well, and that is something that is recommended to be tried for any fanfiction writing exercise, is different persectives. Each chapther is written from the viewpoint of a different characters. Events often overlap and are perceived very differently. It is no Rashomon, where this technique is at its peak, but it is hardly deniable that a lot of the success of the series comes from this. -
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green writer
Colin, the main character, was a child prodigy and as he is growing into an adult afraid of not being a genius anymore. He has dated 19 girls in his life, all of them called Katherine. After the last breakup he and his best friend go on a road trip and Colin hope to finds enlightenment (his eureka moment)
genres young adult keywords breakup - cheating - friendship - letting-go content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: yes languages English length 256 pages source material related works Though there is no relation, five years later, in 2011, Japanese game developer Atlus released their formidable game Catherine. In which the main character is torn between two girls, one named Catherine and the other Katherine. As an exploration of human relationships and deep feelings it is also recommended, though be aware of what is commonly referred to as Japanese wierdness by narrowminded westerners. availability of fanfiction Less than 100 entries on FanFiction.net -
Assassin's Creed by Ubisoft developer, publisherThe Assassin's Creed series tells the story of the war between two secret societies, Templars and Assassins, throughout time. The actual story takes place in the future where through technological magic (ie magic) people have the ability to relive experiences of their ancient ancestors by using virtual reality machines. These Science Fiction elements are underdeveloped and get gradually dropped over the course of the series. The gameplay centers around being an Assassin during different time periods, finding targets and murdering them.
genres science fiction fantasy action keywords imaginary history - conspiracies - secret wars content warnings profanity: mild - violence: graphic - sex: no languages English length NA related works The Assassin's Creed movie of 2016 shares all of the flaws of the game series but without the interactivity of gameplay. It can be ignored. availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes The AC series was hugely successful and had many possibilities to engage the players in fantastic stories within an historical context. Sadly the historical context is often lacking or downright wrong and thus the historical environments feel more like Disney movies in their complete ignorance of history.So even though the series plays in interesting times like the Crusades, Renaissance Italy, the American War for Indepence or Victorian England, the historical background is so flimsy and badly researched that there is no historical value with the exception of the Architecture which has to be commended. As for the EFLC this series offers very little. Character development is lacking and the stories are too far out to foster serious discussions. Though there is potential and a teacher who wants to delve deep into specific games of the series might find useful material. -
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami writer
In a alternate Universe Japan, as part of an autocratic East Asian Super State, fights the gowing rebelliousness among the Youth with the BR Act. The Battle Royale Act chooses by lottery a number of different school classes and kidnaps each of them to a different Island. There the students are given three days to kill each other until only one survives. If more than one is alive by the end of that timespan all of them die. The book follows this event for one school class and the desperate attempts for survival by the different students.
genres satire drama tragedy keywords addiction - child abuse - disordered eating - divorce - domestic violence - homophobia - major character death - rape or sexual assault - self-harm - sexism - suicide - education - friendship - love - revolution content warnings profanity: yes - violence: graphic - sex: yes languages English length 666 source material related works The film Battle Royale directed by Kinji Fukasaku and starring ("Beat") Takeshi Kitano is an amazing piece of art that actually is one of the very few examples of a film being superior to its original novel. It maintains all levels of critique and satire while managing to not depict teachers as just rapists and murderers. (Though as Adorno pointed out in "Tabus über den Lehrerberuf" the teacher IS the executioner of the modern society.) The reason why I chose to add the novel instead of the film to this database is because of the legal trouble the film is in many western societies. In Germany for instance a fully uncut version is not available, even the cut available to adults only censored out the "countdown" texts, for obvious political reasons. Also the film has very graphic depictions of violence against, among and by teenagers and whlie the sexual violence is missing from the film it can still be very disturbing for many. availability of fanfiction Between 100 and 1000 entries on FanFiction.net notes The novel had a troubled history being illegal at time of release in its origin country, a fate which would forecast the trouble the movie would in western culture. What makes is special is the depth of its critique. Even though it might not be obvious at first, every single part of the novel was created specifically as a critique of our school system and society. From Bourdieu, Foucoult to Adorno the most prominent and important western critics of our concept of education can be easily found in these pages, which is a testament to either the research or understanding of Koushun Takami. Please note that aside of the obvious problems with violence that this novel poses, it is also a very harsh and thought out critique of our school system, so teachers who do not want to engage with this issue should avoid it. In fact I argue it is the best and most important piece of fiction ever created that critiques education on a fundamental level. The novel opens with a quote from George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia which should make it obvious which political attitude the author has. To write their own school critique in a Battle Royale like universe as fanfiction could be a great exercise for an advanced class. -
Battlefield by EA DICE main developer
Battlefield is a series of First Person Shooter (FPS) games that started in 2002 with Battlefield 1942. Since then it had over a dozen sequels. Each game centers around a historical war period (World War 2 mostly but also Vietnam and World War 1 as well as Science Fiction or contemporary settings). Originally gameplay was purely multiplayer but after the success of Call of Duty later installments featured single player campaigns. While earlier games featured a wide variety of military vehicles, ranging from jeeps to planes to ships, the players could pilot this would diminish with each new iteration.
genres action keywords war content warnings profanity: yes - violence: graphic - sex: no languages English length NA source material availability of fanfiction Between 100 and 1000 entries on FanFiction.net notes As with many mainstream video games Battlefield offers very little educational value and has no real place in an EFLC. Opportunities for discussion wold mostloy be philosophical (ie Violence) or historical, but even then the teacher would need to be very creative with the material to hav it enrich the school lessons. -
Breaking Bad by Vince Gilligan creatorWalter White, a seemingly agreeable family man and chemistry teacher is diagnosed with lung cancer, and turns to the criminal world to be able to afford his treatment. White and his former student, Jesse Pinkman, begin to produce and sell methamphetamine. Their plan seems simple and clear-cut at first, but White inevitably discovers the complexity and quandary of being a criminal.
genres crime drama thriller keywords addiction - child abuse - divorce - major character death - substance abuse - drug overdose - death - sin - family - power and its corrupting influence - envy and regret - crime doesn't pay - dr jekyll and mr hyde - hypocrisy content warnings profanity: yes - violence: graphic - sex: graphic languages English length 62 episodes à 49 minutes source material -
Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Joss Whedon creator - producer
Buffy Summers appears to be a typical cheerleader at high school, but one day she needs to accept her destiny as a Slayer of Vamypres and other demonic entities. Joined by her best friend Willow who dabbles in witchcraft and her other friends and led by the school librarian Giles who is their mentor and "Watcher". Episodes are varied and usually not connected very much to each other. The first big continous plot line not directly related to hunting vampyres is the problematic love story between the Slayer and a Vampyre named Angel.
genres action comedy drama fantasy keywords addiction - torture - vampyres - magic - coming of age - girl power content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 144 episodes at about 45 minutes each source material related works A spin off TV Show Angel was produced. Buffy is one the most referenced non Video Game character in Video Games, which is a small hint as the influence the series had. availability of fanfiction Between 50,000 and 100,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes Buffy the Vampyre Slayer is, in hindsight, probably one of the most influential TV shows of the 1990s. It could be called a Feminist Manifesto of its time especially because the series itself never makes a big deal out of the female empowerment it portrays in a light and often humorous tone. It was one of the first mainstream TV shows, maybe even the first, where one of the main characters engages in a positive homosexual relationship. The creativity by the team around Joss Whedon was in full display and some episodes, like "Once More, with Feeling" from season 6 which is a musical for all intents and purposes, have become cult classics since. The biggest challenge for the teacher will be to present this series as something timeless that is not specific to the time of its creation. But considering how successful and beloved the series still is among younger first time viewers this challenge should not be overestimated. -
Call of Duty by Activision publisher, Infinity Ward developer, Treyarch or Sledgehammer Games developer
The Call of Duty series began with the release of the first game in 2003, and with its immedeate sequels had World War 2 as its setting. Later releases would go into modern times, near and far future. As FPS games (First-Person Shooters) the games are almost always centered around shooting the enemy. The plot of these games was mostly there to build atmospheare and context, but later games, most notably in the early Black Ops and Modern Warfare games, had somewhat challenging plot lines and even satirical moments to commenate on government sanctioned violence.
genres action keywords major character death - torture - war content warnings profanity: yes - violence: graphic - sex: no languages English length NA source material availability of fanfiction Between 50,000 and 100,000 entries on Fanfic Recs/Call of Duty notes With very few exceptions these games offer little value to the EFLC. The most rewarding games for these purposes are Modern Warfare 1 and 2. In the first one the player character witnesses a nuclear explosion and slowly dies from it. In the second game the player character is an undercover agent and has to partake in a fake terrorist attack at a civilian airport, where the player is allowed but not forced by the game to shoot down helpless civilians. It does not need to be stressed that these topics may not be appropriate for most classes to discuss, but can be very rewarding under the right circumstances. -
Ellen by Neal Marlens creator, Carol Black creator, David S. Rosenthal creator
Ths is a SitCom revolving around Ellen, a book store owner in her thirties. She is quite neurotic, as often with these types of characters in SitComs, and the series resolves around her life and her relationships to friends, family and more.
genres sitcom keywords comedy content warnings profanity: no - violence: no - sex: no languages English length 109 episodes in 5 seasons, episodes around 30 minutes each source material availability of fanfiction Basically none to be found that are appropriate entries notes The TV show Ellen was originally titled These Friends of Mine. To not be confused with the, at that time huge, SitCom Friends, the title was changed. It was notable for being the first American TV show where the main character came out as gay in the episode "Puppy Episode" in 1997. The controversy around this in the Unites States forced the TV channel to have a parental advisory before each episode. -
FIFA game series by EA Sports publisher
A long running series of video games about football. Started in 1993 and having at least one iteration each year. For the longest time the games just featured gameplay, playing football in exhibition matches, world cups etc. Since FIFA 17 they feature a storyline that can be played through were the player takes control over a young athlete about to make it big in the world of football.
genres sports keywords none content warnings profanity: no - violence: no - sex: no languages English length NA source material availability of fanfiction Less than 100 entries notes There is very little here to be used in an EFLC. If football is a big topic in the class then maybe, but otherwise it offers little to work with. -
Fortnite by Epic Games developer
Fortnite offers two disctinct game modes. One mode is a cooperative experience where players have to survive in a post-apocalyptic world by building defenses and fighting against monsters. The other more notable game mode is Battle Royale. In this player versus player mode 100 players are dropped into an island and have to kill each other until only one survives (or in team mode only one team survives).
genres action keywords survival - kill or be killed content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length around 20 minutes for a match source material related works As with Player Unknown's Battleground (PUBG), Fortnite is a tiny shadow of the original concept. These games are basically copies of the surface of the novel and film Battle Royale. Only while Battle Royale is a masterpiece satire on the westerns school system and the society that created it, nothing of that is in those games and has not been substitued for anything that matters. (note: Battle Royale novel and film will hopefully be added to this database, if not research them even if the film is illegal in your country, like the uncensored version is in Germany for instance - another case where mindless violence is considered acceptable but critique of violence is not - see also the film adaptation of Starship Troopers on this) availability of fanfiction Less than 100 entries on FanFiction.Net notes Fortnite offers very little opportunity to be used in an EFLC. Apart from discussing gameplay experiences there is nothing here other than shooting a lot. -
Game of Thrones by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss creators
Game of Thrones follows the stories of many different characters within a fantasy world. There is the Stark family ruling in the far north of Westeros not far from the Wall which divides the world of the living and dead. Then there is house Lannister who plots to usurp the throne of Westeros and the last heirs top the formerly disposed king, Daenerys Targaryen and her brother, who seek help and allies on the eastern continent of Essos. Murder, Intrigue and War engulfs and extinguishes the characters in this series.
genres fantasy keywords child abuse - domestic violence - homophobia - major character death - racism - rape or sexual assault - self-harm - sexism - suicide - torture - war - betrayal - politics - rebirth content warnings profanity: yes - violence: graphic - sex: graphic languages English length 67 epiosed as of April 2018 each around 55 minutes source material related works This series is based on the book series Song of Ice and Fire. availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes Whlie the series starts out following the book series Song of Ice and Fire very closely, it increasingly departs from the source material. Apart from all underage characters getting their ages significantly increased, the plot itself has been changed by the original Author George R. R. Martin so that novel and TV series become increasingly distinct from each other. -
Gossip Girl by Josh Schwartz developer - producer, Stephanie Savage producer
The series follows the high-school years of rich teenagers. Plots resolve around relationship problems, partying, some teen angst and a mysterious blogger who almost seems all-knowing. The characters progress through high school as the series progresses.
genres drama romance keywords addiction - rape or sexual assault - substance abuse - high society - upper class - coming of age content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: yes languages English length 121 episodes in 6 seasons, each episode around 40 minutes source material availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes based on the novel series of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar -
Grand Theft Auto by David Jones and Mike Dailly creators
All five GTA games evolve around different protagonists who attempt to advance in the criminal world. The characters are offered to carry out or participate in various crimes, and as they climb the criminal ladder those crimes become more advanced and generate more money.
genres action adventure keywords addiction - divorce - major character death - sexism - substance abuse - torture - sex work - car accidents - kidnapping - military actions - explosions - glorification of criminality - police brutality - manhood/manliness - get rich or die trying - family/hood/business first content warnings profanity: yes - violence: graphic - sex: yes languages English length Between 31 and 236 hours source material notes GTA has been largely criticized for its violence and depiction of women. While it is understandable that so many find the game upsetting, it is important to remember that it also has been described as ironic social criticism and a satire on the criminal world. -
Grey's Anatomy by Shonda Rhimes creator - producer
The series follows a varied cast of characters, most who are surgeons, and follows their development. How they deal with their personal lives and tragedies around their profession as well as in their private lives.
genres drama romance keywords addiction - divorce - domestic violence - substance abuse - medicine - hospitals - doctors content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: yes languages English length 317 episodes in 14 seasons, each episode around 40 minutes source material availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes While I only selected "contains violence", because there is very little violent actions depicted in Grey's Anatomy, teachers should be aware that this is a series about surgeons and contains graphic imagery of surgical operations and realistic depictions of severe injuries. -
Harry Potter book series by J. K. Rowling writer
A seven book series of children’s/young adult novels. The first introduces 11-year-old Harry Potter, who is being raised by his aunt and uncle after the death of his parents in a car crash when Harry was an infant. Harry learns that he has magical abilities and that he is the only survivor of an attack by a powerful evil wizard, Voldemort, who is threatening to return to power and take over the wizarding world. Each book follows Harry through a different year (ages 11-17) at the magical boarding school, Hogwarts, where Harry faces challenges that arise through Voldemort’s various attempts to return to power. At the same time, Harry learns more about his past, the wizarding world, and deals with issues of friendship, fitting in, growing up, and even romance. The books move from whimsical children’s literature with a hint of threat to darker more young adult-themed with the fourth book. Harry’s character also develops as he ages and as the threats around him grow increasingly severe and dire. The final book retains dystopian, wartime themes but ends with hope.
genres fantasy children’s literature young adult dystopia keywords child abuse - major character death - racism - torture - british boarding school content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 223 pages to 766 pages source material related works The Harry Potter films availability of fanfiction More than 100,000 entries on Archive of Our Own, FanFiction.Net, fan specific archives notes Fanfiction is available for the entire series and not always based solely upon one of the Harry Potter books or movies. -
Harry Potter film series by Chris Columbus director, Steve Cloves screenplay, Afonso Cuarón director, Mike Newell director, David Yates director, Michael Goldenberg screenplayAn eight-movie series based on the seven-volume Harry Potter children’s/young adultnovels. The first introduces 11-year-old Harry Potter, who is being raised by his aunt and uncle after the death of his parents in a car crash when Harry was an infant. Harry learns that he has magical abilities and that he is the only survivor of an attack by a powerful evil wizard, Voldemort, who is threatening to return to power and take over the wizarding world. Each book follows Harry through a different year (ages 11-17) at the magical boarding school, Hogwarts, where Harry faces challenges that arise through Voldemort’s various attempts to return to power. At the same time, Harry learns more about his past, the wizarding world, and deals with issues of friendship, fitting in, growing up, and even romance. The movies move from whimsical and colorful explorations of the magical world from a child’s perspective to darker young-adult depictions of trying to survive in a society at war.
genres fantasy children’s literature young adult dystopia keywords child abuse - major character death - racism - torture - british boarding school content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 2 h 10 min - 2 h 54 min source material related works The Harry Potter books availability of fanfiction More than 100,000 entries on Archive of Our Own, FanFiction.Net, Wattpad, other fan archives notes Fanfiction is available for the entire series and not always based solely upon one of the Harry Potter books or movies. -
How I Met Your Mother by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays creators
Ted Mosby tells his teenage kids about his search for love and how he finally met their mother. The series depicts Ted and his friends Robin, Lily, Marshall, and Barney on their various adventures. Even though every plotline is connected to Ted's search for a wife, we get to know the other characters in their own quest for happiness. The whole (detailed) story leading up to the moment of meeting the love of his life is told throughout the nine seasons.
genres comedy romance keywords divorce - sexism - friendship - search for love - dating - "life happens now" - "it will never be perfect - make it work" - young adults finding their place in the world content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: yes languages English length 208 episodes à 22 minutes source material related works Friends (tv-series/sitcom), Scrubs (tv-series/sitcom) notes How I Met Your Mother is interesting in terms of storytelling, because it sort of tells a story backwards (it's been called "a love story in reverse"). Every episode is a flashback, and there are flashbacks, flash forwards and other time-jumping within those flashbacks. -
Hunger Games by Gary Ross director, Francis Lawrence director, Suzanne Collins writer
This is a young-adult dystopian series of 4 movies set in a post-apocalyptic future in the country of Panem, which is divided into 12 districts. While the Capital city of Panem is wealthy, technologically advanced and known for its citizen’s extravagant dress and lifestyles, the remaining 12 districts deal with varying degrees of poverty. The Capital maintains control of Panem through an annual event called the Hunger Games, in which two children (one boy and one girl) from each district are randomly selected as tributes to compete and fight to the death for public televised amusement. The trilogy follows the protagonist Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl from District 12 who competes and wins the 74th Hunger Games along with her fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark. Katniss finds herself an inadvertent figurehead and then later an active member of the growing rebellion that eventually overthrows the Capital’s control of Panem.
genres young adult dystopia keywords major character death - torture - war content warnings profanity: mild - violence: graphic - sex: no languages English length 137-146 minutes source material related works Hunger Games book series availability of fanfiction Between 50,000 and 100,000 entries on Archive for Our Own, FanFiction.net notes Fanfiction often merges characters and themes from all the books and movies. -
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins writer
This is a young-adult dystopian trilogy set in a post-apocalyptic future in the country of Panem, which is divided into 12 districts. While the Capital city of Panem is wealthy, technologically advanced and known for its citizen’s extravagant dress and lifestyles, the remaining 12 districts deal with varying degrees of poverty. The Capital maintains control of Panem through an annual event called the Hunger Games, in which two children (one boy and one girl) from each district are randomly selected as tributes to compete and fight to the death for public televised amusement. The trilogy follows the protagonist Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl from District 12 who competes and wins the 74th Hunger Games along with her fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark. Katniss finds herself an inadvertent figurehead and then later an active member of the growing rebellion that eventually overthrows the Capital’s control of Panem.
genres young adult dystopia keywords major character death - torture content warnings profanity: mild - violence: graphic - sex: no languages English length 374-391 pages source material related works The Hunger Games Film Series availability of fanfiction Between 50,000 and 100,000 entries on Archive for Our Own, FanFiction.net notes Fanfiction often merges characters and themes from all the books and movies. -
It by Stephen King writer
It' is difficult to summarize as the story alternates between two periods (1957-1958 and 1984-1985). It is a novel about friendship and the magic of childhood. The novel centers around seven core characters, friends who bonded as children during a summer of darkness. Twenty-seven years later, they reunite to fulfill a promise made that terrible summer. Evil lives under their hometown and, for some reason they do not understand, these seven have been destined to bring an end to the terrible cycle of death and destruction. These friends fought It once before, but now It is back, and they must end the evil for good. It is a novel of magic, mystery, and horror that will entertain readers of all ages. (source: http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-it-stephen-king/#gsc.tab=0)
genres horror keywords childhood trauma - friendship content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 1184 pages source material related works The book has been filmed (2x), other novels by the same author availability of fanfiction Less than 100 entries -
Looking for Alaska by John Green writer
Miles Halter leaves Florida to attend Culver Creek Preparatory High School in Alabama for his junior year. Miles is nicknamed Pudge by his new roommate, Chip "The Colonel" Martin who introduces Pudge to his friends Takumi Hikohito and Alaska Young. On his first night, Pudge is thrown into a lake by the "Weekday Warriors," rich schoolmates who blame the Colonel and his friends for the expulsion of their friend Paul and his girlfriend Marya. Alaska later admits that she is the rat who told the dean about Paul and Marya being together, to save herself from being punished. During a party, Alaska gets intoxicated and she kisses Pudge although she has a boyfriend, Jake. That same night, she receives a phone call and she goes into hysterics. She immediately wants to leave and Pudge and the Colonel help her by distracting the headmaster. Alaska drives away, crashes the car and dies instantly. The Colonel and Pudge are devastated and blame themselves, but learn that Alaska might have deliberately crashed to kill herself. When she was a little girl, her mother died and now Alaska feels guilty for not calling 911.
genres young adult keywords addiction - major character death - substance abuse - suicide - meaning of life - coming of age content warnings profanity: yes - violence: no - sex: graphic languages English length 262 pages source material related works Other books by John Green: Paper towns - The fault in our stars availability of fanfiction Between 100 and 1000 entries on Archive of Our Own, FanFiction.net, Wattpad, other fan archives notes The film rights to the novel were acquired by Paramount Pictures in 2005, but the production has been shelved indefinitely. -
Lord of the Rings book series by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien writer
Lord of the Rings (LotR) follows the journey of Frodo, a Hobbit, and his friends and companions. Frodo inherited a magic ring by his uncle Bilbo, a ring that not only makes its wearer invisible but also holds a dark secret. When the wizard Gandalf returns to Frodo after a long absence he tells Frodo the true origins of the ring. Frodo then leaves the Shire, his home, with a few friends to reach the elven sanctaury of Rivendell or Imladris. After many adventures and chased by the servants of Sauron, the creator of the ring Frodo holds, and evil Overlord, Frodo finally makes it Rivendell. There the council of Elrond comprised of wise men, elves, dwarfs and wizards is held and the free people decide that the ring must be destroyed ere it falls into the hands of the enemy or beguiles them to use it in his stead. So the fellowship of the ring is formed, comprised of nine travellers of all free races against the one darkness of Mordor, tasked to travel to the dark land itself and destroy the ring at the heart of the enemys realm.
genres fantasy romance travel keywords addiction - major character death - genealogy - war - refugees - corruption - faith - good & evil - language - history - ancient legendaria (edda) - perserverance - friendship - hope without hope - power content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length about 455 thousand words for the whole trilogy source material related works The Hobbit - written many years before. A children's book that had originally no relation to Tolkien's legendarium but was rewritten to fit into it before the Lord of the Rings was published. The Silmarillion - For advanced readers who hold a love or at least appreciation of the English language, old languages and ancient mythology. Not a classical narrative but the history of the world of Middle-Earth, which in the first writings was still intended to be our own Earth. availability of fanfiction More than 100,000 entries on LotR Fan Fiction notes LotR is a rewarding but complicated book to tackle in a classroom setting. Rewarding because of the love of language and humanity that seeps through every page, the rich lore and profound wisdom on the human condition, but complicated because of much the same reasons and its sheer length. It is also very important for teachers to devoid themselves of all the conspiracy theories (the book is Satanist, Christian, Racist etc.) surrounding LotR and remember that the story is not allegorical. As Tolkien explained people confuse applicability with allegory and any observations made in the above mentioned directions are quickly made void by the text itself. Ultimately it is the plurality of diversity that defeats the "One" evil. -
Lord of the Rings film series by Peter Jackson director, Philippa Boyens screenplay, Fran Walsh producer, screenplay
The Hobbit Frodo, Hobbits are a amall humanoid race of cave dwellers and farmers, was given a magic ring by his uncle Bilbo. This ring, the wizard Gandalf tells Frodo, is the ring of power created in ancient past by the great evil known as Sauron. Frodo has to leave his home and carry the ring to Elrond's house, an Elven abode where the wise will decide upon its fate. After many adventures Frodo and his companions reach the Elven sanctuary and there it is decided that the ring shall be destroyed whence it was made. Frodo and eight others are chosen to become the Fellowship and to travel to the evil land of Mordor and destroy the ring. After losing their guide the Fellowship is split and the different surviving characters are put on different journeys. Some going to war, others struggling to finish their appointed task, to destroy the ring at the heart of the enemies land.
genres fantasy action drama keywords addiction - major character death - torture - corruption - fall of heroes - friendship - immortality - nature - sacrifice - love content warnings profanity: no - violence: graphic - sex: no languages English length about 548 minutes (Cinema version) or 682 minutes (Extended cut) source material related works The Hobbit trilogy of films, which offer little of anything and can be ignored. The Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War games which really only visually emulate the films but contradict the lore and world of Tolkien to a degree where they should be considered fanfiction themselves. availability of fanfiction More than 100,000 entries on LotR Fan Fiction notes The film series is both very true to the source material and deviant in its implementation. Bascially action movies they miss much of the more subtle elements of the books. The basic themes are all still there but often modernized to positive and negative effects. For teachers with the time and will to tackle both films and novels with their class a wide opportunity to discussions arises. Differences between media types, differences between 1950s and early 2000s sensibilities, the character of Eowyn, the love story between Aragorn and Arwen which is basically absend in the books, etc. -
Maze Runner by Wes Ball director
In a dystopian future, Thomas a teenage boy awakes without memory in a walled off place. There other boys live and outside lies the maze. A monster infested and very dangerous place they need to overcome to regain their memory and understand what has happened.
genres young adult keywords dystopia content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 3 films, the first 113 minutes source material availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on Archive for Our Own notes The Maze Runner films are in that wierd spot, not so rare in Hollywood productions, where they want to be taken seriously, they want the audience to care for the teenage characters, but then every "teenager" is played by an actress or actor closer to 30 than to 15. -
Maze Runner by James Dashner writer
After a solar flare results in an extinction level catastrophe on earth the last of humanity tries to survive. Teenagers are put in a place called the Glade, a walled off settlement. On the other side of the walls lies a gigantic maze inhabited by monsters. Every month a new teenager is sent to the Glade, but that then stops. The first book follows Thomas and his attempt to escape the maze and the surrounding events.
genres young adult science fiction mystery keywords dystopia content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 6 Books, the first is 375 pages long source material related works To me it appears almost like a child friendly version of the horror film "The Cube". availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes Three main books, two prequel books and a side story are the full range of the Maze Runner novel series. -
Minecraft by Markus Persson designer
Minecraft is a game of exploration, construction and expression. The player is dropped into a randomly created world made from blocks. The player can mine, craft and construct, adapt the environment to their needs and countless has other ways to creatively express themselves. The game offers multiplayer and by now is avaiable on pretty much every machine. Probably it is most famous for its ability to empower the players to self express themselves inside that world.
genres adventure simulation keywords expression - art - creativity content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length NA source material availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes Minecraft was often used to create Machinima (short films using gameplay as footage) and might offer the ability to create fanfiction in a non-literature context. -
Paper Towns by John Green writer
The main character Quentin Jacobson, nicknamed Q used to be friends with his neighbour Margo Roth Spiegelman. That changed when they went to high school. Margo started to hang out with the popular crowd, while Q remained with his best friends Ben and Radar. During the last weeks of high school Q and Margo get into contact again. She sneaks into his room and asks him to help her with her ‘revenge-plan’ against friends who have wronged her. Margo disappears after that night. Q remembers that she used to vanish a lot during their childhood, usually leaving some clues behind. This time Q discovers some marked passages in Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. He asks his friends to help him. They find an abandoned warehouse where Margo has left some traces. Another clue is Margo’s obsession with paper towns. After a lot of research, Q finds the paper town of Agloe, New York, which might lead to Margo’s hiding place. Q goes on a roadtrip and eventually he finds her. However, Margo acts indifferent and does not want to return. They decide to keep in touch, but go their separate ways.
genres young adult keywords suicide - vandalism - road trip / high school boys figuring out girls - love and life content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 305 source material related works Other books by John Green + film: Paper Towns (2015) availability of fanfiction Less than 100 entries on Archive of Our Own notes n/a -
Persona 5 by Naoya Maeda and P Studio designer, developer, Atlus publisher
The player controls a teenager who walks home one night and witnesses a drunk man assaulting a woman. He intervenes and the man gets hurt. It turns out that the man is a very powerful politician and the almost rape-victim covers for him and the player character gets punished for the crime of saving her. He gets transferred into a new school in Tokyo where he befriends other students but quickly finds out that the sports teacher, a former Olympian athlete, abuses his position of power. One of the PCs friends, Ryouji, had his leg broken by that teacher and another, Ann, is on the verge of being blackmailed into having sex with him to save her best friend from the same fate. As authorities and other adults either dont believe them or actively help covering the situation up, the characters decide to revolt against that teacher and the machinations of power.
genres drama action mystery keywords addiction - divorce - domestic violence - homophobia - racism - rape or sexual assault - sexism - substance abuse - suicide - torture - rebellion - abuse of power - anarchism - solidarity - friendship - psychology content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: yes languages English length 6000 minutes more or less source material related works Persona 3 and 4 have completely different stories, characters and locations but have a stronger focus on the personal psychology of the individual characters. Neon Genesis Evangelion of course as the quintessential exploration and deconstruction of psychology in western society. availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes The Persona series has a long and well deserved reputation of handling difficult psychological themes with great skill and empathy. The works of C.G. Jung especially. With Persona 5 the focus shifts a little from the individual to the society that creates psychological issues and the men and women who exploit that. The game is prohibitingly long for the EFLC unless it becomes a project that will last for half the school year. But the first story arch, with the abusive teacher, should take less than 20 hours which is comparable to any novel of decent length for most teenagers. The topics brought up are important and in many ways essential to teenagers growing up in power or authority centric societies like ours are, and the game does not handle them lightly but with the care and pluralist view that such serious topics need. It is a great exploration of power abuse and what the powerelss can do against it and takes a stand against putting the blame on victims or declaring them "divergents". It is as much a exploration of Revolution as it is of Empathy. Paired with great anime art and award winning music this game can be a great base for dicussions or writing fanfiction for the teacher who wants to be challenged and wants to challenge his or her pupils. The game is perfectly suitable for 16 and up and in almost all cases will also be suitable for many teenagers 14 and up, but of course in a classroom context that might be not applicable to all classes. -
Pretty Little Liars by I. Marlene King developer - producer
After their "leader" disappears without a trace the remining three girls of the formerly four girl strong clique, start receiving mysterious and threatening messages by someone only referring to themself as A. The threats evolve and the girls get tortured for wrongdoings they commited in their lifes and while they first believe that the messages come from their lost friend, developments during the series make it clear that these messages come from someone else.
genres young adult mystery keywords self-harm - torture - small town - friendship - trust content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 160 episodes of around 45 minutes source material related works Loosely based on the Young Adult novel series Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard. availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes The series walks the fine line between teen cliché and Slasher flick, some critics consider it to be more stumbling between those two. Generally it is considered to have had a slow start and picking up quality during the course of the first three seasons. -
Prison Break by Paul Scheuring creator
Michael Scofield wants to get his brother Lincoln out of prison. Lincoln is sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit. Michael worked as an engineer with the company that renovated the prison. That’s a good start, but he also needs the help of the other prisoners. In the meantime two lawyers try to prove Lincoln’s innocence. They are opposed by the secret service and it becomes clear that Lincoln’s case is only a part in a large case set up by an organisation called ‘The Company’. After saving Lincoln’s life, Michael is imprisoned in Panama where The Company wants him to free an inmate. He finds out that ‘The Company’ is a secret group of multinationals with evil intentions. After the escape, Michael and Lincoln return to America where they are arrested by the FBI. They have to steal a memory card with information of The Company otherwise they will have to serve a long punishment. The card consists of 6 parts hidden and guarded on different locations.
genres action crime keywords addiction - divorce - major character death - suicide - torture - justice content warnings profanity: yes - violence: graphic - sex: yes languages English length 5 seasons ( season 1: 22 episodes, season 2: 22 episodes, season 3: 13 episodes, season 4: 24 episodes, season 5: 9 episodes) - each episode: 42 minutes source material related works Breakout Kings availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on Archive of Our Own, FanFiction.net, Wattpad, PrisonBreakFic.net, FanFiktion.de (German), Spirit Fanfics (Portuguese) notes https://www.facebook.com/pg/PrisonBreak/posts/?ref=page_internal -
Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo writer
At the beginning of World War I Thomas Peaceful lives in the English countryside. His older brother Big Joe is mentally ‘challenged’, his other brother Charlies often gets into trouble. When World War I breaks out both Thomas and Charlie sign up for the service --- for different reasons. For Charlie, it's a matter of keeping the family together as outside forces threaten to break them apart. For Thomas, it's a personal conquest of his fears and to prove to himself, above all else, that he isn't a coward. When Charlie refuses to follow the orders of brutal drill sergeant to save his brother he is accused of cowardice and given a court martial. The book's chapters count down to dawn when Charlie will be executed ( a fate that 290 British soldiers faced in WW I).
genres young adult keywords war - bravery vs cowardice - bullying content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 208 pages source material related works The book has been filmed, By the same author, 'War Horse' (for younger students) availability of fanfiction Less than 100 entries on Archive of Our Own, FanFiction.net -
Riverdale by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa developer
Riverdale is an adaptation and continuation of the Archie comics. The series subverses many aspects of those comics showing the dark side of what lies beyond the wholesome facade of small towns. It is also not epsiodic but rather a continous plot. Plotlines inlcude a love triangle and sudden character dissapearances. The series is still ongoing.
genres drama young adult mystery keywords substance abuse - subversion content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: yes languages English length 35 episodes in 2 seasons, each episode around 45 minutes source material availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes Based on the Archie comic series, which started in 1942 and is one of the longest running comic series. -
Sherlock by Mark Gatiss creator, Steven Moffat creator
A reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes stories set in 21st century London. The series begins by exploring the meeting, relationship and character development of Dr. John Watson, an army doctor who has returned to England after being injured in Iraq, and Sherlock Holmes, an eccentric but brilliant young man who assists the London police in solving crimes and offers his services to the general public as a consulting detective. There are 4 series/seasons of the show plus one stand-alone special for a total of a total of 13 90-minute episodes. Many of these reimagine and update the original Sherlock Holmes stories and characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle. These re-imagings incorporate present day technology use and update the roles of these 19th century characters to deal with 21st century realities. Other major themes explored include Sherlock Holmes’ personal growth, his relations to his family, his personal history, his drug use, and his ability to develop relationships with colleagues and friends.
genres mystery crime keywords addiction - major character death - substance abuse - suicide content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: yes languages English length 13 90-minute episodes (4 seasons of 3 episodes and one special) source material related works The Sherlock Holmes Stories availability of fanfiction More than 100,000 entries on Archive for Our Own, FanFiction.net, Wattpad notes Fanfiction is available for the television series may also merge with fan fiction for the original Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle or with other interpretations of Sherlock Holmes such as the US television series Elementary. -
Star Wars film series by George Lucas director, later Disney role
Episodes 1 to 3 tell the story of Obi Wan Kenobi and his pupil Anakin Skywalker. They are part of the Jedi Order a group of monastic mystical warriors that can use the Force, a type of magical power. The films depict the fall of Anakin Skywalker from a hero to the most powerful servant of the evil overlord. Episodes 4-6 tell the story of Luke Skywalker as he is thrown into a galactic civil war. Young Luke meets the aged Jedi Obi Wan Kenobi and learns the way of the force from him. Ultimately defeating the evil Empire in Episode 6. Episodes 7-? tell the story of Rey a young survivalist on a desert planet who joins the the Resistance to fight against the First Order. At time of this writing (March, 2018) there is no clear direction in which this is going.
genres fantasy science fiction action keywords major character death - family content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length about 120 minutes per film source material related works Joseph Campbell's book Hero's Journey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey served as guiding factor and inspiration for the original film which it follows very closely. FDebris' documentary series Hero's Journey http://sfdebris.com/videos/special/herosjourney.php delves deep into the creation of the original films, both in terms production and inception. A great resource for teachers who want to do some creative writing with their class or discuss film making. Warning: There is some profanity in the series. availability of fanfiction More than 100,000 entries on FanFictiontheForce.net notes These movies can hardly be considered cohesive. The original trilogy of 1977-1983 have clear themes of Rebellion, Coming of Age, Buddhism and were meant as an allegory for the Vietnam War. The second trilogy created around twenty years later struggle to have strong themes more concerned with re-telling a Citizen Kane style rise-and-fall narrative. The current run of films has no involvement of the original creators and is even weaker on themes and messages. Though it is still unfinished so that might change. -
Stranger Things by The Duffer Brothers creators
In the fictional town of Hawkins during the 1980s a young boy disappears during a series of supernatural events. The friends of the boy search for him and are joined by a girl with psychokinetic powers. They find out that the nearby government research station is conducting experiments with human beings. These experiments lead to a dimensional rift opening and pouring super natural elements into our reality.
genres drama mystery science fiction keywords substance abuse - human experiments - conspiracy theories (in a wider sense) content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 17 episodes at about 50 minutes each source material related works The 2011 film Super 8 by J. J. Abrams does a much better job in emulating 80s style films and sensibilities. Also a good source for fanfiction writing though the film is more focused on Science Fiction and filmmaking. availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on Archive of Our Own notes Part 1980s nostalgia shot in a way taht is not qite right for those who lived through the 80s but still distinct enough from modern color grading that it makes the series visually distinct. The premise makes it a good source for creative fanfiction, though it may be hard for teenagers today to write in a 1980s setting. Maybe adapting it to modern day could be a good premise for a class project. -
Teen Wolf by Jeff Davis developer
The high school student Scott is an outcast and awkward teen until one day he gets bitten by a Werewolf. The abilities he gains give him the strength and confidence to deal with his life though it is always a hard struggle for him to keep the two very distinct parts of his life in check. During the course of the series Scott is joined by many other caharcters who are shapeshifters or other magical beings of various sorts (were-hyenas, banshees etc.).
genres young adult keywords coming of age - supernatural - teen romantic comedy/drama content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 100 episodes at about 40 minutes each. source material related works This is very loosely based on the 1985 movie starring Michael J. Fox. availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net -
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie writer
The book, written in diary form, follows teenager Junior and one tumultuous year in his life, when he starts at a rich, white school. Junior lives with his family on an Indian Reservation, and he depicts both racism and poverty in a humorous way.
genres young adult keywords addiction - child abuse - disordered eating - racism - substance abuse - death - hope and dreams - bullying - poverty - culture - friendship - family content warnings profanity: yes - violence: yes - sex: yes languages English length 230 pages source material notes The book contains the main character's funny drawings. -
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green writer
Hazel Grace Lancaster is a 16-year-old girl, who has a terminal illness. She received a tumor-shrinking medical miracle, but the disease has not been defeated yet. Her mother sends her to a cancer therapy group for kids, where she meets Augustus Waters, nicknamed ‘Gus’. They develop a friendship that evolves into a romance. However, Hazel is holding back as she fears she will die and break Augustus’ heart. Hazel has a favourite novel An Imperial Affliction, a book that leaves the readers unfulfilled after the main character dies mid-sentence. Gus decides to use his ‘wish’ from the Genie Foundation in order to take Hazel and her mother to Amsterdam to meet the author of the book. On this trip, Augustus tells her that during a check-up he ‘lit up like a Christmas tree’, meaning that the cancer has spread over his whole body.
genres romance young adult keywords major character death - (terminal) illness/cancer - / content warnings profanity: mild - violence: no - sex: yes languages English length 313 pages source material related works Other works by John Green + film: The Fault in Our Stars (2014) availability of fanfiction Between 100 and 1000 entries on Archive of Our Own -
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephan Chbosky writer
Charlie is a teenager who in a series of letters describes his life as he starts high school. Sensitive and introverted, Charlie makes new friends with whom he explores the meaning of friendship and love during the awkward years of adolesence.
genres young adult keywords addiction - child abuse - domestic violence content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: yes languages English length 180 source material availability of fanfiction Between 100 and 1000 entries on Archive of Our Own, FanFiction.net notes There is movie version of the book with Emma Stone. -
The Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle writer
The Sherlock Holmes stories (or canon) consists of both short stories and novels that follow the crime-solving adventures of the world’s first consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his friend and colleague, Dr. John Watson. The stories take place between 1880 and 1914 England, and include crimes being investigated by the London police as well as mysteries for which Holmes and Watson have been hired by private individuals to help resolve. A hallmark of these stories is the use of forensic science and deduction which Holmes pioneers to solve crimes and mysteries. Language, stories, and mysteries reflect the mores of the time and context and include more minor roles for women, acceptance of racial segregation, and reinforcement of social class. Particularly noteworthy elements of these stories also include the importance of heightened observation and reason.
genres crime mystery keywords major character death - racism - sexism - substance abuse - adventure - friendship content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 56 short-stories and 4 novels; length varies source material related works Sherlock availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on Archive on Our Own, FanFiction.net notes Fanfiction for the Sherlock Holmes stories may include influences from other interpretations of Sherlock Holmes including, for instance, the Sherlock (BBC) television series, the Grenada Sherlock Holmes television series staring Jeremy Brett, and the CBS television series Elementary, among others. -
The Simpsons by Matt Groening
The series is a satirical depiction of workin-class life, epitomized by the Simpsons family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional town of Springfield and parodies American culture and society, television, and the human condition.
genres sitcom keywords disordered eating - divorce - homophobia - racism - sexism content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 20 Minutes related works Family guy, American Dad, King of the Hill, Southpark availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on Archive of Our Own, FanFiction.Net -
The Sims by EA/Maxis publisher
In the Sims the player creates a household of one or more characters. A house can be created and decorated and the characters will lead "normal" lifes within the world of the game. They go to work, need to sleep, need social contact, need to use the restrooms and generally do everything one would expect from a "normal life". Gameplay is basically limited to these aspects but the players get many opportunities to express themselves creatively within the gameworld. (Please note that more recent editions of this game have become prohibitingly expensive)
genres life simulation keywords creativity - art - expression content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: yes languages English length NA source material availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes A game that offers little as a source for fanfiction. The game tries to "simulate real life" and thus everything that happens in the game can, usually, be to normal or boring in an actual real life context. As a game its strengths lie in the ability of self expression. -
The Stanley Parable by Davey Wreden designer, writer
The Stanley Parable is a humorous yet in-depth exploration of the relation of player and story-teller in video games. The player controls the office worker Stanley while the narrator tells the player what tasks to do, "At this point Stanley left the room", expecting the player to follow the instructions. Everything works out fine (and boring) for as long as the player follows the narrators instructions. When the player disobeys the narrator the narrator actually reacts and changes the game on the fly. It becomes a power struggle between story teller and audience as to whom has control over the plot of a video game.
genres comedy keywords suicide - subversion - playfulness - awareness content warnings profanity: no - violence: no - sex: no languages English length 30+ minutes source material related works The Beginner's Guide is the follow up "game" by Davey Wreden and it explores the relationship of author and critique as well as deep psychological issues of projection and introjection. Very worthwile to explore but for the context matter unsuitable for most teenagers under 16. availability of fanfiction Less than 100 entries on FanFiction.net notes The Stanley Parable is a work of genius both in its humor and its exploration and deconstruction of the player/author relationship. The only limiting factor is really only the language level of the pupils. Its value for the ELFC is immediate. A single playthrough can be done in a couple of minutes, it can easily be played in a group and it offers a wealth of discussion topics. Especially when so much of the media consumed today is interactive, a game that deconstructs how that interactivity is pretty much just facade, can be very enlightening. (As no matter how open-world, sandbox or simulationist a game is, if its not Dwarf Fortress, everything that happens in the game has been decided by the creators not the players and their emergent gameplay.) (Also the suicide tag has been selected because the player can commit suicide in the game by jumping of ledges and the game aknowledges that) -
Thirteen Reasons Why by Tom McCarthy director
The series revolves around a high school student, Clay Jensen, and his friend Hannah Baker, a girl who takes her own life after suffering a series of demoralizing circumstances brought on by select individuals at her school. A box of cassette tapes recorded by Hannah before her suicide details thirteen reasons why she ended her life.
genres young adult drama keywords major character death - rape or sexual assault - suicide - the series has aroused considerable controversy for explicitly showing how hannah commits suicide by cutting her wrists. - bullying - guilt and blame - macho culture content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: yes languages English length Season 1 - 13 episodes (50 minutes each) source material related works YA novel (2007) the series is based on availability of fanfiction Less than 100 entries -
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher writer
Clay Jenkins returns home from school to find a mysterious package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers 7 cassette tapes and 13 stories recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life and that she holds each of her listeners responsible for her death. Clay is one of those listeners. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list. In the book, Clay’s thoughts are always mixed in with Hannah’s stories.
genres young adult keywords suicide - more specifically teen suicide - bullying - machismo culture - guilt and blame content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 320 pages source material related works Netflix series availability of fanfiction Between 100 and 1000 entries on Archive of Our Own -
Vampire Diaries by Kevin Williamson developer - producer, Julie Plec developer - producer
In the fictional town of Mystic Falls, a place with a history of supernatural events, a teenage girl loses both her parents in a car accident. She meets a vampyre and falls in love with him. Things get more complicated when the Vampyres older brother steps into the scene, and after many antagonism a love triangle erupts. The series then continues who have both brothers protect the girl from super natural enemis while vying for her love.
genres romance young adult horror keywords substance abuse content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: yes languages English length 171 episodes in 8 seasons, episodes are around 40 minutes source material availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes Probably the quintessential TV show that came after the initial wave of success of the Twilight films. Very underwhelming at first, but it is generally agreed that the series improved during the later seasons. -
Walking Dead by Frank Darabont developer
After the Zombie apochalypse destroyed human civilization, the last remnants of humanity try to survive the Zombie onslaught as well as the other humans. The series initially follows the Sherrif's Deputy Rick Grames as he tries to survive in this apocalyptic scenario, but quickly multiple plot threads with different characters get introduced. The plots of each episode mainly concern themselves with petty human relationships (petty considering the circumstances).
genres young adult horror keywords addiction - child abuse - divorce - domestic violence - major character death - racism - rape or sexual assault - self-harm - substance abuse - suicide - nihilism - humanity as ultimate evil - zombies - post apochalypse content warnings profanity: yes - violence: graphic - sex: yes languages English length 115 episoded as of April 2018 each about 55 minutes source material related works The Walking Dead is based on a Comic series of the same name created by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga, which to most accounts is superior to the TV show. There is also a video game series created by Telltale Games, where the first two seasons garnered much accolades in the gaming media but has been in a decline since. availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on The Walking Dead Fanfiction notes The authors of this series have a very negative attitude towards humans and lack the psychological and sociological as well as the historical understanding to make a compelling narrative within the setting. Characters are more concerned with pointless personal squabbles than anything important or ultimately interesting. Note that this is the same with George Romero's Night, Dawn, Day and Land of the living Dead films, so this has been a staple of Zombie narratives from the inception of the Genre. The notable difference is strength of these theme and artistic execution. While of course a matter of taste the series is very divise on how it handles its themes.
Digital stories from fans in the multilingual classroom
