Shared universe

A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Works set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story. Shared universes are more common in fantasy and science fiction]] than in other genres. Examples include Star Wars]], DC Universe]], Marvel Universe]], Star Trek]], Forgotten Realms]], Babylon 5]], Foundation series]], Dragonlance]], Power Rangers]], Man-Kzin Wars]], Cthulhu Mythos]] and the 1632 series]].

Definitions
There is no formalized definition of when the appearance of fictional characters in another author's work constitutes a shared universe. Fiction in some media, such as most television programs]] and many comic book]] titles, is understood to require the contribution of multiple authors and does not by itself create a shared universe. Incidental appearances, such as that of d'Artagnan]] in Cyrano de Bergerac (play)|Cyrano de Bergerac]], may instead be considered literary cameo appearance]]s. More substantial interaction between characters from different sources is often marketed as a fictional crossover|crossover]]. While crossovers occur in a shared universe, not all crossovers are intended to merge their settings' back-stories]] and are instead used for marketing, parody, or to explore Alternate history|what-if scenarios]].

The term has also been used in a wider, non-literary sense to convey interdisciplinary]] or social commonality, often in the context of a "shared universe of discourse."

Characteristics
The modern definition of Copyright, especially under United States copyright law]], considers the expansion of a previous work's setting or characters to be a derivative work]]. Especially for material being considered for publication, this often necessitates licensing]] agreements. For this reason, some Fan fiction and other amateur works written in established settings without permission, are sometimes distinguished from shared universe writings or even described as a "stolen universe". However, fair use]] claims have been raised, and not all authors believe that fan fiction should be distinguished from other literature in this manner at all. In a process similar to brand licensing]], the intellectual property]] owners of established fictional settings at times allow others to author new material, creating an expanded universe]]. Such media franchise|franchises]], generally based on television programs or film, allow for series of novels, video games]], original sound recordings]] and other media. Not all shared universe settings are simply the expansion or combination of pre-existing material by new authors. At times, an author or group of authors has created a setting specifically for development by multiple authors, often through collaborative fiction|collaboration]].

Especially when a shared universe grows to include a large number of works, it becomes difficult for writers to maintain an internally consistent continuity (fiction)|continuity]] and to avoid contradicting details in earlier works. The version that is deemed official by the author or company controlling the setting is known as canon (fiction)|canon]]. Not all shared universes have a controlling entity capable of or willing to determine canonicity, and not all fans agree with these determinations when they occur. A Fanon (fiction)|fanon]] may instead find some degree of consensus within the setting's fandom]]. Some writers, in an effort to ensure that a canon can be established and to keep details of the setting believable, employ tools to correct contradictions and errors that result from multiple contributors working over a long period of time. One such tool is retcon]]ning, short for "retroactive continuity", where later adjustments result in the invalidation of previously-written material. The most severe form of retcon involves a wholesale rewrite of the groundwork for the entire setting. These Reboot (continuity)|reboots]], most closely associated with DC Comics]], are not always effective at resolving underlying problems and may meet with a negative reaction from fans. Contributors to expanded universes, also known as tie-in writers, have sometimes been stereotyped as "Hack writer|hacks]]" because such writing is perceived as less creative or of consistently poor quality. These stereotypes have been disputed by authors who consider contributing to a larger setting "intellectually demanding."

Readers may also object when a story or series is integrated into a shared universe, feeling it "requir[es] one hero's fans to buy other heroes' titles" or leads to mischaracterizations and inappropriate comparisons.

Expansion of existing material
File:All Star Comics 03.jpg|right|thumb|180px|Cover of All Star Comics #3 (Winter 1940-1941), considered the beginning of the DC Universe.]] In 1941, writer Gardner Fox]] at All-American Comics]] (later part of DC Comics) created the Justice Society of America]] in All-Star Comics]] #3, credited with being the first superhero team-up and laying the groundwork for the DC Universe]], the first comic book shared universe. By 1961, Marvel Comics]] writer and editor Stan Lee]], working with artists Jack Kirby]] and Steve Ditko]], merged the bulk of the publisher's comics characters into the Marvel Universe]]. Both settings have suffered from the creative difficulties of maintaining a complex shared universe handled by large numbers of writers and editors. DC has substantially altered its in-universe chronology]] several times, in series such as Crisis on Infinite Earths]] in 1985, Zero Hour (comics)|Zero Hour]] in 1994, and Infinite Crisis]] in 2005. As of 2007, Marvel has rebooted its continuity only once, in Spider-Man: One More Day]]. They instead set stories in an increasing number of Parallel universe (fiction)|alternate realities]], each with an assigned number in a greater Multiverse (Marvel Comics)|multiverse]]. DC and Marvel have also periodically co-published series in which their respective characters meet and interact. These intercompany crossovers]] have typically been written as self-limiting events that avoid implying that the DC Universe and Marvel Universe co-exist. Exceptions include the twenty-four comics released under the Metafictional imprint]] Amalgam Comics]] in 1996, depicting a shared universe populated by hybridizations of the two companies' characters. Marvel has since referred to this as part of its setting's greater multiverse by labeling it Earth-692.

The Star Wars]] franchise takes a unique view regarding the Star Wars canon|canon properties]] of its Star Wars Expanded Universe|expanded universe]], introducing a four-tier system based on compatibility with the Star Wars|six films]]. Star Trek]] Canon (Star Trek)|canon]] is less well-defined, generally excluding not only licensed works such as books and video games and acknowledging that "even events in some of the movies have been called into question". Furthermore, both franchises have blurred the lines between canon and non-canon content by adopting unofficial material into later official productions. The Doctor Who spin-offs|spin-off media]] making up an extension of Whoniverse|the universe]] originating in Doctor Who]] is particularly complex due to the permissive stance on licensing and canon taken by the BBC. This Expanded Universe has relatively little consistency given its division into audio play]]s produced by Big Finish Productions|Big Finish]] and the BBC, the Virgin New Adventures|New Adventures]] universe novel, or a universe based on comics published in Doctor Who Magazine]] and other publications. Reviewer Robert F.W. Smith attempted to summarize the conflicting continuities: "As far as I understand it, the situation is this: the New Adventures universe is inside the bottle universe seen in ''Interference: Book One"

- Interference]], which was built by BBC universe Time Lords]], and in it, the NA Time Lords are all gone – they’ve gone to another bottle and left the NA universe to the Gods/Kings of Space. Most of the New Adventures happened in the BBC universe anyway, except in that universe, the 7th Doctor was the reincarnation of the Other and Rassilon]] escaped to roam the universe – in the BBC universe, he may or may not have been, and Rassilon probably didn’t. In the BBC universe, Faction Paradox, the Doctor and the Enemy between them have vaped the Time Lords, with the result that there are no longer any Time Lords in the BBC universe, except for five, the fundamental laws of the universe (the magic-and-science thing) have changed, and the Doctor is no longer a Time Lord at all originally but a crystal man named Soul from the end of time. Also in the BBC universe, an infinity of different universes have been released, which helpfully explains how all the shock companion-killings in the novels ever since Eternity Weeps]] either did or didn’t happen in our universe, according to whatever criteria you like, but Gallifrey]] didn’t survive in any of them. Despite this, Gallifrey will still be rebuilt in the BBC universe in some form, but it will presumably be much less powerful because it will now be a planet without the original’s special relationship with time, and it won’t have always been there. Where the Big Finish audios fit in is anybody’s guess; the new series can just about be assumed to follow on from the end of The Gallifrey Chronicles (2005 novel)|The Gallifrey Chronicles]]'', even though the Doc says he’s a Time Lord – not a crystal man from the end of time – in the second episode. There.|undefined Even Smith's summary does not address Spin-off (media)|spin-offs]] such as the Bernice Summerfield]] novels and the Faction Paradox]] series that are legally distinct from the origins of their characters in officially licensed novels. Many fans consider only the television series canon and all other media apocrypha]]. The television series has never explicitly acknowledged any of the spin-offs, partly because the BBC's status as a public service broadcaster prohibits them from producing a programme that can only be fully understood by those who have purchased licensed products.

The expansion of existing material into a shared universe is not restricted to settings licensed from movies and television. For example, Larry Niven]] opened his Known Space]] setting to other writers initially because he considered his lack of military experience to prevent him from adequately describing the wars between mankind and the Kzinti]]. The degree to which he has made the setting available for other writers became a topic of controversy, when Elf Sternberg]] created an erotic literature|erotic short story]] set in Known Space following an author's note from Niven indicating that "[i]f you want more Known Space stories, you'll have to write them yourself". Niven has since clarified that his setting is still to be used only "under restricted circumstances and with permission", which Niven granted to the several authors of the Man-Kzin Wars]] series. By contrast, author Eric Flint]] has edited and published collaborations with fan fiction writers directly, expanding his 1632 series]].

A setting may also be expanded in a similar manner after the death of its creator, although this posthumous expansion does not meet some strict definitions of a shared universe. One such example is August Derleth]]'s development of the Cthulhu Mythos]] from the writings of H. P. Lovecraft]], an approach whose result is considered by some to be "completely dissimilar" to Lovecraft's own works. Less controversial posthumous expansions include Ruth Plumly Thompson]]'s and later authors' sequels to L. Frank Baum]]'s Land of Oz|Oz]] stories and the further development of Isaac Asimov]]'s The Foundation Series|Foundation]] universe by Greg Bear]], Gregory Benford]], and David Brin]].

Original settings
File:Crossgen Chronicles promo poster.jpg|right|thumb|180px|Promotional poster for Crossgen Chronicles, listing some of the interconnected titles in the Sigilverse.]] Although DC and Marvel's successful shared universe approaches to comics have set them apart from competitors in the industry, other companies attempted similar models. Valiant Comics]] and Crossgen]] both produced titles primarily set from their inception in a single, publisher-wide shared universe, known respectively as Unity (comics)|Unity]] and the Sigilverse]].

Many other published works of this nature take the form of a series of short-story anthologies]] with occasional standalone novels. Examples include Robert Lynn Asprin]]'s Thieves' World]], C. J. Cherryh]]'s Merovingen Nights]] and Janet Morris]]' Heroes in Hell]].

Role-playing games]] are inherently designed to include some aspects of the shared universe concept, as individual games are derived from the core material. Campaign settings]], such as Dungeons & Dragons]]'s Faerûn]], Dragonlance]] and Eberron]], provide a more detailed world in which novels and other related media are additionally set. Living campaigns]], including the RPGA]]'s Living Greyhawk]] or the Alderac Entertainment Group|AEG]]-sanctioned Heroes of Rokugan]], provide an opportunity for individual games hosted worldwide to take part in a single continuity.

The influence of the Internet on collaborative fiction|collaborative]] and interactive fiction]] has also resulted in a large number of amateur shared universe settings. Amateur authors have created shared universes by contributing to mailing lists]], story archive]]s and Usenet]]. One of the earliest of these settings, SFStory]], saw its spin-off setting Superguy]] cited as illustrative of the potential of the Internet. Another example is the furry fandom|furry]]-themed Tales from the Blind Pig]] created at the Transformation Story Archive]], which differs from many amateur settings both by having an organized effort to maintain consistent canon and by having seen at least limited publication. Other early examples include the DargonZine|Dargon Project]] and Devilbunnies.

At least one publisher]] has introduced a division specifically for encouraging and handling shared universe fiction.

Animated universes
An animated universe is a derivative of the shared universe that applies to animated works, including cartoon series|animated television series]] and animation|film]]s, which share the same characters and continuity with each other; it may also derive from the characters and continuity of previous literary serial works, including comics, and may thus be termed by the literary work from whence it derived. Notable examples of the animated universe include:


 * Masters of the Universe]] which included He-Man]] and She-Ra]] in the 80s
 * DC animated universe]] (1992–2006)
 * Marvel Animation Universe]] that included crossovers between Spider-Man and X-Men in the mid-90s
 * Family Guy, American Dad]] and Cleveland Show]] (1999–present)
 * Series produced by Sunbow Entertainment]] including The Transformers (TV series)|Transformers]] and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1985 TV series)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]

Anime universes
Japan has also created many animated universes:
 * Akira Toriyama]]'s various serious including Dr. Slump]], Dragon Ball]] and his other one-shot (comics)|one-shot]] manga]] series (1979–2007)
 * Gundam]] "metaseries" (1979–present)
 * Mazinger]] has crossed over with other robot fighter anime such as Devilman]], Getter Robo]] and Grendizer]]
 * Scramble Wars]] universe included AD Police]], Bubblegum Crisis]], Gall Force]] and Riding Bean]]
 * Super Dimension (disambiguation)|Super Dimension]] series
 * Brave Series]] of the 90s particularly had GaoGaiGar]] spawning Betterman (TV series)|Betterman]] in the same universe
 * Gokinjo Monogatari]] and its spinoff Paradise Kiss]]
 * Outlaw Star]] and Angel Links]] (1998–1999)
 * Cicadas Cry]] and Seagulls Cry]] have a character in common
 * Fate/stay]] and Tsukihime]] have a character in common
 * CLAMP]]'s series including Cardcaptor Sakura]], Tsubasa Chronicle]] and xxxHolic]] among others
 * Dijiko and Puchiko of Di Gi Charat]] are also characters in Cromartie High School]] (episode 25)

Film universes
A film universe is a derivative of the shared universe that applies films. Notable examples of the film universe include:


 * Marvel Cinematic Universe]]
 * DC Cinematic Universe]]
 * X-Men (film series)|X-Men]] and Fantastic Four in film#Reboot|Fantastic Four]]