How To Choose Your Fandom

If you're reading this blog, you're probably in at least one fandom, but maybe you want more. If that's the case, read on to figure out which fandom may be best for you. First of all, consider the genre. Here are my fandoms, organized by genre, with a brief summary of each.

Fantasy
Merlin
Media form: TV
Key features: Arthurian legend, magic, destiny, sarcasm and cheek
Synopsis: (based off of Arthurian legend) Merlin, a young warlock (i.e., born with magic), travels to Camelot, where king Uther Pendragon has banned magic. Merlin becomes prince Arthur's manservant and discovers that it is his destiny to protect Arthur. He saves Arthur's life countless times, all the while hiding his magic.

Harry Potter
Media form: books, movies
Key features: magic, evil wizards and witches, good wizards and witches, fun and shenanigans but also serious stuff
Synopsis: Harry Potter, called "The Boy Who Lived" because the dark lord Voldemort was unable to kill him, finds out that he is a wizard and goes to Hogwarts, a school for wizards and witches. Voldemort keeps trying to regain power, and Harry, together with his friends Ron and Hermione, tries to stop him.

The Lord of the Rings
Media form: books, movies
Key features: adventure, battle, rings, dark lord, magic, danger, seriously lots of danger
Synopsis: Frodo Baggins takes the one ring of power (which is really evil) and goes on a quest to throw it into Mordor, so that it will be destroyed and the dark lord Sauron will be destroyed as well. Frodo travels with 3 other hobbits, 2 men, 1 dwarf, and 1 elf. They get into lots of trouble on the way, and it's quite the adventure.

Sci-Fi
Star Wars
Media form: movies
Key features: evil guy, not so evil guys, adventure, danger, battle, lightsabers, rebellion
Synopsis: Darth Vader is really evil and he's basically trying to take over the universe. He controls the empire (well technically, the emperor controls the empire, but we don't see much of the emperor), but there is a group of rebels who are determined to defeat him. Luke Skywalker is a major part of this rebellion.

Star Trek
Media form: TV, movies
Key features: lots of technology, exploration, adventure, warp speed, aliens
Synopsis: Captain Kirk is in charge of the Enterprise, a spaceship that can go warp speed (i.e., really fast). He and his crew travel around the universe and explore. They get into trouble and have adventures. It's fun.

Doctor Who
Media form: TV
Key features: wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff, time travel, technology, aliens, exploration, adventure, danger, genius, saving the universe
Synopsis: The Doctor, a Time Lord, travels through time and space in his TARDIS. He typically travels with a companion (usually female), and together they have adventures. Except, it's not all fun and games; evil aliens inevitably show up, and then the Doctor has to do awesome genius stuff and save the universe.

The Avengers/Marvel/DC
Media form: comic books, movies
Key features: danger, fighting, superheroes, justice
Synopsis: (sorry for lumping them all in together, btw) superheroes (or awesome people with a technological advantage) fight against evil.

Dystopia
The Hunger Games
Media type: books, movies
Key features: revolution, fighting, oppression, social/political inequality, poverty, hunger
Synopsis: Every year, the Capitol shows its dominance over the 12 Districts by hosting the Hunger Games, where a boy and a girl are taken from each district to fight to the death, with only one survivor. Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers to take the place of her sister Prim in the Games, is intent on changing things and starts a rebellion.

Divergent
Media type: books, movies
Key features: revolution, fighting, oppression, division based on aptitude, being different, fear, hiding
Synopsis: (similar to The Hunger Games) Tris Prior takes the test to find out which faction (district, social class, group of people) she belongs in (Amity, for friendliness; Candor, for truthfulness; Dauntless, for bravery; Abnegation, for selflessness; or Erudite, for knowledge), and finds out that she belongs in both Dauntless and Abnegation, meaning that she is Divergent. Divergents are hunted and killed because they are unknown and therefore feared. Tris decides to start a revolution.

Modern (i.e., set in the modern-day world)
Sherlock
Media type: books, movies, TV
Key features: mysteries, solving crimes, genius, murder, "not our division"
Synopsis: (there are books and movies, but this focuses on BBC Sherlock) Sherlock Holmes is the world's only consulting detective. "When the police are out of their depth, they consult me." He solves crimes with the help of his trusty blogger, Doctor John Watson. In John's words, "We solve crimes. I blog about it. He forgets his pants."

The Big Bang Theory
Media type: TV
Key features: science, annoying characters, awkward social situations
Synopsis: Four young scientists - Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Rajesh - are friends and get into shenanigans. Penny, Leonard and Sheldon's next-door neighbor, doesn't know anything about science, but still interacts with the group in an amusing, clueless sort of way.

The Fault In Our Stars
Media type: book, movie
Key features: sadness, romance, cancer, enjoy life while you can
Synopsis: Two teenagers, Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace Lancaster, fall in love with each other. However, they both have cancer, so they know they won't live much longer. They determine to make the most of their lives while they can.

Other
Les Misérables
Media type: book, musical, movie
Key features: France, revolution, historical fiction, sadness, lots of sadness
Synopsis: Short version - the French government is terrible, and bad things happen to people because of it, so a revolution is started. Long version - *insert several pages of synopsis* (sorry, it's really long what can I say)

The Princess Bride
Media type: book, movie
Key features: true love, high adventure, kidnapping, swordfighting
Synopsis: Buttercup works on a farm and falls in love with the farm-boy, Westley. Westley goes to America to seek his fortune and is murdered by the Dread Pirate Roberts. Buttercup is devastated vows never to love again. Prince Humperdinck thinks differently and orders her to marry him. Before this can happen, however, she is kidnapped by a criminal band consisting of Vizzini, Fezzik, and Inigo. They are defeated by a man in black, and then the story takes an interesting turn (sorry, not giving any more because I don't want to share any spoilers).

Disney
Media type: movies
Key features: fairy tales, old-fashioned, happily ever after
Synopsis: Disney makes lots of different movies. They are generally fairy tales with happy endings (usually the original fairy tales have rather gruesome endings).

Next, consider that you may want to choose a fandom by what the fandom is like.

Fandoms that are very active: Doctor Who, Sherlock, Merlin, Harry Potter

Fandoms that are not continuing (the book/movie/series/show is over): Merlin, The Fault In Our Stars, The Princess Bride

Fandoms that have long hiatuses: Sherlock, Doctor Who (sort of)

Fandoms that are popular on this blog: Sherlock, Doctor Who, Merlin, Harry Potter

Fandoms that are British: Sherlock, Doctor Who, Merlin, Harry Potter

Fandoms in which Steven Moffat writes the episodes: Sherlock, Doctor Who

And finally, consider fan names. Would you be happy calling yourself any of these terms?
Merlin - Merlinian (not commonly used)
Harry Potter - Potterhead
Star Trek - Trekkie
Doctor Who - Whovian
Sherlock - Sherlockian