Reader Influence on the Creation of Transmedia Science Fiction: A Participatory Culture Perspective

The paper examines how participatory culture shapes the creation of Chinese transmedia science fiction, where stories are disseminated across multiple platforms (novel sites, audio, comics, TV, film, games). As online fiction ecosystems (e.g., Qidian) matured, serialization, audio adaptations, and cross-media expansions fostered intensive reader–author interactions (comments, topic groups, tipping), differentiating transmedia fiction from traditional print novels in which readers are passive and post hoc. Drawing on Jenkins’ participatory culture (low barriers, support for creation/sharing, mentorship, belief in contribution, social connection), the study explores how these conditions equalize reader and author roles during production, enabling readers to influence plot trajectories and endings. The paper addresses a gap in prior work that noted participation and transmedia character but underexplored evolving author–reader relations and their impact across a story’s production cycle. It proposes a participatory culture lens to analyze reader influence on themes, textual features, and creative processes in Chinese online science fiction, with implications for communication, learning, and literary innovation.

The study synthesizes scholarship on: (1) the rise and characteristics of online/transmedia fiction and fandom in China, including literary quality, gender and eroticism, and platform economies (Huang, Lu, Machajek, Tian, Feng; Chen; Wang & Zhao; Zhou; He et al.; Zhu); (2) transmedia characteristics and links to games and commercialization (Inwood; Han); (3) fandom dynamics, including censorship, nationalism, coercive empowerment, and data labor (Luo & Li; Ren; Wang & Ge; Liao et al.; Tian & Adorjan; Yin); (4) Chinese web-based science fiction’s uniqueness, global positioning, and commercialization (Song; Li; Chau; Csicsery-Ronay; Hartley; Yang); (5) participatory culture across domains (media, journalism, heritage, HCI, linguistics, marketing, PR, education: Burgess; Dena; Deuze; Giaccardi; Rotman et al.; Androutsopoulos; Guschwan; Tombleson & Wolf; Ondrejka; Reilly; Tobias; Waldron et al.), including participation gap, transparency, and ethics (Jenkins). It also engages SF theory and typologies (Suvin; Roberts; Jameson; Spiegel) to frame Chinese transmedia SF as largely constructive/speculative but hybridized with other genres. Prior studies acknowledge reader participation and transmedia traits but often gloss over how ongoing participation reconfigures author–reader relations during production—this paper targets that gap.

The paper employs a qualitative, theory-driven analysis using Jenkins’ participatory culture as the primary lens. It conducts: (1) conceptual analysis of Chinese transmedia SF genres and typologies (constructive vs. speculative) with illustrative works (e.g., Lord of the Mysteries, Swallowed Star, Spare Me Great Lord, Dark Blood Age, Armed Storm, Record of Abnormal Creatures); (2) platform-based observations of reader participation mechanisms on major sites (e.g., Qidian), including serialized publication, comment sections, topic groups, tipping/virtual coins, and labeling/tagging systems (e.g., "upgrade", "technology flow"); (3) use of publicly available statistics and reports to contextualize scale and growth (e.g., Chinese Academy of Sciences 2022: Qidian SF authors up 189% to 515,000; >120,000 SF novels serialized; 22% of top writers created SF; China Internet Report 2019: 455 million online literature users, 53.2% of netizens); (4) case-based evidence: Douban ratings for Dragon series (Dragon I vs. Dragon IV) to illustrate commercialization’s effect on reader satisfaction; (5) qualitative analysis of reader comment screenshots for selected novels (e.g., Madden Shooting Guard, The Guest, Dark Blood Age) capturing feedback types (plot suggestions, affective responses, update requests) and author responsiveness; (6) anecdotal interview insight from a writer (Han Yu) linking reader interaction to subscription and income performance (Figure on average subscription and monthly income). No formal sampling or statistical testing is reported; the approach triangulates theory, platform observations, exemplars, and industry statistics to infer reader influence.

- Reader co-creation and influence: In serialized, platformed environments, readers actively shape plot direction, pacing, and even endings through comments, discussions, and rewards. Authors adjust content mid-production in response to feedback, evidencing a participatory co-creation process versus post hoc reception in print. - Thematic evolution driven by readers: Genre diversification (e.g., from early oriental fantasy to hybridized SF blending mecha, doomsday, time travel, magic/fantasy) reflects shifting reader expectations and direct suggestions. Reader preferences determine which themes survive intense market competition. - Textual characteristics shaped by participation: Transmedia SF emphasizes novelty, hybridization, and utopian individual narratives that resonate with readers’ real-life aspirations, leading to reader identification with protagonists and preference for empowerment arcs. Readers also drive auxiliary tag systems (e.g., "upgrade", "technology flow") to navigate vast catalogs efficiently and signal desired elements, reinforcing discovery and marketability. - Constructive vs. speculative SF online: Constructive works balance imaginative settings with plausible scientific logic, sometimes via philosophical constructs (e.g., zero-dimensional nodes in Dark Blood Age) that readers collectively debate and refine, enhancing perceived scientific rigor. Speculative works embed real-world social critique (e.g., imperial vs. federal corruption), with readers engaging implications. - Power shift from elites to grassroots: Professional critics and print editors exert limited influence online; ordinary readers’ tastes and engagement more strongly condition visibility (editorial promotion), income, and reputations. Platforms allocate resources based on reader metrics rather than elite criticism. - Commercialization tensions: Industrialization pushes routine, formulaic content tailored to consumer demand, which can erode literary value and alienate readers when perceived as overly commercial (e.g., Dragon series: Dragon I praised as “China’s Harry Potter,” Douban 7.7; later installments seen as Hollywood-like and fragmented releases; Dragon IV rated 6.9, reflecting declining satisfaction). - Scale and intensity of participation: Qidian hosts >120,000 serialized SF novels; from 2016–2021 SF authors grew 189% to 515,000; >22% of top writers produce SF. In 2019, 455 million online literature users (53.2% of netizens) indicate mainstream reach. Authors target subscription ratios (~100:1 clicks to subscriptions) for profitability; reader interaction correlates with subscriptions and income (Han Yu example). - Learning and community effects: Reader–reader and reader–author interactions foster informal mentorship, collaborative problem-solving, and increased cultural/technical literacy (e.g., science/philosophy debates), aligning with Jenkins’ affiliations, expressions, collaborations, and circulations.

The findings demonstrate that Chinese transmedia SF operationalizes participatory culture’s core features: low barriers to participation, support for creation/sharing, mentorship, belief in contribution value, and social connectedness. Readers’ ongoing input during serialization reconfigures the traditional author–reader hierarchy into a more symmetrical, community-driven creative process. This addresses the research question by showing concretely how readers influence both macro-level elements (themes, genre evolution, platform promotion) and micro-level textual decisions (plot pivots, scientific plausibility, labeling) throughout production. The significance lies in reframing authorship as a collaborative enterprise embedded in platform logics and fan practices, with implications for cultural production, media education, and literacy. While this enhances engagement and innovation, it also raises tensions between commercial responsiveness and literary/artistic value. The participatory ecosystem doubles as an informal learning space, where communities co-construct knowledge about science, philosophy, and narrative craft, suggesting broader relevance for pedagogy and media literacy.

The paper contributes a participatory culture account of how readers shape Chinese transmedia science fiction’s themes, textual features, and production workflows. It shows that fan practices and platform affordances empower readers to co-direct narratives, influence market success, and cultivate communal learning, while diminishing the gatekeeping role of traditional critics and editors. However, industrialization and routine-driven content risk diluting literary value. The authors propose more active involvement by professional critics and editors within online participatory spaces to elevate aesthetic standards without undermining grassroots creativity. Future research should employ systematic empirical designs—such as longitudinal content analysis, platform analytics, and mixed-methods studies of author–reader interactions—to quantify causal links between reader engagement, genre evolution (e.g., emergence of subcategories), plot adaptation, and commercial outcomes across platforms.

The study is primarily conceptual and illustrative, lacking a formal, transparent sampling frame or quantitative analysis. Evidence relies on selected platform observations, public statistics, screenshots, and anecdotal interview material, which may introduce selection bias and limit generalizability. Platform algorithms, moderation, and promotion policies are discussed but not empirically examined. Causal relationships (e.g., between specific reader inputs and author revisions or sales/subscriptions) are inferred rather than rigorously tested.