Matrizes (Jun 2015)
Fandom as an object and the objects of fandom
Abstract
Matt Hills is a Professor of Film & TV Studies at Aberystwyth University, in Wales, and before that he was a Reader at Cardiff University. He holds a Master’s from Goldsmiths, University of London, and a PhD from the University of Sussex. Self-proclaimed fan of the British series Doctor Who, Hills has been writing about fans and fandom since his early career, especially about Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Sherlock more recently, alongside pieces on media audiences, cult film and TV, quality television and digital culture. His book Fan Cultures (2002) is among the most well known contributions to fan studies. Matt Hills spoke about the theoretical and empirical challenges in defining and studying fans, the complexity of the term, and the types of engagement and behavior of fandom online and offline.
