Evolution of a Fan (Now with Pics)

After a conversation with Lucion's wife I discovered we were both "Fans" of Harry Potter. Fans is in quotes because we had different meanings for this concepts. I've sense thought about it a lot. Here is what I believe to be the evolution of fandom. Evolution is probably incorrect its probably more of a scale, but many people progress on linearly so it might function like evolution. I'll provide two examples at each stage. One for Harry Potter and One for Comics and one for Lord of the Rings.

Stage 1 - Ignorance is bliss - This person is unaware of the media. This type of fan isn't really possible for Harry Potter or Spider-man unless you've been living in a cave.
HP - Quidi-what-ich?
Comics - Spider-who?
LotR - Hobbits? You mean midgets, right?

Stage 2 - Not a Fan - You are aware of the media but not a fan of it.
HP - Oh, Harry Potter, yeah, that kids thing.
Comics - Oh, yeah like Archie and Jughead.
LotR - Hmm... another movie about sword fighting.

Stage 3 - The Dabbler - A lot of noob fans start out but just putting their toes in the water.
HP - I've seen the first Harry Potter Movie.
Comics - I've seen the first Superman Movie.
LotR - I watched the animated Hobbit in High School English.

Stage 4 - The Sophomore - Once you get over the dabbler stage you think you're the bomb. But you truly are the "Wise Fool" They tend to say things true fans have heard a million times already.
HP - Well, you know JK really wanted a female protagonist!
Comics - If Superman really caught Lois when she fell off that helicopter, the force of him accelerating to catch her would be more forceful than letting her hit the pavement.
LotR - You know the One Ring is really the Atom Bomb don't you!

Stage 5 - The Devoted Fan - This fan could also be called the Cult Fan, or the Devotee. This stage everything about the thing you like is PERFECT! Criticism of your favorite thing is a sin.
HP - How dare you say JK was "stalling" during book seven just to artificially stretch it out to the Hogwarts Year 7 paradigm. She is a genius! She might be the next Buddha! She's not wrong! You are wrong!
Comics - The JSA is the definitive book about heroics in a dark time. It taught me how to be a better dad!
LOTR - The LOTR is the I Ching, the sum of all wisdom.

Stage 6 - The Fanboy - (Or Fangirl I guess.) - This is the fan who's awareness and love of a product has enlarged to include its flaws. This fan is defensive of others who dabble or criticize but might be the toughest critic of his chosen passion. This type of fan believes "If you love something set it free... then shoot at it with a shotgun!"
HP - YES! She stretched out the book. Yes! It was annoying that the best stuff in book 7 happened "off camera" at Hogwarts while the gang was mucking around in the wood. But it was a serious stroke of genius to be able to write a series to a growing, maturing audience.


Comics - Worst Issue Ever! (The Comic Book Guy is the quintessential Fanboy.)

LotR - My PRECIOUS!

What to read after Harry Potter?

There are some people who weren't really readers before HP. They didn't know the dispair of a book release date two years in the future or the jubilation of its eventual release. Hopefully these people will become more that Harry Potter Readers, they'll become Readers, open to books that don't involve Hogwarts. (Although, I've already heard comments like "I'm done with book 7, now I won't have to read ever again.")

Well here are a few suggestions, if you liked Harry Potter you will probably find more books you like.

1) The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien - Another book for young adult readers, follow Bilbo Baggins all over middle-earth in his hunt for treasure. Followed by...

2) The Lord of the Rings - Tolkien also - You probably saw the movie but the books reads pretty differently. These are definitely written on a more adult level than the Hobbit and HP.

3) Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card - Ok, here is a book without any wizards in it, I know its shocking but you will probably love it! It does have kids and a special school, instead of a train there is a shuttle to get there. This is one of my Top 5 of all time. This book revolves around Ender Wiggin and his admittance into Battle School, were children are taught to be the military commanders of tomorrow. (I know you're thinking "Science Fiction barf!" but science fiction and fantasy are essentially the same genre, you just replace "magic" with "technology" to make miraculous things happen.)

4) The Once and Future King - T. H. White - Back to Wizards, the story of young King Arthur's rise to power. A classic. This book is so good Magneto reads it while he is in prison during X-Men 2.

5) Eragon - by Paolini - DON'T WATCH THE MOVIE... it stunk. But the book is fantastic. A young boy finds a dragon eggs, which are thought to be extinct. This book is for young adults and was written by one. (Of course some of you grown up who've only ever read Harry Potter books might consider yourself a young adult readers even if your 25.)

Well there are 5 books (if you count LotR as one which I do.). And don't give me that "how long are they" business. You just read 750 pages in one weekend!

I'll wait a few weeks before I talk about Harry Potter to allow people to read and digest.

Harry Potter: The Final Predictions

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT

2 Years Ago I made Predictions about Book 7 Here is the Link

Here Are My Updated Predictions:
(BE WARNED I MIGHT SPOIL THE ENDING FOR YOU.)

1. Harry Potter - Odds of survival 50/50. I've calmed down some from my certainty 2 years ago that Harry will die. Instead, I believe he will sacrifice himself to kill Voldermort and think that he's going to die. So he gets credit for the sacrifice without having to die. A lot of people seem sure he's a horcrux and I guess that pretty likely, it explains why Lord V doesn't want anyone to kill him. Also, Harry becomes an Auror.

2. Voldermort - Dead meat... Harry will kill him with help... more on that later.

3. Ron - Gets together with Hermione finally no surprise. Ron may not have what it takes to be a Auror so he'll have to follow his dad into the ministry. But JKR will make "important" by Ron vowing to "clean it up." During book 7 he'll help by being Harrry's pal.

4. Hermoine - Get together with Ron. But she is actually helpful in her research into the horcruxes in book 7.

5. Ginny - Gets together with Harry, this is as obvious as R&H's romance. She liked him, he was oblivious. He liked her, she was oblivious. They were friends. Love is all that's left, if he survives.

6. Snape - Not a bad guy. He'll help Harry and another mystery person kill Voldermort.

7. R.A.B. - Regulus Black. They'll even give him a middle name. Serius thought he was dead but he might have died in an attempt to undermine V.

8. Wormtail - He owes a huge debt to Harry for saving his life. So what'll he do? What he does best, snivel and listen in the shadows. He will help Harry take down his boss so he can get out from under him. So the trifecta is Harry/Snape/Wormtail vs. Voldermort.

9. Neville - Will beat and likely kill Bellatrix Lestrange for killing his 'rents. He'll actually show some competence in, he showed a few signs of improvement in 5&6 and 7 will show him being really tough!

10. Quidditch - There won't be any in book 7.