The Monster at the End of This Book. Metalepsis, Fandom, and World Making in Contemporary TV Series

This chapter aims to analyze world-making practices in transmedia narratives and how viewers are engaged in these practices through the discussion of two narrative strategies, namely trompe-l'oeil and meta-lepsis, as they are used in the TV show Supernatural (The WB/The CW 2005-present) and in the works produced by its fan base. My paper will be structured into three parts: first, I will provide a definition of the above mentioned strategies, including their main effects; second, I will discuss how the relationships between the use of these strategies, the participatory or networked culture of fandom and world-making practices can be interpreted and analyzed; and finally, I will focus on the case of the TV series Supernatural.