Intertextuality

Intertextuality refers to the way in which a work references and interacts with other works. It is defined in Convergence Culture as "The relations between texts that occur when one work refers to or borrow characters, phrases, situations, or ideas from another" (328). Jenkins refers to the deep intertextuality of the Matrix. The Matrix uses an almost nonstop assortment of allusions to major religions, works of literature and other pieces of cultural canon that allow it to be examined and interpreted in many different ways. The densely packed intertextuality allows the audience to act as hunters or investigators, pouring over the Matrix universe in search of more and more references, which they then attempt to construct meaning out of. Jenkins says the work is successful "if you accept that value arises here from the process of looking for meaning (and the elaboration of the story by the audience)" (126). The Wachowski's litter their work with signs, symbols and references, and it's up to the audience to search these out, decipher them, and discover and suggest meaning. While intertextuality can bind your work to other work, it can also allow for more multiplicity of meaning, especially when the work draws from a wide array of sources and inspiration. Intertextuality also mirrors transmedia in the way that it acts like a network, each node being a text and each connection being the way it references or is referenced by other texts. Just like in transmedia, the relationship between the works, the connection, is often as or more important than each individual work, no matter how complete that work may seem.

In Fan Fiction and Fan Communities, intertextuality is described as a necessary aspect of fan fiction. There can be no fan fiction without the work which it is referencing. In Archontic Literature, the author notes that commenting on existing works and transforming them were often ways in which women and other minoritized groups could comment on and participate in culture. The introduction of the book makes the claim that "the act of performing fandom mirrors the act of performing academia. Both rely on dialogue, community, and intertextuality" (25).