<em>Tielian</em> in Mixed Realism: Real Person Fan Fiction and Collective Memory in Contemporary Chinese Fandom

This article investigates the question of authenticity in Chinese real-person fan fiction (RPF), a fan-fiction subgenre centered on real-world celebrities. Through the lens of tielian (“getting close to the face”) and mixed realism, the study examines how Chinese RPF authors craft recognizable representations of celebrity characters that resonate with fan readers. Focusing on the RPF work Light Rail Does Not Reach the Eighteenth Floor on the fostering idol, the case illustrates how real-world events are transformed into compelling depictions of the past that weave fragments of realities into a coherent narrative. In this context, tielian serves both as a measure of authenticity and as a means of expanding readers’ consumption of celebrities’ media-generated realities. Since collective memory plays a crucial role in the fostering-idol fandom, subjective interpretations often contest each other in the agreement of tielian. This tension highlights the dynamic negotiation of authenticity within RPF communities. By framing tielian as a form of processual and affective truth making, the article positions RPF as a site of literary innovation that reconfigures realism, authorship, and authenticity in participatory digital culture.