From Classification to Convergence: Transformations of Literary Genre in the Transmedia Ecosystem

This article examines the evolution of literary genres within the contemporary media ecosystem shaped by convergence culture and participatory practices. Traditionally understood as classificatory and normative frameworks, genres are increasingly challenged by transmedia storytelling, digital platforms, and collaborative forms of cultural production. Contemporary narratives often expand across multiple media environments, where each platform contributes differently to the construction of meaning and audience engagement. In this context, genres become fluid and dynamic structures negotiated among authors, industries, and audiences. The essay combines theoretical reflection with the analysis of transmedia narratives, online literary platforms, and fanfiction communities to investigate how digital participation reshapes literary forms and modes of reception. Particular attention is devoted to the intermedial and collective dimensions of contemporary storytelling and to their implications for genre theory. Rather than simply arguing that genres have become increasingly fluid, the article proposes that convergence culture transforms the analytical function of genre itself. Through three complementary case studies, it argues that genre should be understood less as a stable classificatory taxonomy than as an interpretative and discursive framework continuously negotiated across media, platforms, industries, and participatory audiences.