Chapter Text
Hello and welcome to this presentation-turned-fic introduction to the Omegaverse. I held this for the first time for a wonderful AFTG Discord server in 2024. Especially in the later parts, there is some AFTG focus, hence the AFTG fandom tag.
Please be aware that this was originally an aesthetically pleasing presentation for a group of friends – both for accessibility and to follow AO3 TOC regarding copyright, I am going to embed as few images as possible. Instead, I will give you the content of the slides, and then add my (slightly rewritten and condensed) speaker notes. The work skin does a bit of lifting for the formatting but is not necessary.
Housekeeping
We don't use slurs!
Abo: Originally, this was simply an informal term for Aborigine, and was in fact used by Aboriginal people themselves (such as in the Aboriginal-run newspaper Abo Call) until it started to be considered offensive in the 1950s.– Wikipedia: List of ethnic slurs Use Omegaverse, Alpha/Beta/Omega-Dynamics, Alpha/Omega etc. instead of the abbreviation. No, putting a slash between the letters does not make it okay. |
Notes: I also kindly encourage you to inform people about why we don’t use the abbreviation - don’t shame them for using it, don’t get upset with them, just tell them why it’s not cool. Thank you!
Framework
The Omegaverse offers a speculative fantasy space for creators and consumers to explore their relationship to themes of social power hierarchies and biology through fictional worlds rife with animalistic characteristics that seem to indicate that these power structures are natural and/or biologically enforceable.– Entrikin, Kelsey. 2023. "Predatory Seduction: Scenting as a Catalyst for Power Hierarchy in Omegaverse Fan Fiction." Transformative Works and Cultures, no. 40. https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2023.2035. |
Notes: Most people think of sex when they think of the Omegaverse. I also absolutely love to read Omegaverse porn, it’s great. But Omegaverse has so much more to offer than big dicks in slicked up holes, so that’s where I’m going to take us, because the porn is not the most interesting thing about this universe.
Before we dive into the meat of it all:
- We are still going to be talking about sex and genitalia. There are no real life pictures of genitalia, but mind the E rating nonetheless. We will also be talking about social prejudice and injustice, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, and related concepts, so please feel free to hit the bricks if you don’t feel like you’re okay with that today.
- This is by no means comprehensive. As with everything fiction, there is no right or wrong. I am going with the definitions and concepts that I found while doing research, and often I had to decide between two or more variants of the same concept. Where I found the differences interesting, I am talking about them, where I found they don’t matter much, I just chose what appealed most to me. Regarding some concepts, I simply ran out of time to include them, so I had to simplify. When it comes to the history, I tried my best, but there’s much discourse about how Omegaverse actually came into existence and what factors influenced its genesis – I went with what I found to be the most commonly accepted theory.
- Feel free to ask questions in the comments or let me know what you think about the Omegaverse!
What to expect
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Notes: With the housekeeping out of the way, let’s take a look at the five sections we’re going to cover: I’ll introduce you to the Omegaverse and its history, and we’re going to learn about the most common tropes. Then I’ll get very excited about what Omegaverse as a worldbuilding tool offers, and if I haven’t lost you until then, we’re going to look at a few graphs.