Yeah, that's the thing, too - I didn't really mention it but I think that dismissing fanfic because it's a hobby for many of us is equally wrong-headed. Just because someone is doing art as a hobby doesn't mean they can't produce good art!

There are some fanfics I've recced to people as being so good they're worth reading even if you don't know the fandom. But even of those, I think they're better if you *do* know the fandom, at least a bit...