Facing the Slender Man

Abstract

Previous chapters discussed Slender Man prototypes, the original telling, the propagation of the story to new spaces, and second-level stories in the form of fan fiction; this chapter begins by following that trajectory to its next destination: the mainstream. The Slender Man is presented both literally and figuratively as a form of a “tulpa,” a creature brought to life by collective thought. As forthcoming mass media efforts appropriate the Slender Man, communities respond to a more widespread sharing of the character they collectively thought into existence. In conclusion, the openly shared, collectively created, community-contextualized Slender Man phenomenon serves as a harbinger of storytelling to come.