I think it depends on your fandom because someone on the blog had to explain it to me once when I had no idea what it was. Even now, I pretty much just know that it stands for Alpha/Beta/Omega and that’s about it.
I did skim the Fanlore wiki page on it and… meh? Not my thing? But then, I’ve never read it in a fic before.
People who love A/B/O fics… why do you love it? Share with those of us who have no idea what it’s all about 🙂
-Mod Pi
It’s basically an entire sci-fi genre created by fandom. There’s so much you can do with it, whether you just like hot weird sex with knotting and scenting, or you want to deconstruct the tropes in order to explore themes like gender, sexuality, oppression, and free will in a context removed from real life.
There’s a lot of a/b/o that I don’t like. I don’t tend to like the stuff that clings to tropes like omegas being submissive/weak/slaves (without subverting it somehow). But, especially in some fandoms, there’s a shitload of a/b/o out there that takes the basic premise and runs with it to places you wouldn’t otherwise imagine.
(But then, the one a/b/o fic I’ve actually posted got a reputation as being “abo for people who don’t like abo,” so clearly not everyone shares my preferences or my reasons for reading it.)
If you’re interested, there’s a history of how a/b/o came to be on ao3.
I adore ABO genre. One on level it allows for new family dynamics, relationships, emotional and cultural struggles.
On another level, it also speaks into certain societal, cultural, and gender expectations placed upon the sexes. Harassment, pregnancy, love, partners and bonding, all of this can happen with ABO characters that realistically might only stick with male/female sexes. The genre can be complicated and messy, but that’s where the beauty of it is and the uncertainty of what will happen next opens the doors to endless possibilities.
Vengence is Key 