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Secret Diaries of Cassandra Claire taking Web by storm

April 06, 2002 at 10:18:42

A mounting crescendo of tittering laughter and giggles is spreading throughout online Tolkien fandom as word spreads about the Secret Diaries of Cassandra Claire.

The Secret Diaries are a mild example of "slash" fan fiction, an erotic literature form devoted to same-gender relationships, usually comprised of stories about famous characters in movies, television shows, and sometimes books. Slash fan fiction has been around for decades, but the Internet has made it possible for some slash authors to become minors stars on their own.

Cassandra Claire's Secret Diaries contain no sexually explicit scenes, and have been generally hailed as funny and intelligently written. They have even spawned at least one anime-style comic tribute.

Fans who may be offended by same-gender innuendo and humor may not appreciate the Secret Diaries, but Claire has a growing legion of fans who are laughing at the gentle pokes in the rib directed toward Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring". The characters of Legolas and Aragorn merit special attention from the author, and "I'm still the prettiest" may soon become a popular catch phrase on the Internet.

If you don't mind reading fan fiction which takes liberties with the characters and relationships in the movie, you definitely will want to read the Secret Diaries.