Hope for Humanity?

I enjoy thrift shopping sometimes a lot. I see a lot of weird things.

Not long ago, however, saw something that made me grin—possibly guffaw—in the middle of a secondhand store.




I have read about 90% of the first book, yes. At the time, though, it wasn't published, and it was Twilight fanfiction entitled "Master of the Universe."

It was also garbage brain candy.

Garbage brain candy that—despite the lack of variety in adjectives, and lack of personality in its protagonist—was a quick read. Breeze right through. It's easily consumable, I'll give it that.

Consumable, and empty.

I stopped at the 90% mark because I discovered that late into the game that the author was publishing it chapter by chapter online and I had to—gasp!—wait to finish said garbage brain candy.

Of course, I was not going to wait to finish it. It's one thing when you're skipping along at a good clip reading cheap brain candy, it's another to have to commit to returning another day in order to finish the bag.

And then it was earmarked for publishing and subsequently yanked from the Interwebs (heh).

I have issues with fanfiction. Specifically the appropriation of another author's characters without their permission. I can respect the true nature of fanfiction—fans writing for other fans in a quiet corner of the Internet, okay. But to create an out-of-universe storyline based on a pair of characters that aren't yours, effectively appropriating an audience, hooking them, and then turning a profit when you realize it has marketing potential?

That doesn't sit comfortably with me.

I've flipped through these pages more than once, and every time I am shocked at how few changes were made before publishing. That people are beginning to purge their shelves delights me.

Maybe those housewives are learning how to Google the word porn, too?

Or perhaps that's too much to ask...?