It’s possible Tara Gilesbie was the real deal it’s possible she was trolling everyone it’s even possible she’s a fictional construct. I’ve pulled written pranks nearly as elaborate before I’ll probably do it again before I fuck off and die. Put it this way: if I was going to write a parody of barrel-scraping fan fiction, My Immortal is essentially what I’d write. A reference to Shark Attack 3 at the story’s end only seems to confirm the author’s love of shitty things, for lack of a better term. Chapters 39 and 40, claimed to have been written (in far more readable prose) by a hacker, are far too on-the-nose not to be a conscious joke. There are just too many nods to fanfic tropes, too many moments that can be read as self-aware, too many wild elements at play. Why would a mere troll go to all that effort, writing over 22,000 mangled words, just to make fun of fan fiction? The argument is a compelling one, at least if one finds bored effort to be an alien concept. The many makeout and sex scenes are written with an impossibly immature voice, with an early Draco sex scene culminating with “He put his thingie into my you-know-what and we did it for the first time.” Fanfic enthusiasts suggest that the length of the piece, and the sincerity with which it’s written, indicate it’s for real. Names are misspelled with wild abandon, often phonetically but sometimes not even bound by the sound of words. The name of the protagonist’s band, “Bloody Gothic Rose 666,” is chef’s-kiss beautiful. Rumours abound as to whether My Immortal is the genuine article, or merely a troll or parody work. What’s clear is that someone wrote My Immortal, and that someone had a strong creative vision one way or another. Numerous people have come forward to stake a claim, like people alleging themselves to have shot JFK or been Jack the Ripper. Posted in instalments, starting in 2006, by a user calling themselves “XXXbloodyrists666XXX” and identifying themselves as Tara Gilesbie, the story always existed in a fog of message-board anonymity. The authorship of My Immortal has remained a mystery ever since its release. It’s the stream-of-consciousness ravings you'd find in a pop culture-obsessed adolescent’s secret diary. The gang even goes to concerts by Good Charlotte and My Chemical Romance within the course of the story. The story draws its title from an Evanescence song the story is peppered with lengthy descriptions of goth makeup and Hot Topic outfits (yes, specifically Hot Topic outfits) bands like Marilyn Manson and Slipknot are referenced constantly. The main character introduces herself as “not related to Gerard Way but I wish I was because he’s a major fucking hottie,” and the teenage angst only blossoms from there. Part of My Immortal’s charm is in how it expresses the weird tastes and obsessions of its alleged author. It’s absolutely nuts, and trying to make conventional sense of it all is folly. Hogwarts gets a gothic makeover, as does Albus Dumbledore time travel (with a gothic Marty McFly) becomes a central plot device Satan makes an appearance. Nearly every canon character comes into play - even Harry Potter himself, though "most people call Vampire these days" - and nearly everyone gets involved romantically or sexually. It centres on 17-year-old Hogwarts student and insufferable goth Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way, as she endures the tribulations of a romantic relationship with dreamy Draco Malfoy. I’ve never been into fan fiction, but I do know a work of insane, irreproducible brilliance when I see one, which is why I’ve a special place in my heart for the greatest Potter fanfic - possibly the greatest fanfic - of all time: My Immortal.
#HARRY POTTER FANFICTION SERIES#
Its target audience - children and adolescents, gradually aging up as the series progressed - were perfect marks for fanfic.
#HARRY POTTER FANFICTION FULL#
It takes place in a rich universe full of places to explore and characters to pair up. The rise in popularity of the franchise coincided with a rapid increase in user-generated content sites, social media, and blogging. It’s hardly surprising: all the tells were there from the beginning. There’s a lot of Harry Potter fan fiction out there.