Stop the publishing of “Russet Noon”

Lady Sybilla/Glorianna Arias is a fanfiction writer who wrote Russet Noon as a tribute to Stephenie Meyer. A Team Jacob fan fiction that picks up where Breaking Dawn left off, Russet Noon is told from Jacob Black’s perspective and it chronicles his mythical journey from supporting character to protagonist.

It is definitely not the first of its kind with hundreds if not thousands of fan fiction available on the internet nowadays which are based on Stephenie Meyer’s popular series. What is different about Russet Noon though, is that Lady Sybilla has managed to find a publisher for her book and it will be available in bookstores in September 2009. Are you shocked yet? Wait, what about copyright infringement laws? Lady Sybilla’s publisher, AV Paranormal, is not bothered by it, apparently. Its official statement declared:

“When fictional characters become such an intricate part of the popular psyche, as is the case with the Twilight Saga, legal boundaries become blurred, and copyright laws become increasingly difficult to define. This is especially the case when actual cities like Forks and Volterra are used as the novel’s settings. Such settings are not copyrightable, as they are considered public domain. Similarly, the Quileute Nation is also not copyrightable, and neither are vampire or werewolf legends. Copyright laws protect writers from unauthorized reproductions of their work, but such reproductions only include verbatim copying. Characters are only copyrightable if their creator draws them or hires an artist to draw them. Stephenie Meyer herself borrowed a great deal from previous works dealing with these mythologies.”

While this may be viewed favourably by some, it still reeks of thievery and Lady Sybilla have received widespread opposition for cashing in on Stephenie Meyer’s fame. Her most vocal opposition is from Peter David, a veteran writer who has worked in every conceivable media, from television and short stories to comic books. He was so affronted by the gall of Lady Sybilla that he has started a communal novel, Potato Moon, which he hopes will unite hundreds if not thousands of fan fiction writers in opposing the release of this book. Such is the level of opposition to the book, she has since discontinued the pre-order auction on E-Bay. Notwithstanding, the official Russet Noon website advises interested parties to continue checking the site for updates on its publication date.

So, are you enticed? Will you be among those procuring a copy of this tantalizing “tribute” novel? Should an opportunist with such a blatant disregard for another person’s creativity be supported?

Incidentally, it would be interesting to note that the Lady Sybilla aka Glorianna Arias is studying to become an English teacher. One has to wonder if she would teach her future students that plagiarism is acceptable just because fictional characters become such an intricate part of the popular psyche as well.