Guest blog: "Twilight" moves into "Nightlight"

Cult-wise, now we know the Twilight books have really arrived. No, we’re not talking about author Stephenie Meyer’s appearance on Oprah, or about the “Twilight Series” coffee beans offered by one enterprising company in brews like “Bella’s Blend”. The news that caught us is hearing that Harvard Lampoon has issued a parody of the book, titled “Nightlight”.

The L. A. Times reported that the book’s 154 pages about “Belle Goose” and “Edwart” follow the Twilight template, “but change every detail, from the glossy black cover with a chewed-to-the core apple to the come-hither copy on the back jacket, which reads: 'About three things I was absolutely certain. First, Edwart was most likely my soul mate, maybe.' "

The Lampoon book of my generation – or, actually, my parents’ generation, the books aren’t issued that frequently – was “Bored of the Rings,” a sendup of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic trilogy. As a young adult and a dedicated Tolkien fan (how I coveted my brother’s “Frodo Lives” shirt!), I found it rude, crude, and hilarious. The mere fact someone else had read the chronicles carefully enough to mock them so intimately mattered more than the actual quality; it all felt like one fabulous inside joke.

As an adult, I reread “Bored,” and found its dorky, smutty humor no longer appealed to me in the least. I’ve never lost my enraptured love for “Lord of the Rings,” though. I wonder how today’s Twilight fans will feel about both the original – and the parody – another 20 years down the line.

Rebekah Denn writes at eatallaboutit.com.