Waiting for Stephenie Meyer

When I wrote about Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series this week I noted how the Phoenix author’s work is beginning to approach—however distantly—the pop culture heights occupied by Harry Potter. Fans, publishers and bookstores are all giving Meyer the JK Rowling treatment: 2,000-strong line-ups, simultaneous release of her books and midnight store openings. Now, all that’s left, in the 10 days until Breaking Dawn is released, is to see if leakers and hoaxers will also pay tribute. Somewhere, somehow, some fan will get their hands on a copy; will its contents make the Internet? Even if the real thing doesn’t, is someone hard at work on a fake version? That would be the penultimate step in the Rowling-ification of Meyer; the last stage, another 320 million copies sold, would be another matter entirely.