Blitzians, tell me what do the September 11 attacks, Gerard Way, Stephanie Meyers and 50 Shades of Grey all have in common? Well, A handful of absurd coincidences ended up shaping some of the most iconic literary fiction of recent memory. I know what you're thinking: Maddie, you are insane. And you're correct. Thus, here I am, making sure YOU are educated on this necessary information: 

HOW 9/11 CREATED 50 SHADES OF GREY.

The terrorist attacks on the 11th of September, 2001, were a moment that defined the Western world in many aspects, due to the shocking, immense loss of life. The response to the attacks in the political and military sense continued to perpetuate the war on terror. On the average New Yorker, it was a moment of despair. And that's where we'll start our story. With a guy from New Jersey watching the tragic events, wanting to do something about it.

24-year-old Singer Gerard Way founded the rock band My Chemical Romance in 2001. Stating the attacks being “like just this emotion and it made you nauseous,” motivating him to “make a difference” through the grunge rock band. The band went on to create the debut album “I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love,”. Slotting right in with other rock bands of the 2000s era in Panic! At the Disco, Fall Out Boy and All Time Low. Then, of course, MCR created the emo-grunge anthem, “The Black Parade” (13-year-old Maddie’s favourite song. Yes, that girl was on Tumblr). The 5-minute rock opera that defined a genre and rocked audiences all over. Including a certain fan...

Around this early 2000s era, young author Stephanie Meyer was knee-deep in writing vampire fanfiction. More specifically, Twilight. The origin story behind this creative endeavour is that Twilight came to her in a dream about a vampire. The urban myth is that Twilight was inspired by Gerard Way and was HEAVILY rumoured to have started out as a fanfiction itself! Of course, these rumours have never been confirmed, yet there is no denying the influence that MCR and other rock bands of that era had on the Twilight universe.The My Chemical Romance discography recurs in the book playlists for multiple of the series novels. Breaking Dawn was inspired by My Chemical Romance — “The Sharpest Lives”.  While the original Twilight features their single “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)”. 

Most importantly, inspiring the characterisation of werewolf beau Jacob, Meyers says,  "This band [MCR] is so in touch for me with Jacob's character. This raw, uncontrolled emotion — where it's not about some person who's grown up and callused over and learned how to control things.” I can’t say Taylor Lautner is the first person I think of when I'm listening to MCR, but you do you, Stephanie! Regardless, MCR generated a grungy, moody atmosphere that permeated Forks and its favourite supernatural residents.

Thus, Meyer created a 2000s media sensation with the creation of the Twilight books and subsequent movies. Audiences fell in love with the cold-blooded characters and the ethereal Cullen Family. Sparking a surge of fantastical media in the Vampire Diaries, Teen Wolf and Warm Bodies. The narrative of teenage Bella Swan falling in love with the brooding vampire, Edward Cullen, was irresistible. But more importantly, generating unbelievable pop-culture moments of 

• “Bella, where the hell have you been loca?”

• “You nicknamed my daughter after the Loch Ness monster.”

• "This is the skin of a killer, Bella.”

• “Hold on tight, spider monkey”

Whether the book should be instated in the literary canon is a whole other debate. However, what is undeniable is its impact on creating community. Still to this day, I can find out everything I need to know about a person by just asking if they are Team Edward or Team Jacob.

In August 2009, renowned author Snowqueens Icedragon graced fanfiction.net with her first book in the Master of the Universe trilogy. Doesn't sound familiar? Well, nowadays, it's more widely recognised as 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James. Yep. Utilising the characters from Twilight, E.L. James, sorry, Icedragon, created 50 Shades to bring the people a CEO! AU (Alternate Universe) of our favourite cold-blooded lovers. The premise of Bella Swan and “the reclusive enigmatic Edward Cullen, multi-millionaire CEO” sparked yet another extremely successful franchise that will change not only Bella’s life but also Icedragon/E.L.James as “an encounter that will change her life irrevocably, leading her to dark realms of desire.” Right…

As a result, 50 Shades of Grey was born. Born and bred in the fanfiction community, E.L. James benefited from the pre-existing Twilight fandom when she republished Master of the Universe as an original work in the 'Shades' trilogy. Shifting from Bella and Edward to Anastasia and Christian, the movie is one of my favourite comedies. Christian is a very serious man with the “skin of a killer Bella Anastasia”. He is very, very serious. All of the time. It's very serious. And Dakota Johnson's performance as Anastasia just makes me laugh with iconic lines of “I've kissed a prince, Mom. I hope it doesn't turn into a frog.” I am sure that to many people within its audience, Fifty Shades of Grey was life-changing media. But for others, well… TL;DR, it's Twilight with an R rating and without vampires.

And that brings us to now! Explaining how 9/11 truly created some of the greatest literary fiction of the modern era. Now, I could say that the ‘Twilight effect’ continued and contributed to a) the cancellation of Ellen, b) the ‘After’ series, c) a Batman revival or d) all of the above. However, the long-lasting impact that 50 Shades of Grey had and continues to have is priceless. God, I love fanfiction.

Madeline Kahl is a student from Sydney studying a double degree in Commerce and Media. As an avid reader, she most likely ghosted all her friends while crying about fictional characters.