Charlaine Harris, author of the Southern Vampire Mysteries

Ending a long-running series with a huge fan following is an endeavor fraught with peril. The television finales from Seinfeld and Lost sparked outrage from viewers who were unhappy with the way things were wrapped up (or not wrapped up, as it were), and I wouldn’t be surprised if the reason George R.R. Martin is taking so long to write the final two books in his Song of Ice and Fire is a deep-set fear of angering a legion of nerds. There’s no way for an author to satisfy everybody, particularly when fans are invested not only in the quality of a book, but in what happens to the characters as well. Still, the reaction that Charlaine Harris has received for the conclusion to her Southern Vampire Mysteries (the inspiration for the HBO series True Blood) seems…just a tad excessive.

Alison Flood writes for the Guardian that after the ending to Dead Ever After, the thirteenth and final installment starring Sookie Stackhouse, was leaked last month, Harris has received “death threats, suicide threats, and more prosaic threats” from rabid fans. It’s not unusual for enthusiasts to develop an emotional attachment to characters with whom they’ve spent a lot of time, particularly when there are romantic entanglements to be had. People take sides, arguing over whether Sookie, for example, should end up with vampires Bill Compton or Eric Northman, or shapeshifter Sam Merlotte. There are some 1,700 responses to a post by Harris on her Facebook page (some of which reveal what happens in Dead Ever After, which came out last week) about the leak, many of which are vitriolic—including death threats—as well as less serious suggestions to egg Harris’s house. The author also said to the Wall Street Journal last week, “It can be a source of some anxiety to get emails that say, ‘If Sookie doesn’t end up with Eric, I’m going to kill myself.'”

Harris has (wisely) chosen to ignore the crazies, for the most part, writing on her blog:

The past two weeks have been tumultuous, but I’m beginning to emerge from the roller coaster ride more or less back to normal… I’ve seen lots of ugliness, and even more kindness. I’ve seen lots of irrationality, and lots more sense. Some virulent hatred, and much more love…

I’ll be happy to put this behind me and go back to doing what makes me happiest: writing the best books I can. This has been my pattern for 32 years, from way before the Sookie books, and I hope it’ll be my pattern for a few more.

While I’m certainly in no position to judge people who get passionate about books and the characters therein, the folks who are doing the rending-of-hair and gnashing-of-teeth over the fate of Sookie Stackhouse might want to take a moment to reconsider. It is, after all, just a series of books, and a fairly silly one at that. When you’re trying to explain why you’re outraged, and that explanation makes repeated reference to vampires, fairies, and were-panthers, it’s probably time to take a step back and get some perspective.