Internet leak brings end to US cult book series

The US author of an internationally bestselling series of books about vampires, aimed at teenage girls, has announced that she is scrapping the final episode after an unfinished draft was leaked on the internet.

Stephenie Meyer, listed by Time magazine as one of its 100 most influential people of 1998 for her Twilight Saga, last week posted a letter to thousands of fans on her website announcing that she could not continue with the final book after the leak.

The film of the first book, Twilight, is said to be the most anticipated cinema release of the autumn in the US. Now, her retelling of the Twilight story from the viewpoint of Edward Cullen - the 'vegetarian vampire' and the series's love interest for the human teenager Bella Swan - seems likely never to be finished.

'I have a good idea of how the leak happened,' wrote Meyer, 'as there were very few copies of Midnight Sun that left my possession and each was unique. The manuscript that was illegally distributed on the internet was given to trusted individuals for a good purpose. I have no comment beyond that as I believe that there was no malicious intent with the initial distribution.'

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