The Supernatural Books
Everything is in here, from the racist truck to me having sex. I'm full frontal in here, dude.
– Dean on reading the book Route 666, 4.18 The Monster at the End of This Book
These books are a series of novels based on the actual events in Sam and Dean's life as revealed to Chuck Shurley, aka Carver Edlund, a prophet. The books have been published by "Flying Wiccan Press: Publishers of Quality Science Fiction and Graphic Novels" run by the publisher Sera Siege, although they are now out of print. Castiel tells Dean that these books will one day be known as the Winchester Gospels.[1]
Every book title is an episode title: #1 Supernatural, #2 Wendigo, #3 Phantom Traveler, #4 Bloody Mary, #5 Skin, #6 Hook Man, #7 Bugs, #8 Home, #9 Asylum, #10 Scarecrow, #11 Faith, #12 Route 666, #13 Nightmare, #14 The Benders, #15 Shadow, #16 Salvation, #17 Bloodlust, #18 Croatoan, #19 Heart, #20 Sin City, #21 Fresh Blood, #22 Mystery Spot, #23 Jus in Bello, #24 No Rest for the Wicked. This list excludes portions of season one and most of seasons two and three, although Red Sky at Morning and Time Is on My Side, are specifically mentioned as having been published. [2].
Chuck later tells Sam and Dean he has a backer who will help him publish more books, but Sam suggests in no uncertain terms that this would not be a good idea: "We have guns and we'll find you."[3]
The last book Chuck is known to write is "Swan Song"; he disappears when he finishes writing it.
Crowley is seen using a copy of the Supernatural books to find every person Sam and Dean has ever saved and kill them in an attempt to force them to stop their efforts to close the gates of hell. [4]
I also found this series of books by Carver Edlund. Did those books really happen? Wow, that is some meta madness. Thanks for saving the world and stuff. Sorry you had zero luck with the ladies
Charlie Bradbury tells the boys she has read all the books in her quest to learn about hunting. When she commiserates with Sam about his poor "luck with the ladies" he demands of Dean that they burn all the books. Charlie informs them that will be useless as the books are now online. She also indicates that all of the books were indeed published, as she is aware of Sam and Dean saving the world.[5] It is revealed that Becky Rosen posted the unpublished books on the Internet.[6]
- Posters of some of the book covers are included in the book: The Essential Supernatural: On the Road with Sam and Dean Winchester.
Appearances
4.18 The Monster at the End of This Book
Sam and Dean discover the existence of the books while on a case - the comic shop guy tells them the books have a "cult following." The Winchesters discover an online fandom for the books, including Slash fans. They visit the publisher Sera Siege, and pretend to be fans of the books in order to track down the author - Chuck Shurley. Castiel reveals that the author is a prophet who foresees events in the boys' lives, and that he is guarded by an archangel (later events suggest this is Raphael).
|
 |
 |
5.01 Sympathy for the Devil
Chuck contacts a fan of the books, Becky, who is in the middle of writing some Wincest, and reveals that they are not fantasy but fact. He gets her to deliver a message to Sam and Dean, not knowing that the message is a false prophecy set up as a trap by Zachariah.
5.09 The Real Ghostbusters
Becky invites the boys to a Supernatural convention organized around the fandom for the books. After the convention, Becky remembers that in Chapter 33 of the book Time Is on My Side, it was revealed that Bela gave the Colt not to Lilith, but to her right-hand demon and possible lover Crowley, giving the boys hope that they might retrieve it and use it against Lucifer. Chuck says he has a backer who will help him publish more books, but Sam suggests in no uncertain terms that this would not be a good idea, saying "we have guns and we'll find you." Chuck agrees not to publish any more books.
5.22 Swan Song
Chuck writes the final Supernatural book.
8.20 Pac-Man Fever
When Charlie Bradbury visits Sam and Dean, she reveals that she has read the books. Sam decides that they must burn them all, but Charlie tells them that the books have gone onto the internet so that would be pointless.
8.22 Clip Show
Crowley is using the books to help research people Sam and Dean saved and then kill them, in order to get the Winchesters to stop the completion of the third trial which will close the Gates of Hell forever.
9.04 Slumber Party
Charlie Bradbury tells Sam and Dean she was able to get all of the books off of Amazon.com and that Becky Rosen, under the screen name BeckyWinchester176, posted all of the unpublished books to the Internet. Charlie said she thought it was fanfiction at first, but then realized it was obviously the work of Carver Edlund, (aka Chuck). When asked if it was possible to delete them, Charlie said that not even she could do that.
When Dorothy Baum brings up how weird it is to be in books, having had her father base the Oz books off of her adventures, Sam tells her he does know but now thinks it's not a bad thing since they basically wrote the books with their adventures and they were thus truly responsible for what was in them.
9.18 Meta Fiction
Metatron has started writing his own "stories." On his desk there are two copies of the Supernatural books; A Very Supernatural Christmas and Tall Tales. When Metatron begins to tell Castiel his plan for him, he tells him he did his homework and picks up a copy of Tall Tales, calling the Winchester Gospels "pulpy stuff," and tossing the book into the fireplace. Metatron goes on to admit that the book did give him an idea, because Castiel needed to be taught a lesson; he decides to use Gabriel, because nobody gives a lesson like Gabriel.
10.05 Fan Fiction
11.15 Beyond the Mat
While in Crowley's Lock-up, various copies of The Supernatural Books can be seen scattered throughout the storage unit.
11.20 Don't Call Me Shurley
Metatron is sent to BG's Canteen where he meets Chuck Shurley AKA Carver Edlund. He wonders if it is some sort of punishment for his sins; a Limbo where he has to "spend eternity in a crappy bar with a hack writer" which offends Chuck. When Chuck asks if he didn't like any of it, Metatron states that "of the metric ton of books I've read in my lifetime, Supernatural didn't even crack the top ten... thousand. Respectfully." He adds that he didn't like the books Home and All Hell Breaks Loose for being too melodramatic and the fact that the author inserted himself in the story, comparing it to Kurt Vonnegut's stories. Chuck replies that it doesn't justify him burning one of his books, stating that he knew about how Metatron burned Tall Tales back in 9.18 Meta Fiction. When Metatron asks how he knew about that, Chuck reveals that he is God, which prompts Metatron to kneel and grovel about how Supernatural is underrated and due for a reboot, which makes Chuck uncomfortable.
When Chuck realizes that Metatron hates his autobiography, he states "the last time I saw that look on an editor's face, I just handed in Bugs."
15.04 Atomic Monsters
Ghostfacers Web Series
Episode Three - "CSI Maggie"
The Ghostfacers work out that the ghost of Janet Myers is not trapped in the mirror like Bloody Mary, which Maggie Zeddmore says she read about in a "cheesy Carver Edlund book."
Episode Eleven - "Found Footage..."
On October 28, 2009, Castiel goes to the Ghostfacers for help in searching for Sam and Dean, having read about them in a Carver Edlund book, which turns out to be their pilot from 3.13 Ghostfacers. Upon learning that their personalities were exaggerated, Castiel leaves, but not before he tells the Ghostfacers that the book states that they have been chosen to bear witness to the apocalypse and that they will receive aid from a holy spirit on All Saints Day -- November 1, 2009.
Metafiction
The Supernatural books act as a metafictive device in the text - that is they allow the writers to make commentary on the actual show, its writing, and the fandom. It is an example of breaking the fourth wall. See also Meta Episodes
Some Examples:
- The character Chuck Shurley is also an avatar for Eric Kripke - Rob Benedict talks about Chuck as Eric at Salute to Supernatural Chicago 2009
- Carver Edlund, the pen name used by Chuck Shurley, is an amalgam of the names of Supernatural writers Jeremy Carver and Ben Edlund. At one point he asks Sam and Dean if "Phil put them up to it," possibly referring to co-executive producer and director Philip Sgriccia. The publisher's name was Sera Siege, named after writers Julie Siege and Sera Gamble, as mentioned in this interview by Sera Gamble.
- Chuck refers to the books about "a ghost ship" (3.06 Red Sky at Morning) and "bugs" (1.08 Bugs) as "bad writing." These are episodes Eric Kripke himself has said are among his least favorite episodes in Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 3.
- The Supernatural fandom features many characteristics of the real fandom, including fans being critical of specific plot points, Dean Girls, and Sam Girls. Fanfiction is referenced when Dean discovers Slash and Wincest. Becky runs a website called morethanbrothers.net and also writes Wincest.
- The revelation that Chuck is God is commentary on the role of the writer, first referenced when Chuck refers to himself as "a cruel and capricious god" in regards to his characters.
Also:
- Posters for the books were included as lift-outs in the The Essential Supernatural: On the Road with Sam and Dean Winchester.
- For the Supernatural tie-in novels published in the real world see Books.
