Name: Erin

Age: 25

Location: Hudson Valley, NY

My degree is in Biology, and I am currently pursuing a doctorate in Epidemiology (Google it, it's pretty neat). That being said, I haven't taken an English class in going on eight years now, and writing a research paper is a heck of a lot different than creative writing. Feel free to correct my language/grammar/whatever in the form of a review or PM. I not only promise not to be offended, but I'd actually appreciate the edit. I also appreciate reviews, especially if there was something specific about a story or a character you particularly liked, or something you would like to see happen later in the story or in a future story. I write and post chapter-by-chapter sometimes with only the vaguest idea of where I want the story to end up so I do take requests/comments/suggestions into consideration. Admittedly reviews also motivate me to write more, but I am NOT the type of person to refuse to write just because I didn't get any reviews.

Erik from Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera is my favorite literary character of all time, so he tends to be the focus of a lot of my stories. I base a lot of his back story off of Susan Kay's Phantom. If you haven't read it yet you absolutely should. It's a stunning character study in and of itself. If you're looking for an Erik/Christine fiction, you won't find one here. I'm not a Christine hater, but I really really really really don't think E/C would EVER work in a realistic way while keeping everyone in character. That is one story request I will never, ever take.

If there's anything else you want to know about me, just ask. I'm pretty open, especially to people who care enough to read my work. Also, feel free to find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Fictionpress. They're all the same username (drjekyllmshyde).

Warning: Here there be science!

In answer to a pretty commonly asked question regarding Erik aka the Phantom of the Opera, I have a couple of theories about his facial deformities from a medical point of view. While I think it's important to note that Gaston Leroux probably did not have the medical knowledge to pinpoint the cause of the deformities he wrote about, the deformities he describes are most likely associated with cleft palate, which would explain the upper lip deformity. The thin skin and lack of a nose are harder to place though since the only causes I can think of would be from teratogens, or compounds inhaled/ingested by a mother during pregnancy which negatively effect the baby. Common teratogens of the 19th century include nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, morphine, and maybe even radioactive elements such as Radium which is common in France but was not classified until the 20th century. Natural deposits leaking into water supplies could have been responsible for various birth defects in 19th century France. However most teratogenic defects include at least mild mental retardation and are not often associated with the immense intelligence Erik has been described as possessing. There is no doubt he has social retardation, but considering his deformities those are likely due to his upbringing and not whatever caused his facial deformities. It's your pretty basic nature vs. nurture debate when it comes to Erik's violent tendencies, and in my honest opinion it's probably a combination of both. Again I think it's important to point out that Leroux was probably not developing Erik's facial defects with any specific disease or known deformity in mind and was probably trying to write for emotional effect within the reader of the time, so it's really really difficult to say what exactly might have caused Erik's deformities.