In Stephen King’s novel Misery, novelist Paul Sheldon’s “number one fan” is Annie Wilkes.
After rescuing Paul from a snowbound car crash, Annie takes him to her isolated home and reveals that she is obsessed with his Misery novels. When she learns that Paul has killed off her favorite character, Misery Chastain, she forces him to write a new story that restores the character.
Annie’s identity as a former nurse gives her medical knowledge and control over Paul’s recovery. Her admiration is therefore inseparable from coercion, confinement, and violence, making the novel a study of fandom turning into possession.
Misery was published in 1987 and won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel for that year. Rob Reiner directed the 1990 film adaptation, in which Kathy Bates played Annie and won the Academy Award for Best Actress.