| abstract | - Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography is Lemony Snicket's fictional autobiography, a pseudonym or pen-name, of Daniel Handler. The book was first published in May 2002, soon after the Carnivorous Carnival. Exclusive to the hard back version is a reversible book jacket to disguise the autobiography as a cheerful story called "The Pony Party!" which is book #1 of the fictional series "The Luckiest Kids in the World!" written by a woman named Loney M. Setnick and illustrated by Beth Quiltrest. The story is obviously a spoof intended to create a sharp contrast to the dismal events in A Series of Unfortunate Events. The name Loney M. Setnick is an anagram of Lemony Snicket and the name Beth Quiltrest is an anagram of Brett Helquist. All of the pictures within the book are in black and white, which may suggest the events in the series took place in the past. It contains extra information on V.F.D., including the Snicket siblings and many other characters, that were not covered in the main series. It also contains crucial information on earlier books, such as the backstory behind Uncle Monty and his assistant Gustav Sebald and a secret concerning the stacks of paper in Paltryville that were destroyed soon after the Baudelaires departed. It explains the story behind the V.F.D. insignia and all the hidden messages inside the books. It also contains information about animals used by the V.F.D, particularly the Incredibly Deadly Viper and Mamba Du Mal , from Uncle Monty's reptile room. It explains how the Mamba Du Mal can send warnings to its master, such as, "summer is", meaning "enemies are nearby, "over and gone, over and gone", meaning "probably in disguise", and "dying", meaning, "beware of arson". Many of the illustrations are ambiguous, but could be used to portray V.F.D characters and headquarters. The book contains the letters written by Lemony Snicket to his siblings Kit Snicket and Jaques Snicket and many of his associates, including the Duchess of Winnipeg . The Unauthorized Autobiography confirms the V.F.D membership of many characters, such as the Duchess of Winnipeg, Count Olaf, Esme Squalor and Larry the Waiter.
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