Cassandra Rios

Cassandra Rios (born Odete Rios, 1932 – 8 March 2002) was a Brazilian fiction, mystery, and specially lesbian erotica author.

She wrote more than 40 novels, and was the first Brazilian female writer who sold more than one million books. She was the most censored artist during the Brazilian military dictatorship, with her books being considered "pornographic". She published her first book, A volúpia do pecado, in 1948; the novel, a love story between two teenage girls, was rejected by all publishers. Rios borrowed money from her mother (under the condition she should not read the book) adopted the pen name Cassandra and self-published the book, which became a best-seller, and would be taken off the shelves in 1962, for its 'immoral content'. and the first one to live exclusively off her books. After the Brazilian military coup, around 30 of her titles were taken off circulation by the official censorship, for "pornographic content".

After the end of the dictatorship, in 1985, Rios joined the Democratic Labor Party and ran for São Paulo state deputy in 1986, unsuccessfully. In 1990 she had a radio show at Rádio Bandeirantes.

Death Cassandra Rios died on 8 March 2002, in São Paulo, of uterine cancer.