Slash (a punctuation mark / an adjective) (I hope it's not an inappropriate question for this forum) There is a phrase in a book I don't know how to interpret: "It’s fantasy slash erotica really, but quite literary" Context: “I write fantasy with a twist,” said Kathryn and Strike was surprised and a little amused that she had begun to talk like Fancourt: in rehearsed phrases, in sound bites… …“It’s fantasy slash erotica really, but quite literary. And that’s the thing about traditional publishing, you know, they don’t want to take a chance on something that hasn’t been seen before, it’s all about what fits their sales categories, and if you’re blending several genres, if you’re creating something entirely new, they’re afraid to take a chance… ("The Silkworm", Robert Galbraith)In Russian translation the words "fantasy slash erotica" were translated as "fantasy-hyphen-erotica" ("slash" as a punctuation mark). I know that there is also slash fiction - "genre of fiction that focuses on interpersonal attraction and relationships between fictional characters of the same sex". Is it possible to say which interpretation of "slash" is correct here? The only abstract of a "novel" of the character given in the JKR's novel is: "An example from my second Novel “Melina’s Sacrifice.” As they made their way towards the Forest of Harderell Lendor raised his handsome profile to see how near they were to it. His well-maintained body, honed by horseback-riding and archery skills"… “Scroll up,” said Strike, “see what else there is about Quine.” If it's only a punctuation mark, then how often do people use the word "slash" in speech to "connect" two words? Is it a common practice to use it? Thank you very much in advance.