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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF VAMPIRES?

What do you think of vampires?

Bored? Hate them? Think there can be a new twist on them?

I have revenants (as Victor says, "Think vampires ... but without as many morals.") in my urban fantasies.

I take famous historical figures as revenants, having their humanity slowly ebbing away over the decades. Abigail Adams is my tragic figure that towers over them all.
In THE RIVAL, she takes center stage quite often.

Here is what Neil Gaiman has to say of vampires :

"The glorious thing about being a vampire is that you don't die.

And whether you're talking sparkly magic vampires or the intelligent, sympathetic Dracula — Fred Saberhagen's Dracula Tape series for example,

or the Saint Germain Chronicles by um, oh God, what's her name? Chelsea Quinn Yarbro —

all of that stuff essentially gives you, ''You're conquering death.''

You have limitations, and it depends on how crippling you think those limitations are.

The very best piece of vampire fiction, I think, is incredibly short, and it was written by Charles Beaumont [in 1961]. It was just a vampire talking to a psychoanalyst.

And it's just a glorious, very, very short story. It's called ''Blood Brother.'' It's the guy bitching about not being able to shave properly.

And not being able to cross running water, and what that actually means in a city, and turning in and out of a bat.

It's a wonderful sort of grumpy vampire shtick. And a kind that nobody's really done. Then of course there's Sesame Street, which I think may well have really created the sympathetic vampire for the world."

So what do you think of vampires?
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24 comments:

  1. I like vampires. I have an idea about vampires, but nothing to air yet. No sparkling, that's for damn sure.

    I'll have to check out that "Blood Brother" short. Thanks.

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  2. I love vampires. I spent the best part of my early twenties reading Anne Rice. I'm not fond of the Twilight mythology though.

    I have a novel idea about a quite sad and sorry vampire named Henry. I think he is my NaNo 2012 project! ;)

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  3. Old school vamps are best. But I am a huge Buffy fan.

    I think they may be over done now... but I still enjoy them. Especially when there is a creative take on them. Not super excited about the sparkly variety. I like fanged blood suckers.

    Watched some Being Human... that's kinda good. Recently was recommended the book series Black Dagger Brotherhood-- a bit hard core (a bit more "adult" than I usually tolerate)-- but I will say that their take on vamps is new and kinda cool.

    I like your version, Ro.

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  4. I love the idea of a sensual bad-guy (or bad-girl) who steals your heart and soul.

    I'm reading Gaiman's Neverwhere, and he has a brief glimpse of this female creature he calls a Velvet. She's a vampire-creature, and undead who steals life.

    And she's so sexy you can almost peel her off the page an lick her.

    That's what I like about vampires. It's their ability to make you ~want~ to die for them.


    - Eric

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  5. Vampires are sexy and sensuous and very naughty and sometimes very bad too!

    Classic vampires rule but I do love Terry Pratchett's vampires (The Black Ribboners!) and Lestat from Anne Rice's chronicles!

    Take care
    x

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  6. I'm a huge vampire fan. Love, love love them. Bram Stoker is to blame for that. I'm also a huge Buffy/Angel fan.

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  7. I can like them now and then. I prefer the scary sort. I like the Buffy case where there is a reasonable explanation for the exception--the ONE who will avoid killing. Much better than that silly Cullen crap where all of 'em could be good if they wanted it bad enough--it feels like a lot of moralizing to me. Far better the gypsy curse that Angel had to give him his soul, or else that they are the monsters tormenting everyone.

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  8. Vampires are sexy. Plain and simple. I personally love JR Ward's Brotherhood series, along with Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series... <3 <3 <3

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  9. I'm with, Old Kitty - Lestat from Anne Rice's chronicles, being one of my favourite.

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  10. I think that vampires are very cool and that's why they've been done so much. There's all kinds of different vampires and different vampire stories, all aimed at different audiences. I think this is good, if you don't like one type leave it alone and carry on enjoying your own idea of vampires.

    There's something really magical and interesting about vampires no matter which type of them you're into. I'm not a massive fan of Twilight but will watch the films with my boyfriend as something to do. As far as Twilight goes I believe it is aimed at teenage girls which people tend to forget, so I would urge anyone to take this into consideration before comparing it to harder vampire images.

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  11. I have liked vampire stories since I was a kid. I'm writing a vampire novel at the moment. I had just started reading a vampire novel that was just a Twilight knockoff. I cast it aside in disgust. (Well, not literally since it was on my Nook and I don't want to break it.) So, in my disgust, I challenged myself to come up with a vampire tale that is not just another Twilight knockoff. I hope I accomplished that. My story begins in the present but then goes back in time, spanning across thousands of years. It has been fun throwing elements of history into the story and re-writing a few ancient Greek myths to suit my story.

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  12. I've read some Anne Rice, which I liked. I like her writing style. It's hard to coax me into reading a vampire story at this point.

    I like your Abigail Adams idea though. That's interesting.

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  13. I have a fondness for old-school, bad-ass, monstrous vampires . . . the creepy kind that sleep in coffins, shift into bats, and feed mercilessly upon humanity.

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  14. As long as they don't sparkle, I'm in. (^;

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  15. Joshua :
    Hope you like "Blood Brother" but since it comes recommended by Neil -- it has to be good.

    Loerelei :
    Be, too!

    Bob :
    I'm old school, too, just like you and Jo!

    M Pax :
    Thanks for liking my Abigail Adams take on vampires. In THE RIVAL, the ghost of her husband, John, mourns the loss of the Abigail he remembers.

    Sherri :
    Your vampire story sounds fascinating!

    Sara :
    Like Neil Gaiman, I like the more in-depth, intelligent stories concerning vampires. Like you, I like all kind.

    Wendy :
    I like Anne Rice, too. Her supernatural world structure fascinated me.

    Morgan :
    I'll have to look up that Brotherhood series. Sounds interesting.

    Hart :
    Twilight's version gave me a nose bleed -- which with vampires is dangerous! Like you, I like danger to make sense in the vampire world. I hope those 4 months go by fast, and your published novel will be out before you know it!!

    Christine :
    I, too, am a vampire fan. I loved the short-lived MOONLIGHT series. It died too soon!

    Kitty :
    I like the classic version, too. To me, they are predators, and we are walking happy meals to them!

    Eric :
    I found Gaiman's NEVERWHERE so fascinating in all its aspects!

    Jo :
    I'm glad you like my revenants. They are nasty. And like humans, their own worst enemies. I like the British version of BEING HUMAN most.

    Clare :
    I wish you luck on your Henry vampire story -- try to give him some love to draw the readers in!

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  16. I do not think of vampires. Came here to see if the ISWG post had been thrown up.

    Be back.

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  17. IWSG. I can never get that acronym right.

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  18. I hope I never meet a vampire in any form :)

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  19. Suze :
    Uh, oh. Never thinking of a vampire is a sure sign that you have been glamoured by one in the past! Just joking. I am terrible with acronyms, too!

    Carol :
    It's the dark fae you have to worry about. Uh, oh, now 'I've made the vampire world mad at me!

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  20. I think it's funny when you mention to someone that you're reading a vampire novel and they immediately roll their eyes and connect it to Twilight. This really annoys me because vampire fiction has been popular for a very long time!

    I'm not a huge fan of the vampire genre, but I've always had my favourites in Queen of the Damned (film) and Dracula (novel).

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  21. I kind of do. I love Anne Rice's style - every word comes alive.

    And I admit I do not hate Twilight - that house, that hair.

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  22. I saw Dracula, and read Salem's lot at the young age of 13, leaving me with an irrational fear of them vampires till recently...funny as I look back, given that I live in one of the sunniest countries in the world. That's the power of books and movies I guess...I have read Anne Rice's and Twilight (the first one was only good one of the four) since then but stay clear of the gory ones.
    An insomniac, I can't afford to lose whatever little sleep alloted, its not the fear of dying/undead but becoming a monster.

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  23. I'm a werewolf kind of guy so I guess that answers the question. Don't tell my stepdaughter...

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  24. Komal :
    People sadly think in stereotypes. Or the latest craze. I liked the TV series MOONLIGHT ... but then, I am a romantic.

    E.D.
    I am not a fan of Twilight either. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES just seems a TV version of the movies.

    Rek :
    Funny you should mention SALEM'S LOT, for it was the King novel that made me not read any of his until DUMA KEY ... too scary and too many good people died. I am a soft heart! Depressed I can get for free! LOL.

    Michael :
    I always felt sorry for the old Universal Wolfman. A good man turns beast against his will. I can't accept the "nice" werewolves that are suddenly all the rage. If you become wolf, you become a predator! Brrrr, Roland

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