# The Vampire revolution...will it ever end?



## JMArray (Mar 4, 2011)

To be honest I am not a very big vampire fan. Yeah, credit to Twilight and what not for making it big. They are interesting stories, but it just seems that just because of that, a lot of authors are trying to get into the vampire bandwagon. Some even seem to be trying to get advantage of it....but my question is, will the vampire fever ever end? Now don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against authors that are focusing on vampires, some of them are actually very smart to do so, but I think Vampires, real ones, have been taken out of context. To me it feels like we could all of a sudden come up with a love story with a demon and suddenly demons are good people too...

This actually reminds me of what Don Quixote was to gentlemen books. For those of you who don't know, by the time Don Quixote came out, most novels were actually based on gentlemen. So Miguel de Cervantes released Don Quixote as a parody to this fever of books and thanks to that...the fever ended.

Will someone come up with the next Don Quixote but for vampires? 

What do you think? Do you mind the Vampire Fever? Or do you actually like it?


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## MrMiracle (Oct 28, 2010)

I'm still waiting for the robot trend to make its way back around.  It seems like the robot portion of the popularity cycle is always so short, though.


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## JMArray (Mar 4, 2011)

I agree man. I think the robot trend should definitely catch back up. Although to tell you the truth, it has always been around one way or another. It has been present in different areas, especially in Hollywood with Terminator...I-Robot...A.I. and what not.


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## peter darbyshire (Jan 22, 2011)

Now I'm considering the idea of Don Quixote as a vampire book....

One of my favourite writers, Derek McCormack, wrote a novel about a gay vampire tailor involved with country music star Hank Williams. It's certainly a different spin on ye olde vampire tales. Definitely not a sparkly vamp.

 The Haunted Hillbilly: A Novel (Soft Skull ShortLit)


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## JMArray (Mar 4, 2011)

peter darbyshire said:


> Now I'm considering the idea of Don Quixote as a vampire book....
> 
> One of my favourite writers, Derek McCormack, wrote a novel about a gay vampire tailor involved with country music star Hank Williams. It's certainly a different spin on ye olde vampire tales. Definitely not a sparkly vamp.
> 
> The Haunted Hillbilly: A Novel (Soft Skull ShortLit)


lol. Sounds interesting indeed.

I am starting to regret having mentioned the Don Quixote thing as a vampire book. Really am. someone is going to steal it now . Lol. Although I really don't have a concrete idea on how to go about it anyway.

But it would definitely be "the vampire book to end all vampire books...and movies...and tv shows."


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## Katie Salidas (Mar 21, 2010)

I'm not sure the vampire will ever disappear from the spotlight. They've been going strong for as long as I can remember. I've been avid vampire fan since I read my first vampire book in 91 (the Vampire Diaries series). Vampires have been a constant in both print and tv/movies, but as I think about it, they've always been geared more toward the adult crowd. There were the Tanya Huff books (turned into Blood Ties TV show). The Anne Rice books (2 of which were made into movies in the late 90's) Then there was the start of the Laurel K Hamilton series. The Lara Adrian series. The blood brothers series. Christine Feehan dominated romance with some 20-ish titles in her Carpathian series. Those are just a few off the top of my head. Beyond that there are the varios TV Shows like: Darkshadows, Moonlight, Kindred the embraced, Ultraviolet (BBC), Blood Ties,True Blood, Buffy the vampire slayer (and the movie too), & Angel. Don't forget about the campy 80's movies. There are too many to name. 

The Twilight series came out just in time to ride on the popularity the Harry Potter series created for YA. (Remember that's when everyone, both kids and adults, started to read YA). I like to call it the Twilight effect. I think this brought vampires into the new popular genra. Suddenly, we saw a whole new influx of YA vampires for voracious teenage readers (and adults too for some reason). The vampire, being consistently popular in the adult realm, was easily adapted for the slightly younger audiences of the new hot genre, and took over. Look at the majority of new vampire books, especially the really popular ones, 90% are YA Paranormal Romance. 

My biggest problem with the majority of today's vampire stories is that they are too nice and pretty. Vampires sparkle, vampires don't kill, vampires are unbelievably hot and perfect in every way.  They are no longer vampires to me. I'm not saying I want them all to be the old Gothic or Nosferatu style of monster, but I don't need a pretty and perfect vampire who goes to high school and doesn't drink blood. 

Give me a real vampire who's deadly. I want to see that flawed character working with his/her monstrous impulses. I want to see the underworld in modern society where the vampires remain a secret from their prey. Those are the stories that keep me coming back. 

Things work in cycles. Their popularity might die down some, but I doubt they will ever go away.


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

Been popular since 1897 and Bram Stoker.


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## Ben White (Feb 11, 2011)

Dear goodness but I hope so.


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## felicityheaton (Aug 31, 2010)

What you have to remember is that vampires have been popular for over 100 years. I've been reading vampire books since I was 6 and was reading kids books with vampires, werewolves, and even Frankenstein's monster in them. From there I progressed into the classics those kiddies tales were based on, and from there into various vampire romance series that started well over 10 years ago. I don't think vampires will ever die out (excuse the pun) but they will gradually fade from the limelight and be replaced by some other trend. 

Personally, I can't wait for this to happen because there's nothing I hate more than glitter-pen vampires who moan about their immortal existence and refuse to behave as their true nature / their myths dictate.

I'm one of the number of authors out there who write adult vampires, and I'm not talking about copious amounts of bedding. I write dark, gritty vampires who are true to themselves, embrace their power and that darkness, and don't flinch at their need for blood. They're deadly, unapologetic, and more often than not kill people in the course of the story. This is the vampire that I fell in love with as a child. The scary vampire who will feed on human blood and kill if they have to. Sure, they fall in love, but it's not always with mortals. More often than not, it's with other vampires, or werewolves (which I write equally as dark), or the occasional vampire hunter or witch.

You'd be surprised how many readers actually prefer their vampires with bite, rather than this sappy new generation of redemption-bent vampires who would rather flounce around bemoaning their existence. They want vampires with internal struggles and a beast within them, vampires with phenomenal power that live among us within their own societal structure but keep their world separate from ours.

And that's what I write, and what I get 5 star reviews for... giving readers the vampires they desire--dark, deadly, and sexy.

Oh, and I was writing vampires before Twilight ever got popular (I get grumpy when people think everyone writing vampires is only doing so because of Twilight--I've been writing vampires for 8 years now). And no, I've never read it, and never will. Sappy vampires turn my stomach 

Felicity


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## Malweth (Oct 18, 2009)

I just wish they'd stop bundling it in with Fantasy. It's either Horror or its own category.


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## dmburnett (Feb 4, 2011)

I think Vampires are here to stay.  They may wan in popularity some, but because there are so many possibilities when a Vampire is your main character, it's hard to run out of story ideas.


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## pdugan (Mar 18, 2011)

Isn't there a difference between "popular" and "extant"? Vampires have been around for a hundred years but I don't remember the 20th Century filled with vampire entertainment, definitely not current with the level of saturation we see now.

I'm not expert on vampire entertainment but more often than not in the past vampires were monsters, enemies, and now they are hormonally-charged teenagers. Or supermodels. Or book cover models. Or whatever.

I am tired of seeing teenage vampires coating the walls of every store I step in to.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

All these things cycle through. Something is hot for a while and then it wanes. Give it another two or three years.

It's like those old historical sagas--you rarely (if ever) see them anymore. Since the rise of the indie author, some of these genres that have faded may continue to stumble forward like zombies long after the genre itself has died, since there will be die-hard indie authors who continue to write them, but the massive "it's everywhere I look" aspect will go away.

A new genre or morphed genre will spin off and take its place. Public tastes are fickle.

I'm still waiting for gothics to come back. hehehe
And I have hopes that the current form of historical romances where the stress is on the hot & heavy bedroom scenes will fade with time and move either back to something more to my tastes or change into something that I like.

Gothics, for example, faded and disappeared. They made a minor uptick about a year ago and I had hopes that they were on the verge of returningj (even if it was in a slightly altered form), but alas, they soon faded away again. I'm still waiting for them to come back in some form. I'd also like those eerie paranormal mysteries such as those written by Barbara Michaels to return in some form. There are a few out there, notably by Kay Hooper, but I sure wish there were more.

So never fear. Things change. You just have to outlast them.


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## mscottwriter (Nov 5, 2010)

I'd kind of thought that Anne Rice had the genre all sewn up back in the 70's/80's with Interview with the Vampire and that series, but boy was I wrong!

Having said that, I'm not sure if the market is sick of vampires, but the agents and publishers sure seem to be, lol.


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## sbaum4853 (May 3, 2010)

I see lots of vampire novels being written and read for a long time to come. The intensity of the vampire craze will slow down over time, but as a subgenre, vampires are here to stay. For context, go to the fantasy shelf of your bookstore and ask yourself how many of those novels are still playing in the Lord of the Rings sandbox. LOTR kicked off a fervor for orcs, wizards, and dragons that is still strong many decades later. Sometimes these things take hold and just don't let go. 

The more interesting question is: What's next? I think we're just over the crest of the vampire wave, and are now in the thick of a paranormal romance tsunami. I wonder what's brewing out there now to be the next big thing? I'd put my money on some variant of Stieg Larsson knockoffs.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

As others have said, vampire novels have been around since Bram Stoker penned his excellent _Dracula_. As a kid in the '50's, I remember watching old (classic) b&w Dracula movies, and being scared silly. I've always found GOOD vampire books (quality of writing, NOT good, sweet, kind vampires) to be wonderful ways to escape. I think my attraction to the books has been based around the fact that they are fiction. I can let myself be scared beyond belief, yet there's a safety net because I know I'm not going to run into a real vampire anywhere. (It's a good thing I don't live near anyone who thinks he or she should have teeth filed and pretend to be a vampire. That would be extremely creepy. Actually, I have a couple of former students who veered off in that direction after h.s. graduation, but both have come back to reality and are productive adults.)

I have to admit that I've read all of Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight" books, primarily because I knew I'd see the movies and I wanted to know what some of my upper elementary students were reading. I simply can't get past the sparkly/twinkling vampires and the teen angst (although we know the vamps in question are many decades older than teens). Give me a vampire like Theron, one of David McAfee's vampires in his _33 A.D._, which was released last year, and who is as evil as a vampire should be. David's book restores my faith in new vampire fiction.

I also agree with those who say that vampire novels should be classified as horror, rather than fantasy. Therein lies the basic difference between the vampire books that I like and those that I can't sink my teeth into. (Sorry. Couldn't resist. To quote Flip Wilson as Geraldine, "The devil made me do it.")


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## bashfulreader (Jan 29, 2011)

Cindy416 said:


> ...I can let myself be scared beyond belief, yet there's a safety net because I know I'm not going to run into a real vampire anywhere...


I think that's exactly why I developed an interest in vampire books. I do read some books with more "realistic" crime and violence in them, but I find them much more disturbing. I can get scared by a vampire book and still sleep at night. I can't do that so well with a book about a serial killer.

I will confess that I actually enjoy both - the scary vampires and the sparkly ones. I'm not sure what that says about me, but what can I say? I'm afraid I'm probably one of the people the OP wishes would just go away. I do read all sorts of other genres... but every now and then, I have to get a vampire fix.

My obsession did start honestly, though - about 30 years ago, when I first read Bram Stoker's novel. I've re-read it several times, and will probably read it again. It started an interest that just never completely faded.

While I'm eager to see what becomes the next big fad in fiction, I have to say that I kind of hope vampires don't die.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Vampires are forever, so to speak.  

Their popularity waxes and wanes, but at any given time there's some interest in them. And sometimes a writer or two, or a movie, sends the interest into the stratosphere. The myths keep being reused and new myths are created. I mentioned on another thread how I had a definite vampire phase, aided by Anne Rice, and I've never completely lost the interest. 

I'd miss them if they went away -- but they never will.  

(Hey, I just noticed my status changed to George Orwell and what post number I very recently passed -- funny.)


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

bashfulreader said:


> I think that's exactly why I developed an interest in vampire books. I do read some books with more "realistic" crime and violence in them, but I find them much more disturbing. I can get scared by a vampire book and still sleep at night. I can't do that so well with a book about a serial killer.
> 
> I will confess that I actually enjoy both - the scary vampires and the sparkly ones. I'm not sure what that says about me, but what can I say? I'm afraid I'm probably one of the people the OP wishes would just go away. I do read all sorts of other genres... but every now and then, I have to get a vampire fix.
> 
> ...


Ok. Your last comment is as bad as mine. 

I understand what you're saying about both kinds of vampires. I probably should have said that I can enjoy the "Twilight" books, but I don't feel as if I've read a vampire book. (I just feel as if I took a quick trip via YA books.) I don't hate the "Twilight" books, so I'm probably among those that the OP had in mind, as well.

My vampire interest (aside from the movies) was started with _Dracula_, which remains one of my favorite books. It's very well-written, and I love the journal format. Have you read Elizabeth Kostova"s _The Historian_? I tried for months to get through it before I had my Kindle. (It's a large book, and not at all handy to take places, nor is it comfortable to hold for those of us with a touch of arthritis in our hands.) It's the first book that I read on my Kindle. (I need to re-read it since I picked up where I'd left off when I started reading it on my Kindle.) Also, have you read anything by David McAfee, one of our KB members? He has two vampire novels, _Saying Goodbye to the Sun_ and _33 A.D._, the latter being on of my favorite books in recent history. David's working on the sequel to _33 A.D._ now, and I am really looking forward to it. The premise of the book is very different than any that I'd read, and David crafted the story well.


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## Kathleen Valentine (Dec 10, 2009)

JMArray said:


> ... will the vampire fever ever end?
> What do you think? Do you mind the Vampire Fever? Or do you actually like it?


I absolutely do not get it! I've read a few of Anne Rice's books and the first Twilight book which I thought was mediocre. I don't get it.... I suppose there is some sort of thrill in the decadent, sexually-predatory, everlasting-life aspect of it but it is a total mystery to me.


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## L.J. Sellers novelist (Feb 28, 2010)

I read _Interview with a Vampire_ by Anne Rice when I was in high school and it was my first and only vampire book. I'd like to believe the genre is a passing trend, but I used to think that about rap music too...and it's still here 20 years later. I've even come to like some of it. 
L.J.


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## Kathleen Valentine (Dec 10, 2009)

Amy Corwin said:


> I'm still waiting for gothics to come back. .... Gothics, for example, faded and disappeared. They made a minor uptick about a year ago and I had hopes that they were on the verge of returningj (even if it was in a slightly altered form), but alas, they soon faded away again.


I'm quite drawn to gothics too and I am encouraged by some literary fiction writers who have created a sort of neo-gothic style that has contemporary settings but interwoven is a gothic sensibility that I love. One good example is A.S. Byatt's _Possession_. I thought that was one of the most mesmerizing books I ever read. The scene when they go in to the old mansion and find Cristobel's dolls had chills running down my spine. I'd love to see more books like that being written.


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## Vivi_Anna (Feb 12, 2011)

Vampire books will always be around.

It's cyclic.  Anne Rice was big in her day

the late 90's are full of vampires in bnooks, tv, movies

Now speed up to 2007 and Twilight made it explode.  Now there's True Blood on TV and Vampire Diaries, there was Moonlight and Blood Ties.  Tons of movies.

It'll die down a bit for the next 5 years, then it'll explode again with something the same but different.

That's how it is with all genres in publishing.

I love vampire books, I write them, but honestly I would love to see them go back to being villians and not the heroes anti-heroes that they've been made into.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Vivi_Anna said:


> Vampire books will always be around.
> 
> It's cyclic. Anne Rice was big in her day
> 
> ...


For the record, I loved "Moonlight." There are a lot of vampire books that I haven't read (most of the Anne Rice ones), as I'm pretty selective. The ones that I've enjoyed have been great. I'll have to look at some of your books, Vivi.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Amy Corwin said:


> Gothics, for example, faded and disappeared. They made a minor uptick about a year ago and I had hopes that they were on the verge of returningj (even if it was in a slightly altered form), but alas, they soon faded away again. I'm still waiting for them to come back in some form. I'd also like those eerie paranormal mysteries such as those written by Barbara Michaels to return in some form. There are a few out there, notably by Kay Hooper, but I sure wish there were more.


Barbara Michaels was one of my first favorite authors and I cannot begin to tell you the remaining love I have for her, even though her work as Elizabeth Peter's never worked for me in the same way.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

pdugan said:


> Isn't there a difference between "popular" and "extant"? Vampires have been around for a hundred years but I don't remember the 20th Century filled with vampire entertainment, definitely not current with the level of saturation we see now.
> 
> I'm not expert on vampire entertainment but more often than not in the past vampires were monsters, enemies, and now they are hormonally-charged teenagers. Or supermodels. Or book cover models. Or whatever.
> 
> I am tired of seeing teenage vampires coating the walls of every store I step in to.


I agree, just because the genre has been around for a while doesn't mean it was always so mainstream, especially with teenagers. Tudor and other royalty fiction is the same way - it's always been around but at the moment it's particularly trendy. I'm loving the historical royalty fiction, not the vampires. What annoys me is when they cross over and you find Anne Boleyn as a vampire.... ugh, really?


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

history_lover said:


> I agree, just because the genre has been around for a while doesn't mean it was always so mainstream, especially with teenagers. Tudor and other royalty fiction is the same way - it's always been around but at the moment it's particularly trendy. I'm loving the historical royalty fiction, not the vampires. What annoys me is when they cross over and you find Anne Boleyn as a vampire.... ugh, really?


If Henry's advisers could have gotten away with it, they totally would have accused her. "She's a witchy trollop who sleeps with her brother and drinks the blood of children."


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## bashfulreader (Jan 29, 2011)

Cindy416 said:


> My vampire interest (aside from the movies) was started with _Dracula_, which remains one of my favorite books. It's very well-written, and I love the journal format. Have you read Elizabeth Kostova"s _The Historian_? I tried for months to get through it before I had my Kindle. (It's a large book, and not at all handy to take places, nor is it comfortable to hold for those of us with a touch of arthritis in our hands.) It's the first book that I read on my Kindle. (I need to re-read it since I picked up where I'd left off when I started reading it on my Kindle.) Also, have you read anything by David McAfee, one of our KB members? He has two vampire novels, _Saying Goodbye to the Sun_ and _33 A.D._, the latter being on of my favorite books in recent history. David's working on the sequel to _33 A.D._ now, and I am really looking forward to it. The premise of the book is very different than any that I'd read, and David crafted the story well.


No, I haven't read those yet, but they've been on my "to read" list. Your post just pushed them up my list quite a bit. Thanks for enabling.


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## JMArray (Mar 4, 2011)

That's actually my point though. I know Vampires have been around since Dracula, but those are REAL vampires. It is impossible for vampires to ever end, quite literally, but what I am wondering is if we will ever see a come back (a mainstream comeback) of real vampires instead of the pussy ones we are currently getting.

Then again makes you wonder...if the history was different, if the first vampires that were ever made were the ones from Twilight and such, would we be this pissed with vampires like Dracula and such? 

(And by the way, I never meant to say that everyone that writes about vampires are doing so because of Twilight and such, that is obviously ridiculous on my part if thought that. But I meant that some people are actually writing about that because of Twilight and they are using the same kind of vampires...the pussy ones)


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

JMArray said:


> That's actually my point though. I know Vampires have been around since Dracula, but those are REAL vampires. It is impossible for vampires to ever end, quite literally, but what I am wondering is if we will ever see a come back (a mainstream comeback) of real vampires instead of the pussy ones we are currently getting.
> 
> Then again makes you wonder...if the history was different, if the first vampires that were ever made were the ones from Twilight and such, would we be this p*ssed with vampires like Dracula and such?
> 
> (And by the way, I never meant to say that everyone that writes about vampires are doing so because of Twilight and such, that is obviously ridiculous on my part if thought that. But I meant that some people are actually writing about that because of Twilight and they are using the same kind of vampires...the pussy ones)


Next to the real life inspiration for Dracula, Vlad the Impaler, ANY vampire looks like a "pussy".


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## markbeyer (Jan 9, 2011)

I certainly hope so. Few are written well. The plots are trite. The characters are vapid. 

Vampire books should have been struck through the heart with a stake even as Anne Rice was writing them. 

Ugh!! Time to wear some garlic necklaces, already.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

MichelleR said:


> Barbara Michaels was one of my first favorite authors and I cannot begin to tell you the remaining love I have for her, even though her work as Elizabeth Peter's never worked for me in the same way.


I bought a whole stack of Barbara Michael's paperbacks at the used book store and take one with me whenever I travel. I find them a soothing, interesting read with a gothic edge and enough mystery to keep me turning the pages.

I don't mind vampires as love interests. However, if an author is going to use a vampire as a viable love interest, he better have something more going for him than his vampiric nature. Sometimes in books with paranormal or magical elements, I feel that authors slap a label like "vampire" or "werewolf" on a character and expect that will make a character interesting. It doesn't. Authors can't just assign traits wily-nily to characters and expect them to be anything more than glossy cardboard. It takes more than connect-a-plot to transform a fictional character into a "real" someone with heart and soul (I realize vampires don't have souls in most of the lore, but you know what I mean).


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## Patrick Skelton (Jan 7, 2011)

I hope so!


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## SEAN H. ROBERTSON (Mar 14, 2011)

JMArray said:


> To be honest I am not a very big vampire fan. Yeah, credit to Twilight and what not for making it big. They are interesting stories, but it just seems that just because of that, a lot of authors are trying to get into the vampire bandwagon. Some even seem to be trying to get advantage of it....but my question is, will the vampire fever ever end? Now don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against authors that are focusing on vampires, some of them are actually very smart to do so, but I think Vampires, real ones, have been taken out of context. To me it feels like we could all of a sudden come up with a love story with a demon and suddenly demons are good people too...
> 
> This actually reminds me of what Don Quixote was to gentlemen books. For those of you who don't know, by the time Don Quixote came out, most novels were actually based on gentlemen. So Miguel de Cervantes released Don Quixote as a parody to this fever of books and thanks to that...the fever ended.
> 
> ...


Honestly, without bias (I'm an Author of a Vampire novella series), I truly don't think the Vampire revolution will ever end. Will it tamper down a bit? Quite possibly. But, with the advent of Twilight, True Blood, Underworld, Vampire Diaries & now 'The Cries Of Vampira' a true audience for this creature has been strengthened worldwide. After Twilight, I think the genre will go DARKER...in part because of the backlash that is already coming against so-called 'Emo Vampires'. My series is on the darker side, because that's the way I write, so I believe my series is ahead of the wave against more 'love/romance' type Vampire books, although I personally have nothing against those type of books/authors in any way.


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

Yes, knowing Murphy's law, it'll end precisely as we release our Vampire book, it's just the way it works (It'll all move to Zombies... and when we release our Zombie book it'll move to Werewolves or Leprechauns)


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

As a reading teacher, I have to say that I want to see kids reading and if they want to read sparkly vampire novels, it's ok with me. I hope they find some good novels to read after awhile, but at least it's a start toward accomizhing the goal of becoming a lifelong reader.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Vampires will never go away. They are, after all, immortal!

But seriously, vampires are a lot like superheroes (which are also really popular now) in that they have super powers, and anyone can become a vampire/superhero, so it feeds into that power fantasy. Plus, media has been glamorizing and romancing the vampire as uber-sexy, so they're actually more attractive than superheroes.

In fact, I've been seeing more stories about vampire societies and vampire wars, taking the vampire mystique and applying it to the classic mechanics of superhero storylines.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Cindy416 said:


> As a reading teacher, I have to say that I want to see kids reading and if they want to read sparkly vampire novels, it's ok with me. I hope they find some good novels to read after awhile, but at least it's a start toward accomizhing the goal of becoming a lifelong reader.


This is a great point. I read a lot of things when I was a teenager (Sweet Valley High) that haven't stuck with me because the books were sheer entertainment for teenagers. With all the heavy stuff they have to read for school, kids need fun reading too if they're going to grow up and love reading as adults.


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## brianrowe (Mar 10, 2011)

Haha, yeah, the Vampire craze seems to be never-ending... I've actually had a Vampire book idea in my head for a few years now, but it's not a romantic teen romp... I want to write something where vampires are actually TERRIFYING again... blood-thirsty, evil, and raw!!


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## JMArray (Mar 4, 2011)

Cindy416 said:


> As a reading teacher, I have to say that I want to see kids reading and if they want to read sparkly vampire novels, it's ok with me. I hope they find some good novels to read after awhile, but at least it's a start toward accomizhing the goal of becoming a lifelong reader.


I agree. That is a good point. But I doubt most boys will be interested in that. Will girls be interested in reading them? Probably. I am sure some of them won't.

To me though, it sometimes seems like an insult to the vampire legacy to make them this way. That's just my opinion though.


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## kCopeseeley (Mar 15, 2011)

I had to laugh when I read the starting post.  Man, am I on board with you!  I actually feel like rating a book LOWER on goodreads because I feel like going the vampire route is less imaginative now.
I'm sick of vampires.  I admit it!  (waiting for Twilight fans to come out of the woodwork and stone me)

I'd like to see westerns come back.  I was hoping, with that great movie that they would be, but I haven't seen anything yet.  I love the stories of the pioneers and the gold rush.


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## JMArray (Mar 4, 2011)

kCopeseeley said:


> I had to laugh when I read the starting post. Man, am I on board with you! I actually feel like rating a book LOWER on goodreads because I feel like going the vampire route is less imaginative now.
> I'm sick of vampires. I admit it! (waiting for Twilight fans to come out of the woodwork and stone me)
> 
> I'd like to see westerns come back. I was hoping, with that great movie that they would be, but I haven't seen anything yet. I love the stories of the pioneers and the gold rush.


I agree!

Now I am not a big fan of westerns myself (sorry ) but yeah I would like to see another trend to come back, either that...or something completely new. That would be better if you ask me. Of course, after a few years we will see another post like this one, asking when THAT trend will end. It is all a cycle I guess.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

kCopeseeley said:


> I had to laugh when I read the starting post. Man, am I on board with you! I actually feel like rating a book LOWER on goodreads because I feel like going the vampire route is less imaginative now.
> I'm sick of vampires. I admit it! (waiting for Twilight fans to come out of the woodwork and stone me)
> 
> I'd like to see westerns come back. I was hoping, with that great movie that they would be, but I haven't seen anything yet. I love the stories of the pioneers and the gold rush.


I'd rather read just about anything than a western. I've read my share of them, but they don't appeal to me. I'd hate it if they disappeared completely, though.

One of the interesting things about this thread, in my opinion, is that I have a feeling quite a few posters would be happy to see the vampire books disappear. Why? If people don't want to read them, they certainly don't have to. I am of the opinion that the more books that are written, the more books that people in general will read. There can't be anything bad about that, can there (unless people who are mentally deranged or at least "off plumb" actually thing that they are vampires)?


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## Les Turner (Mar 13, 2011)

JMArray said:


> but I think Vampires, real ones, have been taken out of context.


Real vampires? THERE'S REAL VAMPIRES!!!!!!!!! 

Seriously though, I do agree. I am really over the whole 'Sexy vampire who feels for humans' wave that is happening in books/tv/film.


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## JMArray (Mar 4, 2011)

Lester said:


> Real vampires? THERE'S REAL VAMPIRES!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Seriously though, I do agree. I am really over the whole 'Sexy vampire who feels for humans' wave that is happening in books/tv/film.


Lol. Yeah. I think I kinda missphrased that...or did I?


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## theaatkinson (Sep 22, 2010)

Ben White said:


> Dear goodness but I hope so.


yes. please. I hate to admit to being the biggest vampfan going, but seriously, I'm finding the glut too much even for this gal. It would be ok, I think, if so many weren't trying to be the next Twilight. read the series. Honestly, hated it. sorry, Twilight fans. Give me Anne Rice or Bram Stoker. or. gasp. Buffy. Love that Spike


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## MrLuke (Mar 20, 2011)

I gotta admit I do love the whole vampire genre and all. But what I don't like much is what Twilight has done to vampires. They should burn not sparkle!! Sexy and alluring not angsty and moping!! ahem.
Although I have always liked the character of Bill in True Blood. Even though he tries to retain some humanity, he also isn't afraid to BE a vampire when the occasion calls. To me, this kind of "good" vampire thing found a more believable balance.

I had a vampire story noted down for a while now on my "to write" list, but its definitely more about getting vampires back to how they should be - scary blood-thirsty killers. One day I'll write it, probably when the trend has passed knowing the way things go..


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## JMArray (Mar 4, 2011)

MrLuke said:


> I gotta admit I do love the whole vampire genre and all. But what I don't like much is what Twilight has done to vampires. They should burn not sparkle!! Sexy and alluring not angsty and moping!! ahem.
> Although I have always liked the character of Bill in True Blood. Even though he tries to retain some humanity, he also isn't afraid to BE a vampire when the occasion calls. To me, this kind of "good" vampire thing found a more believable balance.
> 
> I had a vampire story noted down for a while now on my "to write" list, but its definitely more about getting vampires back to how they should be - scary blood-thirsty killers. One day I'll write it, probably when the trend has passed knowing the way things go..


Maybe you should write it now. The topic is hot, and if it is a new kind of vampire, or at least the original kind, then that is what I think the vampire genre (can we call it a genre already? lol) needs.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Cindy416 said:


> I'd rather read just about anything than a western. I've read my share of them, but they don't appeal to me. I'd hate it if they disappeared completely, though.


I'm still a fan of westerns. I like the fact that every few years Hollywood remembers the genre and puts out a good film western.

It seems they're trying to bring werewolves back with The Wolfman and Red Riding Hood. I'm sure you can turn a bloodthirsty wolf into an angsty, sexy teenager though, right?


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Joseph Robert Lewis said:


> I'm still a fan of westerns. I like the fact that every few years Hollywood remembers the genre and puts out a good film western.
> 
> It seems they're trying to bring werewolves back with The Wolfman and Red Riding Hood. I'm sure you can turn a bloodthirsty wolf into an angsty, sexy teenager though, right?


I may have sounded a bit too harsh about the western genre. I don't hate it, but I have read enough books in that genre that I'm not going to be looking for new ones for awhile. (Watch. Now that I've said that, someone will come up with a fantastic western that I have to read!) 

As for the werewolves and Red Riding Hood, you're probably right. My preferred horrific characters will probably always be vampires, provided that they're not angsty and sparkly.


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## VHopkins_Author (Sep 15, 2010)

I think it has its ebbs and flows.  Since Stephanie Meyer spilled the blood, it seems the lust for it hasn't stopped since then.  Everyone has jumped on the vein and taken off, with their own blood-sucking characters.  Of course, for us women who'd rather be dragged down to the lair with a masked half-face man, it puts a cramp in our popularity.  I keep hoping too the Gothic guys of the dark in their black capes make a resurgence, but I'm just drawn two those kind of bad-boys.  The thought of sharp teeth in my neck and my blood being sucked does nothing for me.  Personal preference.

It will be interesting to see what's next.


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## Katie Salidas (Mar 21, 2010)

Joseph Robert Lewis said:


> Vampires will never go away. They are, after all, immortal!
> 
> But seriously, vampires are a lot like superheroes (which are also really popular now) in that they have super powers, and anyone can become a vampire/superhero, so it feeds into that power fantasy. Plus, media has been glamorizing and romancing the vampire as uber-sexy, so they're actually more attractive than superheroes.
> 
> In fact, I've been seeing more stories about vampire societies and vampire wars, taking the vampire mystique and applying it to the classic mechanics of superhero storylines.


I really like this analogy and had never considered it before. You're right though they do have a very superhero-like quality and that is something that draws people to it. They want to experience the fantasy of becoming one with the character.

My only problem with the current trend of vampires is that they are too "good." Not to say they all have to be criminal masterminds, but without the basic need to hunt and kill to survive, they've been neutered in a way. With the Sookie Stackhouse series, they have bottled blood. Other series allow them to use blood banks. Twilight gave use vegetarian vampires. They've lost the "deadly" part of their personality.


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## MrLuke (Mar 20, 2011)

JMArray said:


> Maybe you should write it now. The topic is hot, and if it is a new kind of vampire, or at least the original kind, then that is what I think the vampire genre (can we call it a genre already? lol) needs.


Yes I was thinking I might have to bump it to the top of my list to write! And there definitely isn't anything sparkly about this idea - very much blood, gore and things that go bump in the night.


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

I liked vampires when they were the bad guys. "Salem's Lot" and "Near Dark" kinda stuff. I can see the attraction for writers and readers, there is a lot of preconception and easy story hooks awaiting and yet the genre is loose enough that you can put your own spin on it so as to seem fresh. But rarely have I read a story (or seen a film) where the vampire character was particularly realistic in its motivations and personality. They are stereotypes and villianous foils and should remain that way. Even Buffy/Angel, probably the longest running continuous vampire lore out there in recent memory, did little to flesh out Angel as a real character. As Angel he was broody tough guy, as Angelus he was scenery chewing bad guy.

I'm pretty burnt out on vamps in fiction. Seeing a story about vamps is a good excuse to read something else, really. I still watch some vamp shows on TV, but the vamp character is usually the least interesting one (refering to the "Being Human" shows).


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2011)

I hate vampires that sparkle like diamonds...


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## Renee Adams (Mar 14, 2011)

Thundergeoff said:


> I hate vampires that sparkle like diamonds...


I love vampire stories, but yes: Vampires. Do. Not. Sparkle.

What I love about vampire stories is the idea of falling in love with or having a friendship with your food. It's something tough to work through, almost like a Romeo and Juliet story where Romeo grew fangs and wants to suck Juliet's blood. But I don't think there's anything romantic about an overgrown leech chomping down on someone's throat and slurping up their blood. What's romantic is the vampire fighting against that, and they don't need to sparkle to achieve that.

The fad will end at some point, but die-hard vampire fans will always be around.


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## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

I've been a vampire fan since I was first exposed to Dark Shadows as a 6yr old.  That was when it was in reruns in the early 1970s, and I'm still a fan.  No, I don't think it will ever end.  It will fall out of fashion again, does that make you feel better?

Dawn


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Dawn McCullough White said:


> I've been a vampire fan since I was first exposed to Dark Shadows as a 6yr old. That was when it was in reruns in the early 1970s, and I'm still a fan. No, I don't think it will ever end. It will fall out of fashion again, does that make you feel better?
> 
> Dawn


I loved "Dark Shadows." There was something about Jonathan Frid (I think) as Barnabus that was really interesting. I was born in 1950, so I watched the show sometime in the '60's.


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## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

Cindy416 said:


> I loved "Dark Shadows." There was something about Jonathan Frid (I think) as Barnabus that was really interesting. I was born in 1950, so I watched the show sometime in the '60's.


I'd have to say Rev. Trask was my fav! I loved that first storyline where they went back in time to the Salem witch trials. Did you see that Johnny Depp is starring in a new version?

Dawn


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Dawn McCullough White said:


> I'd have to say Rev. Trask was my fav! I loved that first storyline where they went back in time to the Salem witch trials. Did you see that Johnny Depp is starring in a new version?
> 
> Dawn


I'd forgotten about Rev. Trask. Several of the cast members in the original series went on to do quite a bit of other acting.

When is a new "Dark Shadows" coming out? Is it for tv or is it a movie?


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I have to laugh at the, but real vampires don't sparkle comments and how vampires are suppose to be this and that. Says who?

Unless there are real human form vampires on this planted, its all fantasy, so anything goes. Just because an early book on a genre did this or that, doesn't mean later version can't do something else. 

Do those rules apply to other genre's too I wonder? That wouldn't leave a lot of imagination to work with for writers then. 

And wasn't it just the Twilight series that has sparkly vampires? I read some vampire stuff, but I don't usually read YA, which to me Twilight is. So its in its own category completely. I did read Twilight, and the next 2, couldn't finish the 4th book though. The first one was like cheap but addicting candy, for a while I pretended to be 13 again.  . 
As an adult I can't relate to whiny teenagers so I don't like YA much. But I wouldn't use just that series as a measure of whats out there right now as far as the genre. 

Are there other genre's or subgenres people want to end? I haven't seen anything. Seems like there are preconceived notions for some about how exactly something should be written and no other way. Now that would be boring. 

Just curious why this subgenre creates such strong emotions.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Atunah said:


> I have to laugh at the, but real vampires don't sparkle comments and how vampires are suppose to be this and that. Says who?
> 
> Unless there are real human form vampires on this planted, its all fantasy, so anything goes. Just because an early book on a genre did this or that, doesn't mean later version can't do something else.
> 
> ...


The way that I look at the subject, there is a pre-defined set of characteristics relating to vampires because they can be traced back through many centuries' worth of folklore. There's also the tie-in with Vlad Tepes (a.k.a. Vlad the Impaler). You can rest assured that NONE of those vampires sparkled or were full of teen angst. Maybe the sparkly vampires help to soften the tales told about them, especially when keeping the YA readers in mind. Who knows for sure?

I am a bit surprised by the strong emotions displayed by some who want the subgenre to end. As far as I'm concerned, if someone doesn't like it, they won't read it. Why they would want to prevent others from finding new books on the subject is beyond me. (Maybe the detractors are tired of seeing movie posters and book covers with fangs dripping with blood.) The only real problem I see with the subject occurs when young, impressionable, and/or misguided people take it all too seriously. That's a different problem altogether anyway.


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## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

Cindy416 said:


> I'd forgotten about Rev. Trask. Several of the cast members in the original series went on to do quite a bit of other acting.
> 
> When is a new "Dark Shadows" coming out? Is it for tv or is it a movie?


A movie. Looks like it will be out in 2012. (Sorry to hijack the thread)

Dawn


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Atunah said:


> I have to laugh at the, but real vampires don't sparkle comments and how vampires are suppose to be this and that. Says who?


You make excellent points here. I think it's very human to think your first exposure to something is the best. If Dracula was your first vampire and resonated more deeply for you than the Twilight saga, if you don't analyze the why, Dracula will be the gold standard and anyone not producing that gets it wrong. Forget that the reasons people like Drac is different than the reason teens will gravitate to Bella and Edward, which also hits on idealized first love.

You're right that the vampire myth is continually reinvented. I can understand the people who were weaned on what we see as the more traditional tales seeing the newer stuff breaking all the supposed rules and judging that lesser or cheating though, rather than accepting that the reason people like vamps adapts for different eras and generations.


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## JMArray (Mar 4, 2011)

Atunah said:


> I have to laugh at the, but real vampires don't sparkle comments and how vampires are suppose to be this and that. Says who?
> 
> Unless there are real human form vampires on this planted, its all fantasy, so anything goes. Just because an early book on a genre did this or that, doesn't mean later version can't do something else.
> 
> ...


Perhaps I came about it a little wrong. I don't HATE them, I just find it kind of insulting to some degree. I don't mind that people read them and that people like them. But the problem is that it is not really a subgenre anymore, it is taking over the original genre, and to me that shouldn't really happen.

Someone came up with the idea of vampires, and he/she gave them the characteristics he/she saw fit. He is the creator (assuming they don't exist ) of such creatures and to me the characteristics should be respected. Yeah perhaps a few books here and there, but taking over? Doesn't seem right.

To me it is like writing a superman book, where superman is actually a evil son of a B. He is the biggest villain in town, he rapes women, he steals banks, and a lot of other stuff that are actually the contrary of what superman actually is.

That's my view on it.


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## sixnsolid (Mar 13, 2009)

I have tremendous love for vampire stories.  I find the more "civilized" vampires to be very pleasurable to read as their stories tend to give more of a window in to their characters, something the "just a bloodsucking monster" stories can lack.  I think that was the secret behind the success of Anne Rice and her Vampire Chronicles.  She breathed minute detail and very complex emotion into an already beloved subject character.
I am still hopeful she may revisit the Chronicles one day.

I think vampire stories will always be around in some form or another, and am sort of glad about that


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## Iwritelotsofbooks (Nov 17, 2010)

As a writer of a vampire book, I hope the revolution doesn't end soon.  But coming in with the market so saturated, you have to find a new take on old fangs.  

But like all trends, it will die down at some point, then you'll see a revival a decade later.  Kind of like 80's fashion trends coming back after the grunge of the 90's.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

I think I prefer werewolves. They're like a cross between the Incredible Hulk and The Shaggy Dog.


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## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

How's about vampire werewolf zombies? That is, a vampire that was bitten by a werewolf, which then got bit by a zombie. Its a trifecta!


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## Iwritelotsofbooks (Nov 17, 2010)

Zackery Arbela said:


> How's about vampire werewolf zombies? That is, a vampire that was bitten by a werewolf, which then got bit by a zombie. Its a trifecta!


The problem is, zombies aren't sexy. And, the current trend is to sell vampires to women as sex objects.


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

I say hooray for sparkly vampires and hooray for doctor vampires and unapologetically evil vampires and dark broody sexy vampires and counting vampires. There's room in fiction for all kinds. Read what you love and ignore what you don't.

What a boring world it would be if all vampires were like Dracula and all wizards were like Merlin and all lawyers were like Atticus Finch.. okay, wait a minute... 

_Vive la difference!_


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## JMArray (Mar 4, 2011)

Monique said:


> I say hooray for sparkly vampires and hooray for doctor vampires and unapologetically evil vampires and dark broody sexy vampires and counting vampires. There's room in fiction for all kinds. Read what you love and ignore what you don't.
> 
> What a boring world it would be if all vampires were like Dracula and all wizards were like Merlin and all lawyers were like Atticus Finch.. okay, wait a minute...
> 
> _Vive la difference!_


I do agree there .


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Monique said:


> I say hooray for sparkly vampires and hooray for doctor vampires and unapologetically evil vampires and dark broody sexy vampires and counting vampires. There's room in fiction for all kinds. Read what you love and ignore what you don't.
> 
> What a boring world it would be if all vampires were like Dracula and all wizards were like Merlin and all lawyers were like Atticus Finch.. okay, wait a minute...
> 
> _Vive la difference!_


I LOVE the reference to "counting vampires!"


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## Les Turner (Mar 13, 2011)

Atunah said:


> I have to laugh at the, but real vampires don't sparkle comments and how vampires are suppose to be this and that. Says who?
> 
> Unless there are real human form vampires on this planted, its all fantasy, so anything goes. Just because an early book on a genre did this or that, doesn't mean later version can't do something else.
> 
> ...


I'd argue differently. Sure there are no such things as Zombies. But everyone, EVERYONE, knows they eat brains. So imagine someone comes along and says that Zombies don't eat brains, they eat spaghetti andhave awesomely sculpted hair. And then this perception catches on with the next generation of kids. All of a sudden they all think that Zombies eat spaghetti. And that's just ridiculous. Ridiculous!

So even though Vampires are fantasy, there are certain rules that still must be adhered to.


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## Katie Salidas (Mar 21, 2010)

Monique said:


> I say hooray for sparkly vampires and hooray for doctor vampires and unapologetically evil vampires and dark broody sexy vampires and counting vampires. There's room in fiction for all kinds. Read what you love and ignore what you don't.
> 
> What a boring world it would be if all vampires were like Dracula and all wizards were like Merlin and all lawyers were like Atticus Finch.. okay, wait a minute...
> 
> _Vive la difference!_


Well said Monique!! Whether you like it or not, there is plenty of room for all of the unique interpretations. While I don't care for sparkling pretty boys, someone else does, so why begrudge them the opportunity. Vive la difference. 

And that is why they will never die. They will continue to be reinvented.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Les Turner said:


> I'd argue differently. Sure there are no such things as Zombies. But everyone, EVERYONE, knows they eat brains. So imagine someone comes along and says that Zombies don't eat brains, they eat spaghetti andhave awesomely sculpted hair. And then this perception catches on with the next generation of kids. All of a sudden they all think that Zombies eat spaghetti. And that's just ridiculous. Ridiculous!
> 
> So even though Vampires are fantasy, there are certain rules that still must be adhered to.


Are there a lot of vampire novels out there where the vampires don't consume blood in some way? The zombie eats brain, I'll take your word on that  and vampires eat/drink blood. Even the sparkly ones still consumed blood. Not all did human blood as far as I can remember, but still blood. And they have fangs. So the rules haven't really changed in that regard. Same with daylight and sun.


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## RChaffee (Mar 3, 2011)

There are a lot of comments on here about how these things are cyclic, and that's certainly true, but what I've been watching is the evolution of vampires. When Bram Stoker dropped his version of vampires on the world, the myth was little more than monsters in the night. What Bram did, was evolve that monster into a walking, talking property owning, lord of the night. If vampires stopped evolving there, their popularity would probably have faded long ago, but vampires naturally evolve with the populations they inhabit, until today, in our teen driven economy, the vampires are hunky teens. People will always be able to relate to vampires as long as vampires remain of the people. 

I suspect, that should the hogs on the farm kill us all, and take over the world, our inheritors will pass the time by reading novels about blood sucking pigs, who's tortured souls are damned for all eternity to feed on their brethren in the night.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Les Turner said:


> I'd argue differently. Sure there are no such things as Zombies. But everyone, EVERYONE, knows they eat brains. So imagine someone comes along and says that Zombies don't eat brains, they eat spaghetti andhave awesomely sculpted hair. And then this perception catches on with the next generation of kids. All of a sudden they all think that Zombies eat spaghetti. And that's just ridiculous. Ridiculous!
> 
> So even though Vampires are fantasy, there are certain rules that still must be adhered to.


Ah, but zombies eat brains like vampires drink -- or at least want to drink -- blood, and the liking the O-neg doesn't change. I think the most common zombie myth is more about wanting to eat flesh than brains though. I mean, we all know, "braaaaains, braaains," but I don't think one just chomping on flesh in general plays havoc with anything and the brains thing comes from only a few sources. Zombies, first and foremost, are the walking dead and can actually still be scary with a can of open Chef Boyardee if the author's focus is voodoo.

My point is that I'm not sure zombie diet is as big of a deal as a decaying body wandering around, er, decaying. The heart of vampire myth is as much immortality as it is the blood, but no one is challenging the blood, even with all the reinvention.

(Sometimes the absurdity of the things I feel compelled to type overwhelms me. The things I as an adult woman find myself discussing.)

I could have also just waited a few minutes for Athunah to post, agreed, and saved myself typing: 



Atunah said:


> Are there a lot of vampire novels out there where the vampires don't consume blood in some way? The zombie eats brain, I'll take your word on that  and vampires eat/drink blood. Even the sparkly ones still consumed blood. Not all did human blood as far as I can remember, but still blood. And they have fangs. So the rules haven't really changed in that regard. Same with daylight and sun.


Although some vampires are cool with the daylight these days, as was Dracula.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

tkkenyon said:


> Read _You Suck_ by Chris Moore first. It's funny as hell, and so that you won't repeat what he did. It's hysterical, but it can be improved upon.
> 
> TK Kenyon


You Suck is actually the second in the series:
  

I think authors can and do improve on things, but Abby Normal is hard to improve upon, imo.


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## lstrange (May 21, 2010)

I personally LOVE vampire stories - both reading and writing them. Popularity may wan and change, but they'll never be gone.


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

lstrange said:


> I personally LOVE vampire stories - both reading and writing them. Popularity may wan and change, but they'll never be gone.


Hi Liz!


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## AlexSeverin (Feb 14, 2011)

<<The Vampire revolution...will it ever end?>>

Ha! Of course not!

Twilight didn't popularize vampires. It just made them overexposed, and with that sort of ubiquitousness, the backlash is never far behind.

Vampires are forever. So nuh!



~Alex.


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## RhondaRN (Dec 27, 2009)

I'm strange I know, but the only thing I've experienced pertaining to vampires is when Dark Shadows used to come on at 4pm when I got off the school bus every day!    (telling my age here and I bet no one here remembers it).  I think I remember correctly that Barnabus Collins was a vampire and Angelique was a witch.  What a great show!!  Kinda like a soap opera, except with spooky characters. I've never read one single vampire book.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

RhondaRN said:


> I'm strange I know, but the only thing I've experienced pertaining to vampires is when Dark Shadows used to come on at 4pm when I got off the school bus every day!  (telling my age here and I bet no one here remembers it). I think I remember correctly that Barnabus Collins was a vampire and Angelique was a witch. What a great show!! Kinda like a soap opera, except with spooky characters. I've never read one single vampire book.


Ah, another _Dark Shadows _ fan! I love that crazy show--I actually have the first few seasons on DVD. Barnabas is so tormented--I love it. I named a blackish-purplish koi I had once for Barnabas. Stephen King wrote in _Danse Macabre _ that _Dark Shadows _ was a sure gig for an actor as there was lots of job security--if the character you played died, you always came back the next week as a ghost or vampire. Great gothic fun.

I wonder if some of the current obsession with "nice" vampires has to do with our cultural obsession with youth. After all, depending when they're turned, vampires are forever young and beautiful. Slap on some niceness and "vegetarian" ways, and you have the perfect, forever young boyfriend. I still get the giggles when I think about that opening scene in _New Moon _ the movie when Bella is the field of purple flowers and thinks she sees her grandmother only to discover with great horror that it's her as an old woman. Come on, honey, getting older isn't that bad. If you can't tell, I'm team Jacob until he goes weird in the 4th book. Of course, all of them go weird in the 4th book. I better not get started . . .


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## RhondaRN (Dec 27, 2009)

purplepen79 said:


> Ah, another _Dark Shadows _ fan! I love that crazy show--I actually have the first few seasons on DVD. Barnabas is so tormented--I love it. I named a blackish-purplish koi I had once for Barnabas. Stephen King wrote in _Danse Macabre _ that _Dark Shadows _ was a sure gig for an actor as there was lots of job security--if the character you played died, you always came back the next week as a ghost or vampire. Great gothic fun.
> 
> I wonder if some of the current obsession with "nice" vampires has to do with our cultural obsession with youth. After all, depending when they're turned, vampires are forever young and beautiful. Slap on some niceness and "vegetarian" ways, and you have the perfect, forever young boyfriend. I still get the giggles when I think about that opening scene in _New Moon _ the movie when Bella is the field of purple flowers and thinks she sees her grandmother only to discover with great horror that it's her as an old woman. Come on, honey, getting older isn't that bad. If you can't tell, I'm team Jacob until he goes weird in the 4th book. Of course, all of them go weird in the 4th book. I better not get started . . .


Gosh, I didn't realize they have it on DVD!!! Think I'll go check on that! b Thanks!! (


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## joanhallhovey (Nov 7, 2010)

No. It will never end.  Those 'suckers' live forever. -

Seriously, I loved the old vampire books and movies, and Salem's Lot's right up there. I don't think it's that there are so many - because there are droves of other kinds of books - it's because so many of the new batch are lesser novels than they should be.   There is such richness in Bram Stoker's work.  And Stephen King's.  You are there; you believe it.  The sensory detail, the description is almost tactile.
At least that's my take.

I think this is wonderful, still gives me chills.

DRACULA

***
By-and-by, however, as I was curious to know how time was passing, I struck a match, and by its flame looked at my watch. It was within a few minutes of midnight. This gave me a sort of shock, for I suppose the general superstition about midnight was increased by my recent experiences. I waited with a sick feeling of suspense. 

Then a dog began to howl somewhere in a farmhouse far down the road, a long, agonized wailing, as if from fear. The sound was taken up by another dog, and then another and another, till, borne on the wind which now sighed softly through the Pass, a wild howling began, which seemed to come from all over the country, as far as the imagination could grasp it through the gloom of the night. 

At the first howl the horses began to strain and rear, but the driver spoke to them soothingly, and they quieted down, but shivered and sweated as though after a runaway from sudden fright. Then, far off in the distance, from the mountains on each side of us began a louder and a sharper howling, that of wolves, which affected both the horses and myself in the same way. For I was minded to jump from the caleche and run, whilst they reared again and plunged madly, so that the driver had to use all his great strength to keep them from bolting. In a few minutes, however, my own ears got accustomed to the sound, and the horses so far became quiet that the driver was able to descend and to stand before them.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

RhondaRN said:


> I'm strange I know, but the only thing I've experienced pertaining to vampires is when Dark Shadows used to come on at 4pm when I got off the school bus every day!  (telling my age here and I bet no one here remembers it). I think I remember correctly that Barnabus Collins was a vampire and Angelique was a witch. What a great show!! Kinda like a soap opera, except with spooky characters. I've never read one single vampire book.


We must be about the same ago because I would get off the bus and go watch Dark Shadows
when I got home, too.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

I didn't see Dark Shadows during it's original run, but when I was in my teens they started running it on PBS and my mother insisted I watch it. Of all the things I loved the most, it was the obviously show string budget that allowed them to leave in microphones in the frame, fumble lines, and know over fake tombstones and just keep on going.


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## Les Turner (Mar 13, 2011)

Atunah said:


> Are there a lot of vampire novels out there where the vampires don't consume blood in some way? The zombie eats brain, I'll take your word on that  and vampires eat/drink blood. Even the sparkly ones still consumed blood. Not all did human blood as far as I can remember, but still blood. And they have fangs. So the rules haven't really changed in that regard. Same with daylight and sun.


But vampires can't go inthe sun, it's one of the cardinal rules. Saying they can but choose not to because they sparkle isn't a vampire. It's a guy covered in glitter.

And here we are aguing like they're real. Nice.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Maybe they are real 

Again though, the only ones sparkling as far as I know was one book series. One that was specifically written for the YA audience with teenagers. That isn't a representative of all the other vampire novels out there at the moment. So disregarding the Twilight series for a while, what other issues do people have with the novels of today.

I am just getting the sense that all this wanting it to go away and all this dislike is strictly based on one writer, one 4 book series. Every time someone in this thread groans about sparkles it goes back to that. 

How about adult vampire novels, as suppose to the YA. That includes of course the romance genre. Again, adult and as far as I have read, no sparkles. 

And please nobody say no romance for vampires. I mean an empire has been built on the bad guy appealing to the good girl.  . The brooding and tortured soul attempting to find love, something so very human. 

And wait, you say vampires can't go in the sun. I thought I read upstream that a old so called original novel did have them do just that. So which one is the rule.


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

RChaffee said:


> I suspect, that should the hogs on the farm kill us all, and take over the world, our inheritors will pass the time by reading novels about blood sucking pigs, who's tortured souls are damned for all eternity to feed on their brethren in the night.


Very nice idea !!! I love the vision of our pigglety inheritors clicking buttons on their mud-proof Kindles reading about a pig-count Dracula in his mysterious barn (or wherever pigs live).
I don't see any reason why the vampires should leave our real or electronic bookshelves. They are just another tool of telling a story - what story and how well or badly it is told, depends on a writer. Sometimes I feel that I prefer most vampires to most people in a contemporary fiction, as characters anyway. Although (obviously) I am more of a werewolf fan.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

I'm against sparkly blood sucking monsters with perfect hair... How do they get perfect hair without the use of mirrors anyway?
I think the appeal of vampires is the tragic aspect. Immortality has it's problems and all that.

It's time for a new classic monster, don't ya think? But how difficult to create new original folklore... nothing could be more challenging.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Maybe the trouble is that some folks still want vampires to be horror monsters and some folks want vampires to be paranormal romance objects. 

Maybe someone can create a mythology with two distinct breeds of vampires living side by side: the Evil Beasts and the Sexy Beasts!


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## Katie Salidas (Mar 21, 2010)

Joseph Robert Lewis said:


> Maybe the trouble is that some folks still want vampires to be horror monsters and some folks want vampires to be paranormal romance objects.
> 
> Maybe someone can create a mythology with two distinct breeds of vampires living side by side: the Evil Beasts and the Sexy Beasts!


Christine Feehan sort of did that with her Carpathian series (Romance). Good vamps and bad vamps are two sides of the same creature (seperate from humans). When they go bad, they really go bad, that's when they become vampires, but otherwise they are sexy paranormal good guys called Carpathians.

I enjoyed the series for a while but after 8 books they all became a bit cookie cutter.


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## Ray Rhamey author (Jan 6, 2011)

Two things: I hope the vampire run goes on a little longer because I'm writing a sequel for my vampire kitty-cat.

And I have a screenplay in which there is a demon love story--thinking about adapting it to a novel.

I think the reinvention and refreshment of genres is a good thing, and, like most, this one will ebb and flow.

But, hey, if there are fun stories to read, long live the undead.


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## sarahdalton (Mar 15, 2011)

I think the Vampire myth is timeless - it eliminates human's greatest fear: death. The old Dracula type stories are gloriously gothic and over the top which some people really love.

Then Joss Whedon and Stephanie Meyer re-invented the vampire myth for teenagers and everything went boom. Twilight made writers realise that they can change the myth and removed some of the things that became cliches like garlic and crosses. 

I like both to read both styles and I'm enjoying it while it lasts because I loved Dracula when I was a teenager. 

I think things are going to stay dark for a while and then who knows - maybe 'choc-lit' will take over the world. (I hate choc-lit)


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

I do have to admit that, in addition to the classic vampire movies and books, I loved "Buffy" and even "Angel." Whether that had anything to do with David Boreanaz, who knows. (I love "Bones," too. Hmmm. I see a pattern emerging....Maybe.)    Seriously, though, Joss Whedon is great!


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## lstrange (May 21, 2010)

David McAfee said:


> Hi Liz!


Right back at ya!


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Katie Salidas said:


> Christine Feehan sort of did that with her Carpathian series (Romance). Good vamps and bad vamps are two sides of the same creature (seperate from humans). When they go bad, they really go bad, that's when they become vampires, but otherwise they are sexy paranormal good guys called Carpathians.
> 
> I enjoyed the series for a while but after 8 books they all became a bit cookie cutter.


Is there an earlier cut-off point where a story arc ends that might make a good stopping point?


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Talk about tormented blood-sucking little piggys--did anyone else read _Bunnicula_ about a vampiric Angora bunny (red eyes and all) who leaves the corpses of poor carrots in his wake? I'm not making this up, folks, I swear--I think it was written in the 80s.

Hello to all the other _Dark Shadows _ fans--glad I could help out with my mention of the DVDs!


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## NikkiC (Feb 18, 2011)

I loved Bunnicula! I remember reading that when I was a kid. Repeatedly.
He was adorable...and dangerous.


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## RM Prioleau (Mar 18, 2011)

JMArray said:


> Will someone come up with the next Don Quixote but for vampires?


Someone needs to write a book based on that movie _Vampires Suck_ 
But yeah, I think the vampire craze is just a fad for now. Just like Myspace was all the rage for a few years then it died down. Everything comes and goes in waves.

Maybe the next craze will be purple slime monster romance!


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

What do all of you Dark Shadows fans think of the upcoming Depp/Burton movie?


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

The problem with most vampire stories is that they are boring. So many stories are "She does this and he does that--and oh yeah, there are vampires involved and it's very moody!" 
Take out the fangs and blood sucking, and you just have a dull story... Twilight is not much more than a watered down story of overblown teen angst. Way overblown...
It's tough to improve or improv on the monster because it's been done already... The Sookie Stackhouse books (at least the first few) are brilliant because they bring vampires into society, into government, into commercialism.  You either have to dive deep into the mythology or create new mythology, just having vampires or werewolves or zombies (another overdone genre) isn't enough. Still has to be a story there.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Monique said:


> What do all of you Dark Shadows fans think of the upcoming Depp/Burton movie?


I'm not a huge Johnny Depp fan, but Tim Burton's movies are very well-done. (I did like J.D. in "Chocolat.") It should be very interesting.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Cindy416 said:


> I'm not a huge Johnny Depp fan, but Tim Burton's movies are very well-done. (I did like J.D. in "Chocolat.") It should be very interesting.


I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who read _Bunnicula_, Nikki!

And Tim Burton is doing a movie version of Dark Shadows I had no clue--sounds interesting, though. I'll definitely be up for seeing that one in the theaters.


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## JeanneM (Mar 21, 2011)

I wonder if they will have Quentin the attic ghost in the Dark Shadows movie.  Do you remember the song Quentin's theme that was so popular on the radio?


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## naomi_jay (Feb 1, 2011)

I think vampires will always be popular because the mythology has an inherent appeal - the idea of life after death and eternal youth (if you get turned at the right time anyway). I think the idea of immortality is strong enough to keep people interested by itself; when you dress it up with romance, angst, horror, or whatever your cup of tea is, then you've got your winner. And since the vampire mythos seems flexible enough to accommodate romance, angst, horror, and whatever else a writer can come up with, I think we'll be seeing vampires in books and on screen for a long time to come.

That said ... man, I'm so tired of emo vampires looking for their One True Love. I'll take Salem's Lot over Twilight every time.


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## Shellybean (Apr 22, 2009)

RhondaRN said:


> Gosh, I didn't realize they have it on DVD!!! Think I'll go check on that! b Thanks!! (


They also have them on Netflix. DVD and streaming!


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## Shalini Boland (Nov 29, 2010)

Slightly nervous about posting on this thread as I'm part of the 'vampire revolution'. But I think there's enough space for all types of vampires - sparkly or otherwise. I get that some people are sick of it, but I think that's mainly due to overblown media hype. 

I liked Thirty Days of Night, Interview and I am Legend - all fairly bloodthirsty. But I also loved Twilight and its ilk. Reading those YA paranormals takes me back to my self-indulgent teenage angst days.


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

And I thought it's pretty harmless...
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/miami-dade/mh-vampire-love-story-20110325,0,2787124.story


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

naomi_jay said:


> I think vampires will always be popular because the mythology has an inherent appeal - the idea of life after death and eternal youth (if you get turned at the right time anyway). I think the idea of immortality is strong enough to keep people interested by itself; when you dress it up with romance, angst, horror, or whatever your cup of tea is, then you've got your winner. And since the vampire mythos seems flexible enough to accommodate romance, angst, horror, and whatever else a writer can come up with, I think we'll be seeing vampires in books and on screen for a long time to come.
> 
> That said ... man, I'm so tired of emo vampires looking for their One True Love. I'll take Salem's Lot over Twilight every time.


I agree (and second the motion regarding 'Salem's Lot).


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## lstrange (May 21, 2010)

Shalini Boland said:


> Slightly nervous about posting on this thread as I'm part of the 'vampire revolution'. But I think there's enough space for all types of vampires - sparkly or otherwise. I get that some people are sick of it, but I think that's mainly due to overblown media hype.
> 
> I liked Thirty Days of Night, Interview and I am Legend - all fairly bloodthirsty. But I also loved Twilight and its ilk. Reading those YA paranormals takes me back to my self-indulgent teenage angst days.


Also part of the revolution. I love vampire books and movies. Like you I enjoyed 30 days of Night. What about Near Dark? Very underrated imo.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

JeanneM said:


> I wonder if they will have Quentin the attic ghost in the Dark Shadows movie. Do you remember the song Quentin's theme that was so popular on the radio?


Ohhh Quentin . . . he was played by David Selby in the original series. David Selby . . . the hottie with the wild sideburns and the crazy eyes--he had the right look for all the Victorian gothic suits they wore on that show. I think he also played Charles Collins. Sorry, I don't remember anything about the theme song, but I definitely remember the actor.

And getting back to the original thread topic while still talking about _Dark Shadows_, Barnabas Collins was an interesting mix of emo vampire and evil vampire. He was so tormented and had so many issues that you couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Yet he also had his pure evil moments. The thing that bothers me the most about the _Twilight_ vampires isn't the emo bit as much as the fact there are hardly any limitations on them--they can go out in sunlight, they can avoid drinking people's blood if they really want to, and they're practically made of marble, so they're almost impossible to kill. Sure, they miss out on some human experiences and endure horrible pain when they become vampires, but aside from the blood-drinking thing, they could just as easily be angels as vampires, especially with their sparkly dust. I do enjoy_ Twilight_, especially the first book, but they just don't seem like vampires to me.


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## Shelia A. Huggins (Jan 20, 2011)

Since you brought up Dark Shadows...my younger sister and I loved Dark Shadows. We used to come home from school and watch it. Ah...the good ole days of real vampires.


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## Mo (Mar 25, 2011)

purplepen79 said:


> but aside from the blood-drinking thing, they could just as easily be angels as vampires, especially with their sparkly dust. I do enjoy_ Twilight_, especially the first book, but they just don't seem like vampires to me.


I think Twilight is ruining the inherent coolness potential for vampires. I like the Interview With The Vampire movie (although I haven't read Anne Rice's books yet). _That_ is a good example of well done vampires, IMO!


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## Deanna M. Noble (Mar 28, 2011)

We don't have to like one or the other, right? I do like the vampire romances and vampire urban fantasy, but I also love the 30 Days of Night vampires. I love the twisted, disturbing ones like Let Me In. Fiend, villain, hero, antihero, love interest -- okay, sparkly vegetarian promise-ring-wearing teens, not so much. I just hate that the backlash makes it embarrassing to admit to reading the 'uncool' kind.

I do love what Fecility Heaton said about writing the dark and gritty kind that embrace their unlife and their predatory nature instead of angsting all the time. That's a pet peeve I have with all supernatural characters. Isn't it awful to be eternally young and inhumanly strong and immune to the pain and waste of disease and fabulously wealthy and able to [insert creature-appropriate power]? The worst case for me was Alice from the most recent Resident Evil movie - sorry, zombies instead of vamps.

As an urban fantasy writer, I do intend to make broader use of lore than we see in most current novels. There are so many folk tales and legends, etc, that get pushed aside in favor of the same handful of popularized traits. All the better for me, right? But I admit I'm not a fan of just pulling an idea out of thin air. I like to build on lore to preserve a sense of congruity. (I have a friend who actually threw a fairy novel against the wall after the writer went way way 'off the reservation'. Some people take their mythology pretty seriously.) All that being said, I don't write about vampires.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Deanna M. Noble said:


> We don't have to like one or the other, right? I do like the vampire romances and vampire urban fantasy, but I also love the 30 Days of Night vampires. I love the twisted, disturbing ones like Let Me In. Fiend, villain, hero, antihero, love interest -- okay, sparkly vegetarian promise-ring-wearing teens, not so much. I just hate that the backlash makes it embarrassing to admit to reading the 'uncool' kind.


No backlash here. I freely admit I read almost the whole _Twilight_ series and enjoyed it--it was definitely entertaining if nothing else. I stopped in the middle of _Breaking Dawn _ because my favorite character Jacob started to disturb me, and I couldn't read any more. Also, the inherent problems with the romance between Bella and Edward took a pretty dark turn in BD that I thought conveyed an inappropriate message for teenage girls (if teenage girls weren't the target audience of _Twilight_ it wouldn't have bothered me so much--but teenage girls are clearly the target audience for that series). I think she should have ended it with _Eclipse_, but that's just my opinion.

For all you other _Dark Shadows _ fans, there's an interesting book called The Dark Shadows Companion: 25th Anniversary Collection. It's not available for kindle (lots of photos of the actors and sets). It's a fun book--a friend gave me his copy a couple years ago.


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## Katie Salidas (Mar 21, 2010)

NikkiC said:
 

> I loved Bunnicula! I remember reading that when I was a kid. Repeatedly.
> He was adorable...and dangerous.


I was wondering when someone would mention this. I loved Bunnicula as a kid!!!


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

The Bunnicula books were a great series. I read them all several times (I think  Howliday Inn was my favorite) when I went through my "intelligent animal" phase, which of course included many readings of "The Incredible Journey".


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## fictionwriter (Nov 2, 2010)

I hope so, but I doubt it. The idea of living forever is intriguing to a lot of people. 

Can't imagine a love story with someone who might kill you. My preference is humor.

Best,

Carolyn


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## Shalini Boland (Nov 29, 2010)

lstrange said:


> Also part of the revolution. I love vampire books and movies. Like you I enjoyed 30 days of Night. What about Near Dark? Very underrated imo.


Near Dark is the 80's movie, right? I never saw it ... I'll have to rent it out. I also loved Let The Right One In (Swedish Version). The vampire girl in it was incredible.


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## Deanna M. Noble (Mar 28, 2011)

purplepen79 said:


> I stopped in the middle of _Breaking Dawn _ because my favorite character Jacob started to disturb me, and I couldn't read any more. Also, the inherent problems with the romance between Bella and Edward took a pretty dark turn in BD that I thought conveyed an inappropriate message for teenage girls (if teenage girls weren't the target audience of _Twilight_ it wouldn't have bothered me so much--but teenage girls are clearly the target audience for that series). I think she should have ended it with _Eclipse_, but that's just my opinion.


That's really interesting. I have not read the books. I tried, but they just aren't my cuppa. However, a close friend was recently telling me what she thought of the books, and your comments match hers almost exactly.


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## Les Turner (Mar 13, 2011)

I'm bringing this thread back from the dead. Much like a vampire itself, it cannot die (unless taken too with a wooden stake).

I just need to vent, it really feels like the Vampire craze is getting worse. Every novel cover thread seems to be for a vampire novel. And not just cover threads, half the novels in peoples signitures are for vampire novels.

Are indie authors more likely to be vampire fans? Or are people hoping to that if their novel has a vampire in it it'll sell more copies?


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

I think a lot of indie publishers specialize in specific genres or sub-genres so it's not surprising that paranormal stuff like vampires would be one of these.


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

While there's blood to be had, we'll keep on multiplying


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## KVWitten (Apr 11, 2011)

I just found this thread and read the whole thing - love it!!

I think the popularity of vampire books/films will wax and wane but they'll always be around.  But I personally believe the vampire 'romance' category is way overdone.  My local Barnes and Noble was recently renovated.  Besides losing 1/6th of the main selling space to children's toys (TOYS!!), there's a 12-foot-long, 5-foot-high set of bookcases lining the main corridor with a big sign above it saying "YA Paranormal Romance".  I just took a quick look but the vast majority seemed to involve vampires.  That's a bit much.

I do have to say I'm not a fan of most 'modern' vampires.  They are either pure evil (one-dimensional) or romantic love interest (not scary).  And why would they feel so guilty about killing humans?  You don't see humans going around agonizing about the hamburger they had for lunch.  What's really the difference?

Just a quick note - historical vampires were not killed by sunlight.  Even Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' mentions that they can go out in sunlight "though their powers are limited".


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

BarbaraKE said:


> You don't see humans going around agonizing about the hamburger they had for lunch.


A vegetarian/vegan might.


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## athanos (Apr 7, 2011)

Alas I don't think the vamp fever will ever break. It seems clever writers have taken the vampire formula, i.e. a tortured, ageless, undying supernatural character and married it to the romance novel. Once the formula get's attached to anything soap operatic it'll stand the test of time and still be around after a nuclear blast with the roaches.

Vampire & romance aficionados are entitled to their likes, nay loves, it's just not my thing. I liked Anne Rice's take on the genre but I just can't get behind the Twihards. Sorry not my thing. More power to them though wish I had Stephanie Meyer's numbers.


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## elalond (May 11, 2011)

I believe that the Vampire revolution will never end (I’m writing a trilogy about them, it better not ), but I do hope that the vampire genre would evolve, that writers in this genre would widen its borders and that its subgenres would become more diverse.


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## Tamara Rose Blodgett (Apr 1, 2011)

I think I'll always find WELL-Done vampire lore fun to read...the problem is...there's a lot out there that isn't spectacular. Again: default to price and good reviews. That seems to be good.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Tamara Rose Blodgett said:


> I think I'll always find WELL-Done vampire lore fun to read...the problem is...there's a lot out there that isn't spectacular. Again: default to price and good reviews. That seems to be good.


I agree. For me, vampire lore, if well written, can scare the heck out of me, but I know that vampires aren't real, so the fright isn't a long-lasting one.


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