Vampire novels

elzoria

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Anyone read any good vampire novels, besides Anne Rice's collection and Dracula? I'm trying to do research on the history of vampires in literature.

Am I posting this in the right place?
 
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Susan Gable

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elzoria said:
Anyone read any good vampire novels, besides Anne Rice's collection and Dracula? I'm trying to do research on the history of vampires in literature.

Am I posting this in the right place?

Well, first I suppose I'm going to have to ask you how you define "literature." <G>

Because vamps are all the current rage in the paranormal romance category. There are dark vamps, there are fun vamps...

But I didn't know if you're interested in vamps who inhabit romance novels. :)

Susan G.
 

elzoria

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Susan Gable said:
Well, first I suppose I'm going to have to ask you how you define "literature." <G>

Because vamps are all the current rage in the paranormal romance category. There are dark vamps, there are fun vamps...

But I didn't know if you're interested in vamps who inhabit romance novels. :)

Susan G.

Literature, as in anything that has been part of a canon, like Gothic novels. I'm not looking for pulp fiction or eroticism or anything having to do with film, just classic vampire stories that helped spring up the crop of categories we have today.

I've never heard of paranormal romance. That's interesting.

Are there any good romance novels about vampires?

I'm thinking about books that would be considered classic to the vampire genre. I know there is stuff written that is, well, crap, so that's why I want to know if anyone has any recommendations. Usually, I look for recommendations on Amazon, but I'd like to see what other people say, especially writers (since we are so picky, right).

So far I've been reading short stories like Carmilla and Vampyre, but I know that there must be more about the evolution of the vampire. At one time they were despised and ugly, now they are romantic and even deal with human-like problems (I heard of one book about the vampire having problems with being overweight).
 

Perks

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One series that stands out in my mind as a good bit of fun was by Steven Spruill. The titles were a little cheesy - Rulers of Darkness and Daughter of Darkness but I remember enjoying the twist on the story quite a lot. There may have been one or two others in the series, but it's been a while.

The M/C was a vampire/vampire hunter, but vampirism is actually a medical condition. They are set the Washington DC area, so that was fun for me, being my hometown and all.
 

elzoria

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Perks said:
One series that stands out in my mind as a good bit of fun was by Steven Spruill. The titles were a little cheesy - Rulers of Darkness and Daughter of Darkness but I remember enjoying the twist on the story quite a lot. There may have been one or two others in the series, but it's been a while.

The M/C was a vampire/vampire hunter, but vampirism is actually a medical condition. They are set the Washington DC area, so that was fun for me, being my hometown and all.

I like that it mentions it as a medical condition, because that was the basis of people being vampires; it was ignorance of biology.

Cool, I'll have to check it out...
 

Bufty

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Googling 'History of Vampires in Literature' brings up over 500,000 links.
 

elzoria

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WOW

veinglory said:
I have hundreds of vampire novels, good and bad--some are mentioned on my website here. http://veinglory.com/vampirebookreviews.html feel free to PM me.

Off the top of my head I would recommend 'I am Legend', 'The Vampire Tapestry' and 'All Men are Mortal' (although that last one is not about a vampire per se)

Veinglory, you are a saint of the vampires, haha. Thanks, for your link. I am looking forward to your reviews, and I love that you put them in chronological order.

I'm trying to get a good knowledge base on vampire stories since I am writing a novel on one. I'd hate to do anything that is redundant. I also love the genre, but I'm afraid I started my fascination late :O)

You bloody ROCK!!
 

Tilly

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Tom Holland's vampire novels are good :).
 

veinglory

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I am in the process of putting the pages in chronological order but they are still very incomplete. Feel free to send me a synopsis if you want an opinion. I generally read a vampire novel every week so I have develop a very strong sense of the cliches in that area! (I don't write in that area myself and don't intend to...)
 

Branwyn

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Night Prayers by P.D. Cacek

Courting Midnight by Emma Holly

Dark Hunter Novels by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Dark Demon by Christine Feehan

Not my particular cup of tea, I prefer Anne Rice, but my neighbor loves these books.
 

Liam Jackson

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Depending upon which "expert" you read or speak to, vampires are either relatively modern constructs, or figures based on "demons" with various "vampiric" characteristics who've been around since ancient Summeria.

I never cared much for the scientific slant for vampires. It reduces the craving to a simple yet compelling biological function, and negates some of the supernatural/morality-based issues surrounding the vampire. I actually still get a small chill watching an old vamp flick in which the badguy grasps a crucifix and melts it, or the cross burst into flames.

My brother prefers vampire stores in which the entities commit evil deeds from biological complusion. Alien species, alien organisms intorduced into humans, humans suffering from rare viruses, etc...

Brian Lumley wrote a hellacious (pun intended) number of vampire stories, the Necroscope series, in which the creatures were descendents of Shaitan (Satan) and eventually found a way to cross the dimensional barrier that seperated the world of humans from a barren and nearly lifeless "hell." Good premise, but explored to death and in dire need of a stake through the heart by the time the series ended.
 

icerose

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White Wolf publishes quite a few good ones. I read the templar series in the Dark Ages line. It's about vampires seeking the holy grail. Well done, I was sucked (no pun intended) into the book and the world the writers had created, and didn't come back out until it was finished.
 

Gillhoughly

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For a scholar looking into vampires/folklore try slogging through Montague Sommers. Consider his stuff out of print and best found through interlibrary loan.

Historical vamps that shaped Dracula--try googling Lord Ruthven. He was way more popular than Dracula for a loooooong time. Check folklore books by William Baring-Gould, Sabine Baring-Gould.

For lighter reading there are whole series of vampire books in the romance sub-genre called paranormals. The plots are girl-meets-boy, but one or the other of them (sometimes both) is some sort of paranormal beastie. The quality of writing--as in any genre--varies. Some are light comedy, others are overwrought and angsty (popular with teens) some extremely readable, others so over the top you wonder what the writer was snorting.
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(As a side, the paranormal genre is a hot seller and publishers are open to new writers, but warn that they're getting tired of the same-old-same-old when it comes to vampires and werewolf tales. I was just in freakin' Wal*Mart today and spotted no less than FOUR vampire titles on the racks. None was worth buying, IMHO. The ideas were just too tired, as were the recycled love scenes. "His eager, seeking lips captured her eager, seeking mouth..." Oi vey.)

For darker stuff you can mine the horror genre. Traditional blood-suckers abound, along with genetic (and sometimes ET alien) variations.

Then there are the in-betweens who have done something different with vampires.

Look up: (no particular order)

Fred Saberhagen's Dracula books
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's St. Germain series (VERY historically accurate)
P.N. Elrod's got tons of titles in four different vampire series, including a stand-alone sequel to Dracula--The Vampire Files-11 books; Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire-4 books; I, Strahd-2 books; Lord Richard, Vampire-3 books (co-written with actor Nigel Bennett who played a vampire on TV, if that's good for reseach)
Wm. Mark Simmons (Just a dang good read)
Charlaine Harris (Just READ them!) Dead Until Dark, Club Dead, etc.
Andrew Fox (Just GET them!) Fat White Vampire Blues, Bride of the Fat White Vampire
Christopher Moore Bloodsucking Fiends (which introduces one to the joys of turkey bowling when working the graveyard shift at a grocery store)

There are many others, as it is a HUGE sub-genre now, and the rules of what makes a vampire are different for each writer. Everyone has his or her own take!

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<--a cool vampire writers party!
 
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elzoria

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Gillhoughly said:
For a scholar looking into vampires/folklore try slogging through Montague Sommers. Consider his stuff out of print and best found through interlibrary loan.

Historical vamps that shaped Dracula--try googling Lord Ruthven. He was way more popular than Dracula for a loooooong time. Check folklore books by William Baring-Gould, Sabine Baring-Gould.

Fred Saberhagen's Dracula books
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's St. Germain series (VERY historically accurate)
P.N. Elrod's got tons of titles in four different vampire series, including a stand-alone sequel to Dracula--The Vampire Files, Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire, I, Strahd, Lord Richard, Vampire (co-written with actor Nigel Bennett who played a vampire on TV, if that's good for reseach)
Wm. Mark Simmons (Just a dang good read)
Charlaine Harris (Just READ them!) Dead Until Dark, Club Dead, etc.

There are many others, as it is a HUGE sub-genre now, and the rules of what makes a vampire are different for each writer. Everyone has his or her own take!

emotePartySmiley.gif
<--a cool vampire writers party!

Thanks for the recommendations. I have seen some of Montague Sommers, but these others you listed will be well worth it. I am more intruiged by the historical stories that were published before Bram Stoker. After a while I will have a Phd. in Vampire Lit. :O)
 

Gillhoughly

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More scholarly schtuff:

You might also want to look up books, essays, etc by Dr. Elizabeth Miller (Canadian president of The Transylvanian Society of Dracula)

J. Gordon Melton, who has an exhaustive encyclopedia on vampires that may be found in many reference shelves at the library. It will have excellent source material for you.

Dr. Norrine Dresser, Katherine Ramsland, Richard Noll, Clive Leatherdale are also names to look up in the field of vampire academia.

Oh-and when you do a "quotes" here--it's ok to edit them down to just the poster's name!
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veinglory

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Vampire non-fcition covers a lot of different areas. I like 'Vampires the Occult Truth' by Konstantinos and 'The Vampire Lectures' by Rickels. Melton is a good general encyclopedia but contains enough errors to make me nervous about depending upon it as a reference.
 

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Although the books are short, go quickly, and are basically intended for younger readers, I suggest the Cirque Du Freak novels.
 

aadams73

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Charlaine Harris' "Sookie Stackhouse" books. I picked up the first one a couple of weeks ago and was hooked. She writes the best characters I've read in AGES. I have since finished the next four and need to go to B&N to pick up the new one.
 

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I second the recommendation for P.N. Elrod's "I, Strahd" and "I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin". It's quite the pity she won't (or can't) write any more.

Stephen King's "Salem's Lot" (the book, NOT the movie) is also excellent; it's the Dracula legend transposed from the optimism of late-19th century Victorian England to the grim apathy of 1970s-era America.

-JM
 

AprilBoo

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If you're looking for something with a different slant on vampirism, I'd check on The World on Blood by Jonathan Nasaw - good book altogether. The vampires in this one are more like blood-drinking mortals than supernatural vampires, and they belong to a support group that treats it like an addiction.
 

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its depending on if you are after adult or children if its childern Darren Shaun is good and Vampire love another one i am into vampires aswell but thats all i can think ofhand at the mo
 

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NO one mentions AW's Cathy C.? I aked about contract pitfalls and she sent me two sets of guidlines.

She also threw in her novel, Touch of Evil, which I'm half way through.

An excellent read!