What is it about Vamps that draws the reader? And the writer, for that matter. According to a book I read years ago by Stephen King … “Danse Macabre”, I think it was … he’s of the opinion that vampires are dead from the waist down. Don’t quite recall the exact quote (it was a number of years ago when I read it), but it really made sense.
Vampires are reputed to be cold and lifeless until they get that all important infusion of Type O. Then they “come to life” so to speak. The way King described them, it was like handling dead fish. Cold and clammy. Yuck! Nothing appealing about that.
I’m sure this discussion has made the loops, ad nauseam. But here’s another blog about the subject … deal with it. Each and every vamp book I’ve read (and believe me, I’ve read a ton of them), the vampire hero is a tall, dark (usually tortured) soul. They hate what they are, they’re moody, they’re on the verge of turning feral.
Well, for God’s sake, if your existence is that miserable, go take a walk at high noon already.
So what makes them so damned sexy? There’s such a fascination with vampires. At the RT conference last week I sat in on a couple of author panels who discussed the phenomena. I just want to note here that Mary Janice Davidson is a stitch. Between she and Charlaine Harris, they had everyone laughing hysterically. They have pretty much the same opinion as I when it comes the vampire angst.
Still, there’s something about them. And there’s the fact that a writer can pretty much make their own rules. You want a vampire who can tolerate a certain amount of daylight? Sure, go ahead. How about one that feeds on emotions rather than blood. No problem. You are the writer. You make up the ground rules.
I’ve never had a desire to write a vampire book, but then an idea hit me. It was fresh, it was exciting, it was different. I’ve written about twenty scenes on it and actually plotted it out. Anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I’m a dedicated pantser. I would have said I couldn’t plot out a book if you put a gun to my head. Yet, there I was … scribbling out notes, brainstorming with friends and putting together a bonafide outline.
I may never recover.
The best vampire romances (IMHO,) are those where the vampires are not sanitized and neutered. I want them to be dangerous. Predators who aren’t ashamed to be predators. I’m not fond of vamps who are given a romance whitewash, made “nice” in order to be heroic romance heroes. I’m talking about vamps who won’t feed off humans, or if they do, they leave happy memories or whatever.
Fortunately, with the end of the 80’s, a lot of that changed, and it changed even more with the rise of erotic romance. Erotic romance has allowed more (for lack of a better word thanks to not enough coffee,) grit. Readers who can handle more explicit sex seem to be open to heroes who don’t fit the whitewashed mold.
I also don’t mind a brooding, tortured vampire…but if he’s that way, I don’t want it to be BECAUSE he’s a vampire. Embrace your dark side, man! g
I hadn’t seen that Stephen King quote before! You’re right that these days, the writer makes the vamps rather than sticks with the canon of folklore. My vampire novel (which comes out next Tuesday! Yes, this is a shameless plug LOL) is about the vrykolakas, a type of Greek vampire that in folklore dosn’t have issues with wandering around in daylight, doesn’t necessarily have to take blood to survive, and they can produce children – so definitely not ‘dead from the waist down’!
There are different types of vamps in every culture (Indian vamps are fascinating – I’d love to read a book based on one of those), but – probably for the obvious reasons of Dracula and Nosferatu, Western culture has fixated on the Eastern European type.
We need more international vampires – and I don’t mean jetsetting ones like Lestat!
By the way, I wanted to clarify the “won’t feed off humans,” thing. I didn’t mean that vamps HAVE to feed off humans…vamps that feed off each other are fine. What I meant was that in some books, human blood is vital to their species, but the vamp in question won’t feed on humans for “nice” reasons, and instead live off rats or something. But even then, there are exceptions, and a good author can still pull it off!
Okay, we have a few votes for gritty. LOL. So, you like vampires in the traditional sense. Personally I like LKH’s vamps where they accept what they are and deal with it. I don’t know if I’ve seen many angsty vamps in her books.
That’s the nice thing about being a writer. You can put as much darkness (or lightness) in your vamps that you want. Its up to the reader to decide which they prefer.
I read that book so long ago, Olivia. That’s not an exact quote, but rather the gist of the chapter. King wrote this probably in the 80s after he wrote “The Shining”. It was fiction rather than non-fiction and very fascinating.
I’ve never made it a study of the vampire culture in other countries. Well worth looking into, though. Thanx for the information.
Howdy Liz,
The appeal of the vampire isn’t universal. I know quite a few readers who won’t read anythiing to do with vampires. I’ll have to admit I haven’t picked up too many vampire novels myself lately because I’m a bit burned out on them. BUT, I did write a vampire triology myself some time ago and loved making my vampires unique in many ways. They aren’t your typical Bram Stoker vampire, either. So creating their unique world was a lot of fun. As for the appeal of vampires to those who like them, I think it’s the dark seductive allure of danger.
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
I’m not a huge fan of the genre. I read mostly paranormal and I’ve come across some really good vamp books and some not so good ones. I’m fascinated by both the somewhat traditional vampire stories, the humorous ones and the ones where the author manages take the genre and make it her (or his) own.
Just don’t give me an angsty vamp. Those are irritating.
Larissa and I have had this conversation a lot lol. Phrases like “get over it, dude” and “Embrace your dark side” come up regularly hehe.
I just want a vamp who likes being a VAMP. Not one who needs a shrink.
Bring on the badasses hehe
“A vamp who likes being a vamp.” Seems to me that Henry Fitzroy of Tanya Huff’s series enjoys the vamp life. He’s a traditional vamp for the most part. Now showing on Lifetime cable channel, Blood Ties has turned me on to that sexy vamp—or maybe it’s just the yummy actor who has. Anyway, I whipped on to Amazon and bought all of the books in the series.
That’s interesting, Marie-Nicole. I only caught one episode of “Blood Ties” and didn’t realize its based on Tanya Huff’s series. I’ll have to go in search of them.
Thanx for the heads up.
Love the attitude, Maya. Granted a lot of vamps don’t have the choice of being Turned, but get over it.
If anyone read Kathy Love’s “Fangs but no Fangs”, its hilarious. Her vamp is trying to atone for a huge wrong done to his brothers and goes on a 10 steps AA plan to try to become human. It was well done.
I love vamps—both reading them and writing them!
I think it’s because the boundaries can be pushed to the limits. As you say, the writer can make the rules. I want vamps who have embraced who and what they are. They’re different, and we as readers, wouldn’t want them any other way.