Welcome! Enter freely and of your own will... Hang up your cloak, help yourself to a glass of the red stuff, and join the vampire party.Our wonderful guests of honour at this party are Theresa Meyers (today), Michele Bardsley (Tuesday), Bonnie Dee (Thursday) and Michele Hauf (Friday). And, of course, me, Marie Treanor on Wednesday :).
All this week we're celebrating the undead in all their terrible, dangerous, sexy glory. From horrific vamps to romantic vamps, we love them all and want to talk about them!
So what, for you, is the vampire or vampire story that made the biggest impression on you? Perhaps it introduced you to the genre, or a new aspect of the genre, orjust blew you away by its sheer differentness. Or perhaps it's just the best vampire story you've ever read :). Whatever, I'd love to know what it is!
For me, there are two that stand out as paving the way, not just to my own reading discoveries but to today's vampire romance genre: Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire".
"Dracula", of course, is the daddy of all vampire tales: atmospheric gothic horror with a fantastically charismatic and evil vampire whose glorious history reflects that of the infamous Wallachian prince of the fifteenth century, Vlad the Impaler. The sensuality of the story is introduced when Joanathan Harker encounters the seductive vampiresses of Dracula's "harem". Although Count Dracula himself is undoubtedly the villain of the piece, his sexual attraction is definite, if understated by today's standards. And although Mina, the heroine, is ashamed of her reactions to him once she's safely back with her husband and friends, we're left with the impressions that that those reactions were definitely positive!
"Interview with the Vampire" again broke the mold, telling the story from the vampire's point of view and introducing a new level of sensuality. The vampires' human-like affections and hatreds, their everyday existence, their struggles to learn about their kind and survive immortality, all blew me away. And opened the door for today's vampire romances.
Do you agree? Which books stand out for you? Curious minds want to know!
Marie
