Confessions of a vampire virgin.
Okay, so I’ll get this right out in the open: I don’t do vampires. I’ve never read much about them, I’ve never been glamored by their mythologies, and I’ve never had a desire to write about them. It’s not personal, really. I mean–well, it’s personal to me, but this goes back before any of the whole vampire mania hit the literary community and culture at large. I do remember seeing Interview With a Vampire at some point, but I was so besotted with hobbits and Tolkien at the time that it really had no impact on me.
And I have to admit, while I’m a general fan of Joss Whedon, Buffy never did it for me. Just couldn’t get into it.
So, I’m a little perplexed at this point in my life to find myself extremely captivated by True Blood. I’ve never read any Charlaine Harris, but the show seems to hit a chord with me. Maybe part of it is living in the South for the better part of the last decade, but it feels both familiar and strange, and is highly entertaining.
Oddly enough, I dreamed (during my sleep, y’know) of a whole series of books based around a suburban housewife vampire mom… don’t know if I’d ever have the time or the inclination to write it, but watching the series definitely has given me some interesting ideas.
The only vampire fiction I’ve ever read (here comes an amusing confession) is Salem’s Lot and the first half or so of Dracula. And I’ve got to admit, I think it’s kind of fun being uniformed on a topic that has so pervaded a huge chunk of our culture. It also means I’m nowhere near as sick of vampires as most writers! (Not that it’ll influence my writing any time soon, but y’know.)
Am I missing out? This fantasist is admittedly a very selective reader these days. Any particular books or short stories you think I really should read? I’m heading to the coast and (hopefully) Canada this summer, so I’m on the lookout for good paperbacks.
6 Comments
Liam
Tim Power’s The Stress of Her Regard. As usual with Powers, lots of interesting stuff happening at once. Vampires, Nephalim, Byron and Shelly… Awesome.
Natania
Thank you for the suggestions. That sounds… eerily up my alley there. 🙂
thejinx
I enjoyed the first few Noble Dead books by Barb & J.C. Hendee – Dhampir, Thief of Lives. I was intrigued by the idea of a medieval-era vampire series and they offered some interesting views on them. I found the second half of the first series dipped a little, though, so I’d recommend the first two or three books foremost.
Also, regarding an earlier post you made – I don’t remember if it was here or at Aldersgate – I would give the editor a shout, just ask how things are going. Any editor who might get miffed at the thought of such contact probably isn’t worth working with, anyway.
Natania
I have tried to follow up, but no definitive answer. Tomorrow will make it exactly one year–but I am told, by many folks, that it’s not uncommon. 🙂 So, onward…
Mari Adkins
i should send you a pdf of midnight if i’ve not already. (note to self – keep better track of things! lol)
Natania
@Mari I don’t think I have a .pdf of it, but I could also be forgetting. I’m… scatterbrained at best. 🙂