The Vampire Overload

I (along with the rest of the literate world) have noticed the explosion of vampire, and vampire-related books catering to the teenage populace within the last couple of years.  I have to state, for the record, that I was a fan of this type of book LONG before Twilight shook things up.  I openly admit that I am a fan of Stephenie Meyer's work as is pertains to her audience.  While her writing itself may be lacking, I agree that her storytelling ability is unparalleled.  The obsessive nature of her fan base speaks to that.  I read the books.  I enjoyed reading the books.  I continue to re-read the books, albeit on rare occasions, and still enjoy them.  I'm not too partial to the movies, and I have never considered myself a hard-core fan.  Granted, I have been to every midnight showing for the movies......but that can only be attributed to how good a friend I am.  Part of me is amused by the shock that men seem to have concerning the obsessive nature of the fan-base.  Obviously they don't understand teenage girls very well.

However, I am a much bigger fan of several different series of books (all vampire related) which rank above the Twilight saga on my list.  I do love a creepy and somewhat gruesome approach, but in general I stick to vampires that are more likable.  The first time I brought a vampire related book home, my mom completely flipped.  She still doesn't like my compulsive desire to read them.....

My favorite series of all time is the Night World series by L.J. Smith.  I came across these books at the public library when I was somewhere near 8 years old.  They are a tribute to the horror/romance genre into which so many vampiric novels seem to fall.  Generally, the stories are short and sweet but they keep you in suspense and the series builds from a simple construct to an apocalypic finale.  I love the concept of the soulmate principal, and how it becomes the tie for human-vampire relationships.  But this fantasy world is not solely populated with blood-sucking, beautiful fiends.  There are good and bad witches, shapeshifters, werewolves and a myriad of other creatures who haunt the night.  The only downside to this series is that, 12 years after the publication of the 9th book, the 10th and final one is still to be released.  Talk about keeping your fans in suspense!  I continually check her blog to see if there are any changes to this uncompleted status.  Alas, it is still pending in an unpublished (and possibly unwritten) state. 

Next on my list is a fairly recent series by Richelle Mead titled Vampire Academy.  My older sister gifted me the first two books in the series as a birthday present in March, and I have consumed the entire series since then.  The final book was only released last week.  This 6 book series creates a new and exciting universe for vampires....one with half-human/half-vampire combination along with drawing on existing ancient cultural folklore for the vampire characters.  Although this series is primarily aimed at females (as most are) the strong leads are not the whiny helpless characters often loathed as protagonists.  An apt and intelligent writer, Mead captivates an audience with a story that takes place in a world of the supernatural, but is not consumed with it.  To give credit, This series started long before Twilight became popular, and it is not meant to ride the coat-tails of the teen vampire book movement.  This series stands on its own two feet, and can cause a reader to sit up and take notice.  I am excited for the spin-off series and can't wait to get my hands on anything else she has written. 

The most classic of all vampire authors has to be Anne Rice.  Her classic tale of Interview With a Vampire is heart wrenching and mentally exhausting in a way that more books should be.  Too often the portrayal of a vampires in society are too human, and Rice addresses this directly.  Her exploration of what it would actually mean to become a vampire and the loss of humanity is enthralling and intriguing.  All of her related stories simply add to the amazing story.  She does not sugar coat or make pretty anything.  If you want to read about real vampires, she is the one to look up.