some ill-formed thoughts re: vampire books

[anotheranon]

Disclaimer: I like vampire novels. Historic ones, comic ones, erotic ones, crap ones - I'll usually give anything with two fangs in it a look, no matter how awful - they are my "junk food" reading. Having said this:

Evidently some conservative is trying to frame a YA vampire romance series as promoting traditional gender roles. I've not read the novels in question, but the synopsis, while sounding kinda predictable angsty teenage romance (think I will give this one a miss, despite disclaimer), it doesn't sound exactly traditional - love triangle with vampire/werewolf/human?

I think that Amanda @ Pandagon hits closer to the mark when she suggests that vampires are a tidy stand-in for repressed sexual longing, but even that doesn't get to why I enjoy the genre so much. I started reading Anne Rice at 14 and while sexy blonde vampires are exciting for the obvious reasons I always wanted to be Lestat more than be bitten by him.

This is largely because I was a stressed out teenager with little autonomy being taught to be afraid of the world, so there was real appeal in being the thing that others fear. Even as a competent adult who has long outgrown Rice, it's the power and freedom that's alluring. One of the things I enjoyed about Bloodsucking Fiends (besides the turkey bowling) was the vampire Jody's realization that she can walk around alone at night without fear.

Comments

[seamstrix.livejournal.com]

My all time fav vampire book (and I'm not that into the genre as repressed sexuality is just too too boring)is 'Those Who Hunt The Night' by Barbara Hambly who is also one of my all time favorite writers.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

I've heard the name Hambly. What made her book different from the others if you're not normally keen on the genre?

[seamstrix.livejournal.com]

tried reading 'Interview' back when it first came out and even as a teenager I couldn't stand the waves of whiney angst from Louis. I never cared enough to try any of the other books. I did enjoy the movie alot more than I expected.

I generally enjoy Barbara hambly's writing- she's one of my fav authors (and a darn fine costumer too, but that's beside the point) I have read her sci-fi, her fantasy, and her historical thrillers and they are all really good. 'Those Who Hunt The Night' is set in Edwardian England and is very well researched. The main vampire character is a Spaniard, Simon Ysidro, who came to England in the retinue of Philip when he married Mary I and got turned by an English vampire. She gets into the psychology of how a vampire survives and why many don't. The main plot is that there is someone killing the vampries of London and the problem is that the vampires can't tell who it is. If it were a human, they would be able to detect them so it has to be a vampire.....except the killings are happening during daylight hours when a vampire can't be out. Ysidro hires/blackmails James Asher (Oxford linguistics professor and former spy) to investigate. I believe I got caught up in this book because it's an interesting plot, the history is very well done, and the vampire characters are everything a vampire should be- alien, terrifying, eccentric, and, finally, pitiful.

Interestingly, her vampires do fear. They are immortal but not invulnerable. They are hugely powerful both psychically and physically but with enough weaknesses that they stay very aware of their vulnerability.

Read the book!!!

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

"Interview" was one of the first vampire novels I read in addition to "Dracula". What appealed was that the vampire was a sympathetic character, which rang true for me in a way.

My sister also read them all and rightly points out that you have to read them in order or you hate Louis right off the bat because Lestat is so much more fun!

I've found the Hambly book at my library; it will go on the ever-growing list....