Sunday, August 16, 2009

Why Vampires?



It seems everywhere you turn these days there are stories about vampires. HBO has produced a television series called True Blood featuring characters who live for darkness and the taste of the scarlet liquid. Last season there was a short-lived television show on one of the major networks called Moonlight, where the main character was a private investigator as well as a vampire.

I've never watched either show.

Author Anne Rice wrote the novel Interview with a Vampire which was a best seller, and went on to become a hit movie starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and a very young Kirsten Dunst.

Again... never read the book, never saw the movie.

And one would have to be dead (or almost dead) or living in a coffin not to have heard of the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer....Best selling books about teenage vampires that has gone on to become a popular film. Would it surprise you to learn I haven't read the books or seen the movie?

At this point, I think not.

And who could forget the widely popular daytime drama Dark Shadows which aired from 1966-1971, and featured one of the most renowned vampires, Barnabas Collins.


Today there are so many books featuring vampires it makes my head spin. Oh no, that would make me possessed by the devil!

It doesn't take a telepathic mind-reader, or a vampire, phantom, witch, or any other frightening other-worldly figure to know, I don't care for paranormal stories.

Recently, I asked my friend Annie, who devours vampire stories, what the attraction was for her and vampires?
Her answer: They're sexy.

Really?

Obviously many people agree, and it's wonderful for anyone writing and publishing in the vampire genre. Just some of the many authors who have written novels featuring vampires:

P.C Cast, Shannon Drake, Christine Feehan, Charlaine Harris, Sheila Holland, Ellen Schreiber, John Steakley, and Cecilia Tan.
And even Arthur Conan Doyle has written his share of vampire stories. Check out The Vampire Stories of Arthur Conan Doyle.


Something for everyone. Well.... except for me that is.

How about you? Are you someone who embraces the world of vampires and other paranormal phenomenon?
Or are you like me -- afraid of scary things that go bump in the night?

4 comments:

Robin said...

Cindy -- I think people are attracted to vampires because they are 1)immortal 2) only come out at night 3)ravish their victims (the sexy part?) and 4)not your everyday neighbors! I've never read the Anne Rice books but Greg loves them. Maybe someday, I'll be "bitten" by the vampire bug.

Unknown said...

Well, maybe one day I'll try a vampire story. Maybe...

Cynthia Sherrick said...

Actually that Muriel comment was from me written on her computer. Whoops.

Dell Smith said...

Vampires have been around forever (ha -- couldn't resist). I don't love vampires either, but I understand the attraction to extra-human beings. X-Men and other superheroes. Zombies (not sexy, from what I've seen). Along with the classic mutants like the Mummy, Werewolf, Frankenstein, Invisible Man. This last group I liked when I was a kid. Vampires are hot now, but tomorrow it could be something else. Although, there's something extremely intimate about vampires -- sucking blood, dying to be with a loved one forever. If that's romance, I'll stick with my very human wife, thanks.