Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy discussion

What do you think makes vampires so popular?

Here's my take on it...

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TEXT BLOG:
The Suaveratu History of Vampires

Your opinions? Even more interesting - why were there no popular vampire stories between the time of Bram Stoker and Anne Rice?

There were a few short stories with vampires in them that were fairly popular Eric. Just not to the tune of Dracula or Anne Rice.

And, if you'd read the book Dracula, well, Dracula was pretty sexy in that book. Also pretty scarey.

NEVER read Dracula in the middle of the night, in the mountains of Greece, while baby-sitting. . . And have the parents of the kids you are sitting "disappear". and said parents were the CHAPLAIN and his wife. Oh, and don't be 15 when doing this. My parents (Dad was the XO of the Naval Base) had everyone they could round up out searching for them. Found their car abandoned on the side of the road, but no sign of them. About 6 a.m. a very nice Greek gentleman rode his donkey to the gates of the Base and managed to get across that he had the two of them at his house--where he'd rescued them. Someone had stolen almost all the gas from their car, and they had been trying to walk the 25 miles back to the base, with Mrs. Chaplain in high heels, AND with no flashlights, down a twisting, turning narrow mountain road. . . Yep, that was my introduction to the Man himself. Still, he was a very sexy vampire. . .

As for why--because in many ways, vampires are all about S*E*X. And we all know that sex sells, right? And there have been a lot of tweaks to the canon of vampire-dom. (Sparkly vampires, anyone? And can I just say--HATED that they didn't do a better job with that in the movie. I felt they could have done ssoo many wonderful things with special effects, and they just wimped out.)

Ann aka Iftcan wrote: "And, if you'd read the book Dracula, well, Dracula was pretty sexy..."
I actually have. Excellent book. And I was quite surprised that the Copolla film is only movie-version that is very accurate to the book. Although, I didn't imagine Jonathan Harker with a half-English/half-Elmer-Fudd accent like Keanu Reeves used. I just crack up everytime he says, "We awre to be mawrried when I weturn."

I always wish he'd add, "I'm hunteing wabbits! Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh!"

Vampires are popular because they have made their way into modern myth. Both Stoker and Rice produced a scary but sexy creature, and vampires took off as a myth and legend.

Movies, TVs, Books, they have gotten more and more popular because people love established myths. Greek myths have the same popularity even though they aren't "better" than Norse, Asian, or Mayan Myths...

They just have more exposure...

J. A. wrote: "Vampires are popular because they have made their way into modern myth. Both Stoker and Rice produced a scary but sexy creature, and vampires took off as a myth and legend.

Movies, TVs, Books, the..."


I'm with you, the exposure made them okay to be front and center at a book store, they became popular. Good or bad. Even if some of what made vampires popular was not to swift, I'm glad it happened.

Whether we admit it or not, vampires became so popular because of mainstream media. These authors re-invented our image of vamps from Dracula to the sparkly emo vampire to the good looking sexy badass. And now, they are everywhere and even became a sub-genre.

Dracula, published at the exact turn of the last century, is a really fascinating book--as much social commentary of its time as it is about vampires.

For one thing, it's anti-feminist. Mina is considered a perfect woman. Loyal to her fiancee, demure, with no interest in a career, or voting, or doing anything that doesn't involve supporting her man or becoming a mother, she actually declares at one point that men are better and kinder than women. Her good friend Lucy, who is already a bit too interested in men and other experiences, is transformed by Dracula's bite into a hot tramp who roams the countryside killing children.

Hmmm. This isn't really about monsters at all, is it.

The harbingers of the coming modern world are unexpected and pretty cool. Two characters rig up a primitive blood transfusion. And I think at some point there's a phone call.

But I'm getting off subject!

Why were there no popular vampire stories between the time of Bram Stoker and Anne Rice?

Honestly, I think it had to do with the two world wars. People were too caught up in the horrors of reality. It took until the 1960s to shake off World War II--and then suddenly, it was the time of the anti-hero. (Think Clint Eastwood as The Man With No Name and Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke.) It was a time of embracing misunderstood outsiders and different life styles.

Anyway, that's my take on it!

Vampires have an air of romance and sex

Reasons I like vampires...

1) Scooby Doo - It all started here...
2) The Lost Boys - my obsession with Corey Haim
3) Interview with a vampire - Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise & Christian Slater (nice!)
4) Buffy - love David Boreanez and the whole I'm good, but I'm really bad...
5) Twilight - I just wanted to be the geek girl who captured the heart of the hunky, etc, etc... VAMPiRE

Ultimately, personally it's all about the fight between good and evil, not what the sex is like... That's why I avoid a lot of paranormal nowadays! I like the whole fighting to be a better person thing... That's where Twilight made it weird, and yet okay, with the volturi. And why I lost interest with Buffy when it got more into the witches angle. The romance makes it more believable.

Vampires allow humans to be both good and bad, depending on who they are with. The sexual tension is important & fab, but the fact they are fictional makes killing seem almost normal. When I watch what a real person is capable of, it makes it harder to swallow. In the world of fiction anything is possible...

I'm with you, Vanessa.
Buffy and Angel 4Ever!

Vanessa wrote: "Reasons I like vampires...

1) Scooby Doo - It all started here...
2) The Lost Boys - my obsession with Corey Haim
3) Interview with a vampire - Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise & Christian Slater (nice!)
4) ..."

Interview was just on last night!

Louis isn't the same kind of redeemable vamp you see in today's PNR's, but damn is he sexy...

I've never seen it! I should rent it. I remember Anne Rice was horrified at Tom Cruise being cast as Lestat. She campaigned against it.

Helen wrote: "I've never seen it! I should rent it. I remember Anne Rice was horrified at Tom Cruise being cast as Lestat. She campaigned against it."

Yeah... Tom Cruise tries his best, but meh.

But there's Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderas as vampires, so yay!

Mmmm...heading over to the Netflix queue right now.

Yes, if there was one thing I didn't like about that movie, I'd say it was Tom Cruise as Lestat, but one look at Brad Pitt and all was forgiven. Sooo Yummy! :p

Yep, if you have not seen it, you should! Also, The lost boys... It's cheesy, but it's a classic & the soundtrack is ACE!

If any of you are interested in reading my take on vamps let me know... It's currently only 77p since I am soon to release the finale to my trilogy.

I admit that, in hindsight, I should have done something different - if I had published 5 years ago, it would be great... But I think the interest in vamps has now disappeared for a while - until the next big movie comes out! Film crew... Anyone? Ha ha ha

My interest in the paranormal will always be huge... I think it's not just about vampires though, it's anything different. Do any of you remember the TV series Roswell? Watch the first episode and tell me Twilight did not rip it off - coincidentally, it was released around 2000 - 3 years before Twilight hit the book stores! And SM obviously likes aliens since she wrote Host - I am suspicious!

At the end of the day, I think we are all influenced by what we see, hear and experience.

I loved Roswell as I also loved a much older series back in the 80s (86-87), Starman with Robert Hays.

That rings a bell...

I also loved Heroes! :)

Before I started writing I was a massive TV series/ movie fan (still am, just have less time for it!)

I also watched a series that was about aliens that changed humans via water - no idea what it was called!

I did grow up watching Dallas, Dynasty & The Colby's - probably why I like dramatic drama & books with family ties! :)

Do you mean Invasion? (I prefer my aliens to be good guys though) :P
Oh and I loved Heroes too!

That's the one... I was wondering what that was called for years!

I was gutted when I never saw a series after all the women got pregnant - WHAT happened? Ahhhhh...

Cor, we could be twins you know! Ha ha

(so glad I'm not alone...)

I so hate it when my favorite TV shows are removed while others I find stupid or boring still air.
Why did they remove MOONLIGHT?! /cry

I know... But then again, I know my husband does not really like scifi series!

Funny thing was, I was given a Buffy Series as a maternity leaving present - so sad, right! Ha ha

Vampires are so popular because they are SO FREAKING HOT. I don't care what anyone says. They are mysterious and sweet and SOME OF THEM are mature. Their not just hot but COMPLETELY SEXY.

Comment if you agree

What kind of husband is that?!?! :P Mine watches the same shows I watch. Even better, I get to choose what to watch as I am the one ordering from Netflix. He never once complained. Even better, he's the one who first introduced me to True blood and Twilight. Not that I am a fan of Twilight. I didn't mind the first movie but the others... I think I watched them because of the husband more than for myself. (never read the books.. are they better?)

Ok.. what is sad about getting a Buffy Series?!?! That's an awesome gift! :)

Vanessa wrote: "Yep, if you have not seen it, you should! Also, The lost boys...

Loved The Lost Boys!

The books are a whole lot better in twilight

G.G. wrote: "I so hate it when my favorite TV shows are removed while others I find stupid or boring still air.
Why did they remove MOONLIGHT?! /cry"

Moonlight!! I was too heartbroken when that went off the air. Alex O'Loughlin was hot! Was?? Still is lol!

The books in the Twilight series are good (I was addicted when I found them - did not realise the craze at the time, silly me!) but I love the soundtracks to all the movies... Listen to them again & again...

As for sexy vampires... I was never into True Blood! Once sex happens on a frequent basis it takes the fun away!

But, I admit, if written well, it is great! :)

And yeah, I was over the moon with my Buffy box set - only pain is I lent it to someone and they have not given it back (& I can't remember who it was!!! Ahhhh)

Alex sure is! Although I loved him better with his longer sexy hair and before he had his teeth altered.
It changed his smile. :(

(Now I wonder why my protagonist's name is Alex?!) :>

@Vanessa That is why I don't like lending. In my long experience about lending, I know I never get anything back unless I ask for. People seem to mistake LENDING for GIFTING grrr.

True blood, I didn't like at first. I couldn't stand Sookie. Hubby was watching it. I wasn't. Later on, I read the books and finally decided to give TB a chance. Hubby was nice and didn't mind watching them again and he didn't tell me the famous reply: I TOLD YOU SO!

True blood is the best adult vampire show but the best book is night huntress.