Witches, Weres, and Vamps, Oh MY! discussion

As a newbie to this particular site and group, I first approached Stephanie and asked if this would be an acceptable topic for discussion within the group. As an author, I was compelled to join Goodreads not only for the quality and organizational design of the site, but because I had a genuine interest in understanding how horror and fantasy fans perceived my two favorite genres.
In the context of this specific discussion topic, I would like to know what specifically attracts horror readers to vampires. The vampire has made been transmogrified over the last few decades from a creature who was inherently and unrelentingly evil to something whose nature is conflicted and nebulous...even noble.
I must confess that I am something of a horror traditionalist who regards the vampire as a mosquito with teeth and bad intentions, thus I would like to understand more of how today's reader perceives theses creatures...can the attraction's roots be found in the moth-to-a-flame psychology (especially amongst female fans)or is it far more complex and multi-faceted?
All and any insight here would be most helpful.

That is an interesting question George.

Personally, I like the darker tales where the vampire has more of a monster quality to them. The horror stories.

Todays tormented vampire that just wants to love a human seems a little off to me. Don't get me wrong some of those stories are still very good and some are even favorites. But whenever I think of vampires I think of the scary monsters that lurk in the dark and not the vamps of Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance.

From my own perspective, I agree. One of my favorite vampiric offerings of the last few years was thirty days of night...the vampires were ugly and unrelentingly ruthless. Dracula evolved into Lestat and now Edward...that metamorphosis has been most lucrative for those who have facilitated it...but when the dust settles and the inevitable trend runs its course...what will be left of the horror genre. There is a deeper issue here that I believe (perhaps erroneously) speaks to the female psyche. As a horror writer, I have had people come to my table at signings and declare that they were too frigthened to read horror, but adored twilight and ravenously consumed novels about serial killers. If I was a woman, I would think that the notion of being abucted and dismembered by a psychotic killer is much more terrifying than a novel about supernatural entities running amok...
George

I miss books such as I, Vampire The Confessions of a Vampire - His Life, His Loves, His Strangest Desires ... where Vampires are portrayed a bit different then today's love stories.

Don't get me wrong, I love me some J.R. Ward, Stephanie Meyer (though I hate the sparklies.. /sigh) and Sherrilyn Kenyon.. some of my favorite books actually.

But the genre is getting stale I think, for me. So much so that I have branched out into witches (Harrison), Angels (Singh) and other types of magical PR/UF creatures.

I love the paranormal, so much so that I really cant read much in the way outside that genre. But I do try and have been successful from time to time :P

♥Tricia♥ wrote: "(though I hate the sparklies.. /sigh)"

Hear, Hear! That was a little too much.

I read DRACULA the summer before the 4th grade and absolutely loved it. But my major exposure to vampires came with Dark Shadows. I had the most awful crush on Barnabas Collins, and I think he was one of the first conflicted vampires. He hated what he was, but couldn't fight his impulses so he was a tragic romantic hero. Then, of course, there was Frank Langella's portrayal of Dracula and that kind of sealed the deal for the vampire as a romantic character. Factor in characters like Nick Knight from Forever Knight and Angel, the vampire with a soul (so okay, when he lost his soul he was REALLY bad!), and the vampire has suddenly become the sexy thing around. I like both kinds of vampires, but admit to being partial to the hotties of today!

I wonder if the attraction to the vampire is an evolution of the attraction that certain women have to the unrepenting bad boy? Vampires, by their very definition, feed on the life force of other creatures. In the real world, the vampire comes in many forms (people who feed off the misery of others, the creative energy etc). When considered from this perspective, it's very difficult to grasp the mechanics of the process that created and depicted vampires as anything but negative/evil entities.

I believe that vampires are very complex and that a part of their humanity and personality from before they were turned remains intact. I feel that is the authors creative freedom how they want to stick to tradition or reinvent the vampire. I think the biggest attractions to vampires for me is the seductiveness and the immortality. The idea that someone could live forever is intriguing. If only I could be immortal and live on chocolate as apposed to blood... :)

I think it boils down to the attraction to redeeming the bad boy. Sure at their root vampires are evil. But what if their humanity is still in there and it just hasn't come to the surface because society won't let it? Can he be saved? The tortured soul seeking redemption is very sexy to a lot of people.

i think that excluding the infamous cullens the attractive things about vamps is they no longer are bound by mortality or the standard norms humans follow because its what we have been brought up with. also with some like my fav Jean Claude the whole sexual extra are nice plus not not nesacary

Awesomevegan...I just wanted to note that I was particularly delighted with you perspective on this topic...The concept of retaining some semblance of one's original humanity after undergoing a radical transformation is a cornerstone of the second novel of my horror trilogy and so that remark resonated for me personally. The notion of immortality may initially seem attractive, but upon closer consideration, may well be anything but. To see the passing of everything you've ever valued and to have to endure this process for an eternity would certain require a complete and utter detachment that would border on the inhuman.

♥Tricia♥ wrote: "I miss books such as I, Vampire The Confessions of a Vampire - His Life, His Loves, His Strangest Desires ... where Vampires are portrayed a bit different then today's love stories.
..."

I hear you!!! The vamp stuff is great and I love it BUT people are clearly wearing it out so I to have branched off to other forms of UF and PN. People are starting to really get into the Fae and witches and things of the sort. I read Midnights Daughter the other day and those are not the "sparkly" kinda vamps in fact it had Drac in it (aka Vlad) and talks about how he got to be the most infamous vamp ever. It was good there were some parts that were way to discriptive in the bedroom and it got confusing on the details of each persons story but I will probably read the next one.

up till the past couple of years even the pretty vamps were damn scary at times. like jean claud pulling a giant snake apart with his bare hands and talking all normal afterwards while covered in its blood. even though i read the ya vamp book sometimes i get the feeling that its in that genre where they have started to become soft. so far in HON even though Eric have become a full vamp he still acts like a human teenager gag me. i like him but hes not scary and vampire like the only one who is is nefert

Gothicladybug wrote: "like jean claud pulling a giant snake apart with his bare hands and talking all normal afterwards while covered in its blood."

Is that the Jean Claude from the Anita Blake books??? I TOTALLY don't remember that!

I've branced off into other forms of PNR & UF as well because of the over abundance of Vampires. I try to really do some resarch on a book if it focuses on vamps any more. However, I've found a new author & I love her writting Rhiannon Frater. She only has one vamp book out, Pretty When She Dies A Vampire Novel, and it has a very unique feel to it. Highly recommended.

If you're not seeing your comments in this thread some were deleted because they were only headed towards an off topic argument

Shanon wrote: "Gothicladybug wrote: "like jean claud pulling a giant snake apart with his bare hands and talking all normal afterwards while covered in its blood."

Is that the Jean Claude from the Anita Blake books??? I TOTALLY don't remember that!..."

Shannon, that took place in Circus of the Damned (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #3) and I second your recommendation of Pretty When She Dies A Vampire Novel - a very good vampire book. I really hope she writes Pretty When She Kills soon.

In another thread Rhiannon said she'll be writting Pretty When She Kills early next year. In the meantime you might want to check out this https://www.createspace.com/3405740. It's The Vampire Bride and she just published it this month.

Shanon wrote: "Gothicladybug wrote: "like jean claud pulling a giant snake apart with his bare hands and talking all normal afterwards while covered in its blood."

Is that the Jean Claude from the Anita Blake ..."

yea it him earlier in the series i think it was in guilty pleasures or maybe circus of the damned it was before they hooked up maybe even before richard came in i reread the 1st few a few months back i miss those one so much