VAMPS-R-US discussion

List the best and the worst vampire novels you have ever read.

The best would include Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's THE STRAIN trilogy as will as John Steakley's VAMPIRE$.

Off hand, I can't think of any "worst" vampire novels, but that's probably because if I can't get into the book within the first 50 pages I give it to the rabbits to tear apart.

I've not read as many as I would like to yet or as much as some of you guys (currently my total is up to 43), but I can list some of the ones I liked the best. Incidentally, I prefer vampire horror over vampire detective novels, vampire teen fiction, or vampire romances, but I have enjoyed some books in each genre. That being said, I am sure a lot of you will be bothered by some of my book choices, but here goes:

The Best Vampire Novels

1. The Vampire Chronicles (Books 1-3: Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, Queen of the Damned) by Anne Rice (Sorry, they are all first rate to me.)
2. Dracula by Bram Stoker
3. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
4. Sunshine by Robin McKinley
5. Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
6. The Passage by Justin Cronin
7. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame Smith
8. Salem's Lot by Stephen King
9. Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
10. Verland: The Transformation by B.E. Scully

Worst Vampire Novels (Least favorite being #1)

1. Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur (The only vampire novel I have read that I gave up on halfway through. It was that trite.)
2. Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
3. Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon
4. Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton
5. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Scott wrote: "The best would include Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's THE STRAIN trilogy as will as John Steakley's VAMPIRE$.

Off hand, I can't think of any "worst" vampire novels, but that's probably becau..."

LMAO...give it to the rabbits to tear apart..thats funny.

Pisces19 wrote: "I've not read as many as I would like to yet or as much as some of you guys (currently my total is up to 43), but I can list some of the ones I liked the best. Incidentally, I prefer vampire horror..."

You listed one of my favorites as one of your worst...Kenyon's Dark Hunters was actually the first vampire series I started to read and Night Pleasures is my favorite...I love Kyrian! But it just goes to show you...we all love different things.

I've started "The Passage" but that is a humongous book and will take a while to read...I'm reading a bit at a time in between other books. I did love Abraham Lincoln...very unique take at the time.

Yes, it's true. I think I overdosed on romance novels at a young age or something. Now so many of them are incredibly predictable and all seem the same to me. The men are ridiculously hot and perfect, the women are always strong, capable, and out to prove themselves. Ha! Don't get me wrong. If the writing is good, I can enjoy any type of book, but it is a rare romance novel that wins me over. I did like The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole though, that was steamy and extremely funny to me, and I liked Halfway to the Grave a lot. It wasn't particularly original, but I liked how it was written and again the characters made me laugh and so it was fun. But as I said, I have not read a ton of vampire novels, only 43, and most of those were really good, so something was bound to end up on the bottom!

Oh My God. i forgot about Salem's lot, Abe Lincoln, and I Am Legend. Bad vampire lover. Bad.

Scott wrote: "Oh My God. i forgot about Salem's lot, Abe Lincoln, and I Am Legend. Bad vampire lover. Bad."

You liked those right?

Pieces if u give Dark Hunters another chance they may prove you wrong. One of the lead females, Bride, is far from perfect, very rombust and her mate loves her BECAUSE of that fact. Never tried to change her and couldn't understand y she thought he was insane due to that fact.


Dan, what vamp lover didn't love those?! LOL. Except Abe Lincoln, still haven't read it yet!!! My TBR is too damn long! LMao

Jamie wrote: "By far... hands down... B.E. Scully's Verland: The Transformation!!! It's been compared to Stoker himself! Intense exploration of death, immortality, and humanity... god I loved this book!"

Yep! It was an excellent book. It had some real depth and layering to the story, but I wanted a bit more from it. The writing style was a little sparse for me. I wanted to know MORE about Verland, but I guess that is a good thing in a book. :)

Just finished one that has skyrocketed up to the top of my list of the best. The Vampire Tapestry was a surprisingly fascinating and complex literary read.

Dan, that one is for you! (Although he does not have fangs). This is a vampire as predator and sociopath killer and it is fascinating and has serious depth. Highly recommended.

I am super picky when it comes to Vampire Books, since vamps are my favorite supernatural beings to read about.

My favorites are:
BDB
Night Huntress (and Night Huntress World)
Vampire Academy
Chicagoland Vampires
Love at Stake
Sookie Stackhouse

Some of the worst:
Thirst
Morganville Vampires
Night World
Vampire Kisses
The Immortals
Vampire Diaries

The ONLY one I disagree with on ur fav's, is Sookie, I like the show SOOOOOOOOOO much better. After a while, I kinda wanted to burn the books. Loved them at first then.........not so much. Have you read this one?

Void City......


U should also check out Immortals After Dark.....

Just goes to show how different we all are. here are some of my picks
Best: (some are hard to find)
Baker, Nancy The Night Inside aka Kiss of the Vampire
Bowen, Gary Diary of a Vampire
Collins Nancy A Sunglasses After Dark
Huston, Charlie Already Dead
Lewis, J F Staked
Martin George RR Fevre Dream,
Hamilton Laurell K Guilty Pleasures
Harris Charlaine Dead Until Dark,
Lane, Amy Vulnerable
Chance Karen Touch the Dark or Death's Daughter series

Worst:
(remember it's personal taste)
S Kenyon
C Feehan
almost any PNR vamp

LOL. Very true Tasula

best - its my favourite genre

Anne rice- the vampire lestat- queen of the damned, etc, tales of the body theif - 10/10 very well written and will one day be english literatre classics

Popy z brite- lost souls

Bram stoker - dracula

Living dead in dallas- charline harris (i've read the 1st 3 series of true blood in books of the charline harris books) - love them

BEST -SERIES 9 OF BUFFY GRAPHIC NOVELS & BUFFY BOOK

Worst -

Gabrielle faust- eternal vigilence- it was just boring

The vampires assistant - cirque de freak - just lame and it was kiddy

OH and
The vampire - marion tucker- mwahahaha my vampire novel :P

LOL! :-)

also the deborah darkness vampire ./ witch series is awful awful awful

harkness sorry not darkness

My favourite Vampire books are
1,
2, The whole series.
3, The series
4, The series
5,
6, The series
7, ,
8,
9, The whole Regency Draculia series
10,

On a lighter note I feel it's only fare to add that I enjoyed The and very much.

Vampire books I've not liked
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Fortunately the list of really not liked is not very long. These have appeared here because either they were boring or crap and boring. Having said that there's only two books there that I didn't finish because of being so lame. I think that though I prefer violent evil vampires, as long as the story is well written I'll read the more romantic books and the books written for perhaps younger adults. It doesn't bother me how graphic the sex or violence is in a story so long as it is not repetitive, or added for the sake of it, to prop up an otherwise weak storyline.
On a brighter note, I could have gone on with my list of favourites but I picked out my very favourite stories most of which are part of a series, and I mean to include the whole series. I wonder what you think?

Umm, sorry about just the covers, I thought it would print the titles as well! It still makes sense with a little patience though....

No apology needed! I LOVED the Nercoscope series. But Trueblood is one of the few books where I actually liked the show better.

Yeah, I can see that, the show is definitely exhalent. The show and the books only come together every now and then, for the most part it's just the characters names that are the same.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Lafayette die in the first book? Though I am so BEYOND glad he survived in the series.

He did die in the first book,but I agree it's great he survived in the TV series. Lafayette is my favorite character, and I love to gaze at Eric.

Tiffany wrote: "And correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Lafayette die in the first book? Though I am so BEYOND glad he survived in the series."

I haven't watched enough of the series, but I did think Lafayette was the best character in the book. I was a bit disappointed when he died, but I'm glad he's on the HBO show and that Tara has so much more of a presence on the tv adaptation too. I would have liked to have seen the hot dumb boy who was friends with them in the book but you can't have everything. And I guess that's Jason's job (being hot and dumb)

LMFAO!!! Hoyt is still in the show. He just didn't marry Tara, like he did in the book. And yes, drooling over Eric is one of my FAVORITE pastimes!!

From a mans point of view Pam is the sexiest character on any TV show since 7 of 9 in Star treck! I'd like to be Eric just so I'd be her maker!

LMFAO!!! Hey, we agree. But I'd like to be Pam so Eric could sink his.....teeth, into me. LOL

he was accidently dug up and by the very act of what the townspeople had done to him, he became a vampire.

Probably sounds a little corny but it was an awesome book. unfortunately, I can't remember the name of it!! If anyone recognizes it, please let me know.

Sorry, someone managed to delete the first part.

The story begins with a doctor two centuries ago who was experimenting on blood. The townspeople thought he might be a vampire so they killed him and buried him at the crossroads with a stake through his heart. He was accidently dug up in the present day...

I know it but cant think of the name!!!

Name some more details. Not the DarKyn. Hmmmm.....

It was a great book. I think published back in the 80's. I found it at a used bookstore. Starts out that this construction company is breaking ground on a new shopping center at what was just an old country road in the past and they disturb the crossroads which starts him to regenerating. He regenerates and digs his way out. Doesn't realize what he is at first but then accidently kills a child. Goes on to realized that it was the townspeople's actions that by burying him as a vampire they had inadvertently turned him into one.

really well done. I loaned it to a co-worked and never saw it again!! so disappointing

Tiffany wrote: "LMFAO!!! Hey, we agree. But I'd like to be Pam so Eric could sink his.....teeth, into me. LOL"

Sounds like a deal to me, lots of sinking of teeth and then back out to the bar where I can hear you use that wonderful acid tongue and droll dry sarcasm on the mortal customers!! God she has an attitude that you only want on your side. Lol

Yea, kinda like mine. Lmao! ;-)

Omg! I know I read it but can't think of the bloody name!