The love affair with vampire fiction that catapulted into the literary world in the 18th century did not lose momentum; it is a phenomenon whose effects have certainly lasted well into the modern era of literature. It is these works from the 20th and 21st century that shall be the focus of our lesson today. Though many of them will, no doubt, be familiar to you, perhaps there will be a few surprises along the way, as well. I certainly hope so, at least.
Certainly one of the most unique vampire novels I have personally encountered is Gustave Le Rouge's novel entitled Le prisonnier de la planète Mars which was published in 1908. It tells the story of a race of native, bat-winged, blood-drinking humanoids living on Mars. It's sequel, La guerre des vampires, published in 1909 continues the tale.
Joseph Henri Honore' Boex (writing under the pseudonym J.-H. Rosny aîné) would put a scientific spin on the whole issue in his 1920 novella La Jeune Vampire (The Young Vampire). In this recreation of the tale, a biological explanation for the vampire is given, citing it as a genetic mutation.
Certainly one of the most unique vampire novels I have personally encountered is Gustave Le Rouge's novel entitled Le prisonnier de la planète Mars which was published in 1908. It tells the story of a race of native, bat-winged, blood-drinking humanoids living on Mars. It's sequel, La guerre des vampires, published in 1909 continues the tale.
Joseph Henri Honore' Boex (writing under the pseudonym J.-H. Rosny aîné) would put a scientific spin on the whole issue in his 1920 novella La Jeune Vampire (The Young Vampire). In this recreation of the tale, a biological explanation for the vampire is given, citing it as a genetic mutation.
Perhaps the single most influential piece of modern vampire literature is arguably I Am Legend, a novel written by Richard Matheson in 1954. Set in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, it tells of a world overrun with undead cannibalistic creatures and the fight for survival against them. It is often cited as the first modern vampire novel, and has spawned countless comic books and three movies, which we will be discussing further in a future lesson.
The novel, it should be noted, has also had great influence on the horror genre dealing with that other undead monster known as the zombie, and was the inspiration behind the iconic 1968 film, Night of the Living Dead. Stephen King has been credited with saying how the novel greatly influenced his own writing, and for that alone, we owe it a debt.
Speaking of Stephen King, in 1975, he would present us with Salem's Lot, which was his second novel. He originally intended for it to be called Second Coming, but decided against it following the advice of his wife, Tabitha. The name was then changed to Jerusalem's Lot, but the publishers nixed that one, claiming that it sounded too religious. Thus, Salem's Lot it was.
Set in the town of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine, it tells the story of Ben Mears, who is returning home after a twenty-five year absence. He begins writing a book about Marsten House, an abandoned mansion in town where Ben had a bad experience as a child. The mansion has recently been purchased by an Austrian immigrant and his business associate. Mr. Barlow, the immigrant who is supposedly opening an antique store in town is away on 'extended business', and only his business partner, Richard Straker is ever seen in public. Cue the eerie music, sharpen the stakes and hide the children-if you thought the vampires were fixing to make an appearance, you would be absolutely correct.
Stephen King has stated on more than one occasion that of all the novels he has written, Salem's Lot is his favorite. In his own words, "In a way it is my favorite story, mostly because of what it says about small towns. They are kind of a dying organism right now. The story seems sort of down home to me. I have a special cold spot in my heart for it!"
The novel, it should be noted, has also had great influence on the horror genre dealing with that other undead monster known as the zombie, and was the inspiration behind the iconic 1968 film, Night of the Living Dead. Stephen King has been credited with saying how the novel greatly influenced his own writing, and for that alone, we owe it a debt.
Speaking of Stephen King, in 1975, he would present us with Salem's Lot, which was his second novel. He originally intended for it to be called Second Coming, but decided against it following the advice of his wife, Tabitha. The name was then changed to Jerusalem's Lot, but the publishers nixed that one, claiming that it sounded too religious. Thus, Salem's Lot it was.
Set in the town of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine, it tells the story of Ben Mears, who is returning home after a twenty-five year absence. He begins writing a book about Marsten House, an abandoned mansion in town where Ben had a bad experience as a child. The mansion has recently been purchased by an Austrian immigrant and his business associate. Mr. Barlow, the immigrant who is supposedly opening an antique store in town is away on 'extended business', and only his business partner, Richard Straker is ever seen in public. Cue the eerie music, sharpen the stakes and hide the children-if you thought the vampires were fixing to make an appearance, you would be absolutely correct.
Stephen King has stated on more than one occasion that of all the novels he has written, Salem's Lot is his favorite. In his own words, "In a way it is my favorite story, mostly because of what it says about small towns. They are kind of a dying organism right now. The story seems sort of down home to me. I have a special cold spot in my heart for it!"
This next author holds a very special place in my heart, and Stoker aside, she is probably my favorite 'vampire writer'. I speak, of course, of the legendary Anne Rice, who from 1976-2003 gave us a series of books known collectively as The Vampire Chronicles. Intensely erotic, they also step away from the usual method of treating the vampire as a monster, but portray them as rather romantic anti-heroes caught in a poetic and tragic web. Two of these, Interview with the Vampire, and Queen of the Damned have been made into movies.
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's St. Germain series, first published in 1978 follows the example set by Rice in portraying the vampire as an erotic being rather than a scary monster. Combining horror, romance, and historical fiction, they tell the story of Le Comte de Saint-Germain, who is painted as being cultured, well-traveled, articulate, elegant, and mysterious. And all the ladies swooned appropriately!
The Anno Dracula series by Kim Newman first published in 1992 suggests an alternate history to the classic novel, Dracula, in which the heroes we encounter in that same novel fail to stop Dracula's conquest of Great Britain. The result is a world where vampires are common and increasingly dominant in society.
In 2000, Darren Shan wrote a twelve-book series about a boy who becomes a vampire's assistant, collectively entitled, appropriately enough, The Saga of Darren Shan. A film adaptation has been made of the first three books, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, which came out in 2009.
The Southern Vampire Mysteries. also known as The Sookie Stackhouse Novels is a series of books written by Charlaine Harris. First published in 2001, they now serve as the inspiration behind the hit television series, True Blood. The series is written in first person in the perspective of the main character, Sookie, a telepathic waitress who resides in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Two years prior to the first novel's time line. vampires around the world have revealed themselves, via television, to the world as actual, and not mythical, beings after the development of a synthetic blood product (the most popular marketed brand of which is called "TrueBlood") that provides adequate sustenance for vampires and therefore does not require them to feed on human blood. Rather than acknowledging the legend that vampires are deceased humans that have risen from the dead to prey on the living, the vampires insist they are simply the victims of a medical condition that makes them allergic to sunlight and affects their dietary needs.
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's St. Germain series, first published in 1978 follows the example set by Rice in portraying the vampire as an erotic being rather than a scary monster. Combining horror, romance, and historical fiction, they tell the story of Le Comte de Saint-Germain, who is painted as being cultured, well-traveled, articulate, elegant, and mysterious. And all the ladies swooned appropriately!
The Anno Dracula series by Kim Newman first published in 1992 suggests an alternate history to the classic novel, Dracula, in which the heroes we encounter in that same novel fail to stop Dracula's conquest of Great Britain. The result is a world where vampires are common and increasingly dominant in society.
In 2000, Darren Shan wrote a twelve-book series about a boy who becomes a vampire's assistant, collectively entitled, appropriately enough, The Saga of Darren Shan. A film adaptation has been made of the first three books, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, which came out in 2009.
The Southern Vampire Mysteries. also known as The Sookie Stackhouse Novels is a series of books written by Charlaine Harris. First published in 2001, they now serve as the inspiration behind the hit television series, True Blood. The series is written in first person in the perspective of the main character, Sookie, a telepathic waitress who resides in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Two years prior to the first novel's time line. vampires around the world have revealed themselves, via television, to the world as actual, and not mythical, beings after the development of a synthetic blood product (the most popular marketed brand of which is called "TrueBlood") that provides adequate sustenance for vampires and therefore does not require them to feed on human blood. Rather than acknowledging the legend that vampires are deceased humans that have risen from the dead to prey on the living, the vampires insist they are simply the victims of a medical condition that makes them allergic to sunlight and affects their dietary needs.
In 2005, Stephenie Meyer took the world by storm with her Twilight saga, which follows the trials and tribulations of Edward Cullen and his beloved Bella Swan. The books tend to polarize opinions; you either love them or you hate them-fiercely. Either way, Ms. Meyer was certainly not shy about bucking tradition when it came to the 'formula' for writing vampire fiction, and whatever I feel personally about her choices, I do give her kudos for being willing to explore new grounds. For example, the vampires in Twilight do not have fangs, but strong piercing teeth, they can drink animal as well as human blood. And, oh yeah-they glitter in the sunlight. Dracula has now left the building.
Please proceed to Assignment 7 for your homework.