So this podcast/blog list is a bit different. Instead of just highlighting a random subject, I thought I would add in a bit about the many different portrayals of vampires out there in speculative fiction; ranging from romantice, erotic, horror and more.
So, as usual, here is the podcast link (see below) and see what you think about these. Obviously I couldn't do every vampire book out there.....not possible but it is a selection of those I enjoyed or understood....or showed something different.
alchemy of genres
In the Jane Yellowrock series, the main character is a type of shifter (but not a were creature, her abilities are tied into Native American mythology). Jane is a bounty hunter and in this series is working with (sometimes for) vampires but is not really a part of their society. In this world vampires are known but are very secretive. There is a hierarchy, which the readers get to know as Jane does. This hierarchy is a mix based on age, abilities and magic. Vampires have super strength, super speed, mind powers and do feed on human blood. They have no need to go hunting though as they have blood servants to feed on; and some go onto being specially bonded granting them special powers through sharing of blood.Being made a vampire is a long process, and not everyone makes it through with their mind intact. The main vampire of the series is Leo Pellissier, the Blood Master of New Orleans (there is an actual territory mentioned, but I forget what it is). This is a really fun series to read as it has lots of action, some romance (but not enough to make it a main story arc) and a nice cross-section of various types of magical beings, seeing how Hunter has them interact with each other and regular humans is an interesting and evolving part of the story.
Martin has crossed several of her series together, but these two directly refer to the vampire Soren. In this universe vampires are made and apprenticed to a vampire for training. There don't seem to be a lot of vampires, but there isn't a whole period of blood madness either; just a need for someone to help you figure out what to do and how to handle your powers. There are (of course) good and bad vampires. They all drink blood, but don't seem to need a lot. They have the usual mind powers, strength and speed. Soren is a part of an arcane society that fights evil by directly confronting those who are doing it and by destroying objects of power. All nonhuman and magical beings are secret, the normal world doesn't know they exist. There are a select group of humans who know, many of whom have psychic or magical gifts. Cassidy Kincaid is the main character in the Deadly Curiosities books and her antiques shop is Trifles & Folly (the series of 2 books under that title is a set of short stories set in the universe, featuring various characters). This is a fun series sadly only available by direct purchase or through Kindle Unlimited; and is not about romance but about the adventures of fighting evil and about Cassidy and her friends finding their powers and strengths. Some of the other associated books have a more romantic focus, but many of them are written under her other name Morgan Brice to keep it clear. Titles in this universe include Badlands series, Treasure Trail, Night Vigil books, and Witchbane series.
Pratchett is a well known humorous fantasy author and he does include vampires in his Discworld universe. Vampires are from Uberwald, and kind of default (intentionally) to a Count Dracula model (including the Boris Karloff accent). Vampires in this universe like to drink blood, but don't have to. It is like any other addiction, and can be substituted with other things, like coffee or animal blood; or indeed they can handle it like an addiction and not drink anything at all. Mostly vampires are born, but there also seem to be those who are made, though the process is secretive.
This series is really fun, very British and can be read in any order.
In the world of Kate Daniels, vampires are made from humans who are given a pathogenic virus which kills their mind but keeps their bodies alive. Thus vampires are bloodthirsty monstrous beings that are a danger to everyone, but are controlled by necromancers (called Navigators). Navigators and vampires are well known and pay handsomely for humans to be made into vampires; and navigators train endlessly to learn the mind control necessary to hold and use vampires as an extension of the navigators will and body. Navigators live in a strictly structured society and vampires are used as weapons, and as spies. Vampires are also constantly mutating due to the virus, so they become less human looking the older they are. They can go out in daylight, but only if covered in sunscreen.
The Kate Daniels series is considered paranormal romance, and I suppose it is; but it is a really nicely matched mix of suspense, action and emotional content and is one of my favorites. The audiobooks are also really well done.
Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series (with a YA series called Finishing School) is a steampunk humorous adventure series. In it vampires are very fashion conscious & are the trend setters (many seem to be effeminate, but not all). They drink blood, but carefully and delicately (with manners!) and in general are played very campy (though Carriger makes it plain that sometimes it is all for show and they are, in fact, intelligent under all the posturing and ruthless when necessary). In this universe vampires are made and are Undead, but can only be made by a female queen, the rest are either loners or drones (very much modeled after bees). Wherever the queen is, the hive follows. Not everyone who takes the bite to become a vampire survives, and in fact have many living with them learning about society and social mores before being chosen to try. The belief is that those with "an excess of spirit" survive best; so they recruit artists of all kinds (which also matches their aesthetic of campy artist types). Supernatural creatures are known and are part of the society and governed under council and Queen. This is a Victorian style existence, so very structured societal levels and expectations; but as a steampunk there is the ability to fuzz some of the stricter rules for special cases. This is a really fun series with romance, silliness and adventure and a spunky female lead.
The Undead series is another humorous series featuring vampires. Betsy is a clueless vampire queen with none of the usual weaknesses to holy items, or sunlight or stakes; but she is also a bit shallow and silly. In this world vampires are made, and they are very traditional vampires (mind powers, strength & speed) with strict rules and societal structure. They are very annoyed by the appearance of this rule breaking vampire with a smart mouth and designer shoes. Davidson does make sure the characters aren't just one dimensional props for a silly comedy, and for some reason every time Betsy talks I hear her with an 80's Valley girl accent (which is probably a clue to MY age...haha).
I have to have the original Dracula story here, as without Bram Stoker we don't have the foundations of the legend of vampires. Without that foundation of ideas, there would be nowhere for the authors to bounce from or to try to balance with. If you haven't read the original story, you should. It isn't necessarily like the movies; but there is also more he can do than you see in books today (shape changing, mind control (even from a distance), and generally the epitome of evil)
Kenyon is the perfect vehicle to use to talk about playing with the tropes and expectations of vampires in fiction. She never calls her creations vampires (though other characters do); but instead has Dark Hunters (good guys) and Appolites (bad guys). Kenyon's books are set in a universe where each book refers to others, but are also each stand alone adventures/romances. These are primarily fun and sexy adventures (the epitome of paranormal romance where romance is one of the main focuses of the story). Acheron is the main person and the first Dark Hunter; and all hunters are tied to the Greek panteon of gods.
He does have his own book, if you want to read it, but you'd probably want to start at the beginning to really build a sense of the structure of the world and the Hunter society.
Alice Winters writes humorous romantic stories featuring M/M romances. They are only found by direct ordering through Amazon or by a subscription to Kindle Unlimited. In the VRC, Vampire Related Crimes have a special police unit manned by vampires only in order to negate the problems of a human being influenced by or hurt by a vampire doing a crime. In this world vampires are forbidden from drinking from humans, there is a whole market of various kinds of animal blood (as they each taste slightly differently) for consumption by vampires. You can be either born or made a vampire. Making someone a vampire is a whole legal process and has to be government approved or you become a criminal. Vampires are just a part of society, but most tend to keep to themselves. Born vampires are stronger and are able to eat human food if they choose, but also need blood to survive. Societal structure seems to default to an age/power dynamic as the oldest vampires have the most power and are usually in charge.
This is a fun and humorous series where each book features a different vampire and a new relationship but interacting with those previous characters already met....and they are all vampire cops (well, at least the main characters are, the love interest may not be).
This is another classic vampire story, told from the human point of view. These are the monstrous vampires, no talking, no reason. In the original ending there is a twist that most never saw coming and really makes you think about what makes a monster (it is not the same as the movie FYI).
You should definitely check this out if you enjoy vampire novels.
Vampire High is a humorous teen book. How vampires are made isn't discussed and seems to indicate they are all born but living in secret. Cody is one of a few humans at the school, there as a means to keep vampires secret from the rest of the world. Mainly this is a story about fitting in and being different; but with cool, super smart vampires as the in crowd.
A fun light read and a different take on vampires as more than human but not monstrous.
Scott Westerfeld took vampires into a viral monster place. They are the monstrous kinds of creature but come from catching a disease. The main character Cal, finds out about them when an ex turns into a monster, which leads him to discover ALL his exes are monsters as he is a carrier for this vampire virus but is not ill himself. Westerfeld writes a creepy novel for teens with obvious STD references but adding in monsters instead of the usual diseases.
Holly Black makes another monstrous vampire book, using a virus as a means of change. Vampires do retain their In this book, those with vampirism are segregated into walled communities, but everyone knows they escape and attempt to infect others, so precautions are necessary. Tana, protagonist, is a kickass but believable character in this suspenseful and intriguing story for teens.
Kate Kane Paranormal Investigator books (only read the first one thus far) has supernatural creatures known but strictly structured into regions (like gang turfs). The vampire has a court, there are 4 in the region with a speciality (cups, wands, coins and swords same as the tarot deck). The head of a type is called a Prince regardless of gender. This is a fun and suspenseful story, with a really cool lesbian investigator (though romance is not the main focus it is present and there are some sexual situations).
Hidden Species series only has 2 so far (with a 3rd in a short story); but thus far, each has dealt with a different supernatural creature. Supernatural creatures are hidden from the humans, but have their own governmental oversight offices. In #2, we have a vampire. Vampires in this universe like blood but don't need it from a live source; they just tend to put it into everything they eat or drink (so think blood brownies, blood smoothies with mango, that sort of thing). They are powerful and love lived but don't seem to be magical in nature (though they can see magic and are of course aware of supernatural creatures who use it). Hidden Species is an Amazon exclusive offering, so you buy it as a book or an ebook on the website or Kindle only. It is also a M/M romance adventure, so it's fun as long as you don't mind seeing men fall in love or reading their love scenes.
The Anita Blake universe is one that has been around for awhile (some of the first books were published in the early 90's); but Hamilton has been able to build and explain more as the series has continued. Jean Claude is the main vampire protagonist, and you meet him in the first book along with Anita Blake. Vampires begin as monsters, become citizens and slowly begin gaining more rights. They are allowed to use their powers, but only if used consensually. Vampires live a long time, have supernatural strength and speed, and have mind powers (but varies depending on age & ability). Hamilton also has different "family" variations of powers, so if you are turned by someone with a specific type of power, you also gain some of that; so you could be a rotting vampire (able to appear rotting or not, and are very poisonous), a sex/love vampire (able to feed on or inspire lust and/or love), nighthags (able to cause nightmares and feed on fear) or those able to feed on rage and anger. Jean Claude is from the lust/love type and can feed from lust (a reason why he runs a bar for exotic dancers); and when Anita becomes involved with him as his human servant, she also inherits it; needing to feed on lust as well. Vampires in this universe require human blood, using any other blood results in a terrible wasting disease that will kill the vampire.
This series alternates between focusing on events and handling supernatural perils; solving murders and finding criminals (especially as it relates to Anita being a Federal Marshall) and stories that focus on the intricacies of Anita's relationships and how supernatural forces/problems are affecting it. I love these books, but they can be graphic and that isn't to everyone's taste.
This is sort of a classic, in that they have been around for ages. I don't know that they have aged well (but then again, I haven't read them in forever so maybe they do). Anne Rice was THE author in the 90's with her sexy vampires hidden from society but being beautiful, super powerful and full of angst. Vampires in these tend to be loners, but occasionally make small family type groups. Vampires are always made, but there isn't always someone who helps guide you through the learning curve and the hierarchy of society is rather loosely structured and based on age and power levels. They do require human blood, only drinking from animals in an emergency.
In The Hollows series, vampires (along with other supernatural beings) are out and full members of society. The main vampire character is Ivy Tamwood, the roommate and business partner of Rachel Morgan (the witch main character of the series). Vampires are both born and made but born is more powerful. Before undeath and becoming a true vampire, one can eat regular food and drink blood but after it is only blood and they lose a lot of their humanity in the transition as well. While vampires are known, they seem to be still mostly underground like the mafia, with much of their powers, and structures hidden from any non-vampires.
In the Soulbound series, vampires are known and acknowledged but have their own courts and rules (which are hidden and allow law enforcement to ignore anything called a vampire matter). Vampires aren't beautiful, blood giving isn't sexy (unless drugged) and can be monstrous; but seems to be more like a mafia thing; where every vampire court has their own way of doing things. In this world not only supernaturals but also Gods are real, and so Ashanti is the first vampire and the goddess of the vampires, hailing from the continent of Africa, and power is determined by how closely aligned you are to her (so Lucien is a major power as he is her "son"). Lucien is at least 1000 years old and on the most wanted list of every continent. Unlike "traditional" vampires, these use ALL their teeth when extracting blood, and there is a lot of scarring. These scars mark those "belonging" to a vampire, or just those willing victims. A lot of the power structure and elements of making vampires are left unspoken as the story is told from Patrick (government agent) and Jono (werewolf) and they are not friends though they cooperate on matters when needed (like a criminal informant situation). This is one of my favorite series' both on audio and in print and can be found on Amazon & Kindle Unlimited. Mainly it follows Patrick as he fights to complete a task he failed to finish before, but there is a romantic undercurrent as Patrick and Jono fall for each other and create a pack. It does contain adult situations, and so if M/M sexual situations bother you,then you are probably not going to enjoy this series.
Not Dead Yet series is primarily a mystery/suspense series but does contain some romantic situations as well. Wes is a sort of ghost (eve though he is also not a ghost), and Hudson is a vampire (but pretending not to be). Supernaturals are in hiding but known to those who need to know. Vampires are sleezy and icky but don't have to be.....kind of equated to a biker gang idea. Also a vampire is always under the power of his/her maker so cannot disobey a direct order without difficulty, which reinforces the gang-like structure.
Vampires do drink blood, but it is usually done secretly and in a sexual situation (with some mind scrubbing magic so you forget).
This is an interesting series with a different take on vampires, and is an Amazon original. It has some sexual situations and so is aimed at adults and those who don't mind men in love.
Angela Knight did a completely different take on vampires, by tying them directly to the Knights of the Round Table. They feed on blood, but also have sexual needs tied into the feeding; the women (Morgan Le Fay, Gwenivere, etc) are sorceresses "made" for the Knights, as they have magical powers in the blood and are able to do great sorcery. They are protecting our realm from others in the multiverse, and more vampires are born by being related to one of the originals (so they are still fertile and not dead). Same for female sorceresses, all trace back to original court families. This is an amazing, saucy, dirty series with lots of sex and quests to save the world. Details are left a bit vague at times, but since it is so different, I thought it would be fun to include on the list.
Stephen King's contribution to the vampire genre can't be ignored as he is the master of the monster story. Of course his vampire is evil and monstrous, and we don't know much about vampires in general; just THIS vampire. If you like a good horror novel or just want to read some creepy vampire fiction, you can't go wrong with Salem's Lot.
I didn't want to forget the book inspiration for the True Blood series. The books are a lot sillier and less angsty & sexy than the tv show; but this would be a terrible list if I didn't include it. I really enjoyed the show more than the books, but that should not stop you from trying it.
I am not going to talk much about the Twilight books, because I am not a huge fan; however, I do understand the appeal and it kind of pushed romantic lit back into vampires (especially for teens) while adding the controversial "sparkly" element....(note: there have always been daywalking vampires, but it's not usually the default, and no one ever made them sparkly.) There have been, and will always be controversies & differing points of view of the formatting and the romantic arc to the stories (is it romance or stalking kind of questions); but it DID make an impact between the books and the movies, so I wanted to mention it.
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