The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Just finished reading Vampire Tapestry (it's in our database and I've submitted an updated comment on it).

This book was originally published in the 80's and was well-received with plugs by Stephen King and Marge Piercey, to name a few.

It's way more contemplative than most vampire fiction, not a whole lot of action, and the vampire, Weyland, is an entirely unlikeable anthropology professor who doesn't have fangs, but feeds exclusively on human blood. He doesn't even like sex all that much.


What elements do you look for in vampire fiction? This is not a poll, just ideas I've thrown out to get you started. Sure I missed some:

1. Bloody violence

2. sex

3. Twists on the vampire mythos.

4. Humor

5. Historical settings.

6. Broody, self-examining vampires.

7. Reckless rogue vampires.

8. Van Helsings are your thing.

9. Vampire wars

10. whatever . . .

Gritty History
Alternative (nonhuman) perspective
Overcoming Flaws (as opposed to heroes journey)
Victorian Chamber Politics
Squirmy Violence and the Macabre
Beauty outside, Ugly inside.
Ugly outside, beauty inside.
Humans as monsters, with monsters as Heroes
Antiheros
Black comedy
Noir
Suspense
Archaic grammar, spelling, Vocab
Machiavellian ethics
Pyrrhic victories

I'm sure some other posts will help me think of other things, or to organize my thoughts more succinctly.

Something not to pretty. I need the raunchy sex, primal need for blood and some really cute male vampire. (hey a girl can dream) And love it when the author puts/mixes the story with real history.

I like some sort of imaginative vampire history - a good example would be from the movie 'Dracula 2000' where Dracula was really Judas Iscariot.

Plus, a lot of what the previous poster stated.

Personally, because I like history so much, history would be important to me, as well as bloody scenes, fangs, and sex.

I like a lot of history also, like the way Anne Rice can twist a tale. I like a lot of background about the vampires past. I can't deny that I enjoy the sexy parts of vampire fiction.

I look at history and how well does it jive with fact

I enjoy a new twist or a lesser know tidbit about vampirism is thrown in.

well what I look for in a vamp novel is the mainly a good story line doesnt matter what type i really like them all

I'm into fancy tales of deception of humans by vampires, beauty albeit in a cold stark way and reality in that vampires can coexist with humans and that the one is very much dependant on the other in various degrees.

Seems all too easy for the vamps to deceive the humans, Chasore, but I like their interconnectedness underlined, too.

Many of us likes the same thing. I also like sex, history and of course fangs :)
I love it when they somehow makes it turn real by mixing true history with fiction.

the one thing I seem to find most alluring about different vampire novels is the creativness by the author. Most newer stories incorporate a different version of vampires then the normal standard, night only, garlic foreboding, blood thirsty legends. I am alwsays amazed at how far they can take the differences. Some become allergic to the sun, others do not live for eternity only a couple hundred years... Some are even "vegans" lol..

For me it has to flow, regardless of the genre. If the book doesn't keep within its own plotline sucessfully, it has to go.

When I look for books, I try to find more original stories. It's actually how I came across Anne Rice at one point and Sherrilyn Kenyon as well.

I think fear factor is important... animal instincts over coming human nature. Power, grace and athleticism. Letting us know we are on a food chain, we are the hunted.

I look for something that I sense and feel is the truth about what and who we really are. Concealed from the outer world.

I really am easy to please as long as it's not that sappy Twilight type crap.

i like the ones from salms lot blade was ok but to say a vampire has to take a drug to control who he or she is , that is a human trate .

I enjoy the horror side of a vampire the predator. But I also like think the struggle of humanity against animal instinct is rather powerful.

I've written of all those elements in my short stories: yet it's the dichotomy between human and vampire I write of the most.

Angelus, I believe you have hit it square on the head..

lmao about Aronoch's comment on twighlight

The vampire/human dichotomy is a rich resource. Moral quandaries abound. Not just life and death, but how to make a life while dead.

1. Romance

2. Sex

3. Social Interaction

4. Need for friendship

5. Craving for blood


Its not in order but what came to my mind first.

I like alittle history, also the fact of how they deal with being a vampire and not human, I mean once would be nice as to why they have to have our blood instead of just being animaliterian.. LOL like a vegetarian.

But, as long as it captures my mind for twist and turns, then I am hooked. LOL

Vampire's own thoughts and dealing with his/her path, thoughts about the past, when they were human and after they became a vampire

secrets

mystery

rivalry

friendship

love

Personal issues of the vampire.

I can say, 1, 5 and 6. Those are the qualities that I will be looking in a Movie or book about Vampires.

to add to the list at the head of the thread.. 'introspection.'

personal issues
a love triangle of some sort
a twist noone saw coming
a very good storyline
a need to feed
and other stuff

Seems today there aren't requirements!
Case example ~ Twilight, other than love and dislike between vampire and werewolf, it sold like hot cakes, didn't it!