The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

"Real Vampires"-how can this be anything but a contradiction in terms? We all know about vampires. Stock characters of fiction, guaranteed box-office draws, the media vampire has been familiar to us since childhood. Generally speaking, our blood-suckers appear with a tongue planted firmly in one toothy cheek-from Bela Lugosi hamming it up in the 1950's, to last summer's teenage "vamp" movies, to Count Chocula breakfast cereal, the media seldom treat the vampire as truly fearsome. The stereotyped vampire traits are familiar to any child: vampires have big fangs, sleep in coffins, are instantly incinerated by sunlight, and are best dispatched by a stake through the heart. But the most important "fact" that we all know of course is that there are no such things.

Of course, in terms of the mythical, literary and cinematic conventions, we are correct: there are no "legions of the undead" stalking the unwary. We have explained the folklore with politics, misunderstood diseases, and hysteria, the literary and cinematic images with psychology, history, and sociology. We of the 20th century are confident that vampires could not really exist. But then, most of us are never forced to think otherwise. For a number of people, the concept of vampires becomes a critical and often lifelong concern. To live with, love, or befriend a real vampire is to encounter a set of problems which may demand expanding the boundaries of one's accepted reality. To come to terms with being a real vampire oneself is to face a lifetime's karmic challenge.

Some people reading this article already know this. The rest are probably thinking, "Real Vampires, give me a break! Sure, there are some pretty weird people out there, but all they need is a good therapist." Yes, there are people who take on all the trappings of a gothic novel: dressing in black, claiming or pretending to be "vampires" in the supernatural sense, wearing capes, sleeping in boxes, even getting their teeth capped. There are more frightening people who seek to torture or kill animals or human beings in order to gain power, emotional release or sexual thrill, and who sometimes call themselves (or are called) "vampires". But most of these individuals are troubled people who have been attracted by the cultural myths about the vampire: supernatural powers (because they feel powerless), overwhelming sexuality (because most of them have sexual issues and no true relationships), immortality (because they fear aging and death). Individuals like these are the most recent "explanation" for humanity's persistent belief in vampires. But beyond and behind all the folklore, the psychological theories, the role playing, even the traditional spiritual assumptions, lies the real truth about vampires. A Dream of Dracula (Popular Library, 1972)





The field of vampirology is complex and mysterious. There are many aspects to the vampire phenomenon, and they would require several books to fully explore. One aspect of vampirism which frequently troubles magickal, spiritual and other small groups, the most common form of vampire, is found among living people who share with us the benefits and disadvantages of physical existence on this plane, yet are not quite human. These people appear on the surface to be somewhat eccentric members of society, yet their outward idiosyncrasies only hint at how different they are from those around them.

Each of us incarnates for a lifetime with a certain way of relating to the physical world through the vehicle of our physical body. A vampire is a person born with an extraordinary capacity to absorb, channel, transform, and manipulate "pranic energy" or life force. She also has a critical energy imbalance which reels wildly from deficit to overload and back again. This capacity for handling energy is a gift, but the constant imbalance of her own system is the cause of the negative behavior patterns and characteristics which may be notable about a vampiric person.



Real vampires do not necessarily drink blood-in fact, most of them do not. Blood-drinking and vampirism have been confused to the extent that for the average person, a vampire is defined as something that drinks blood (such as a "vampire bat"). But when we look beyond casual assumptions to the details of common beliefs, we find something quite different. Throughout both folklore and literature, there is an understanding that vampires require energy or life force. Many old folktales accept that vampires suck blood, yet never describe this actually happening. The victims slowly decline and waste away, and the survivors assume that some evil fiend is draining them of blood. They know that the Bible says, "the blood is the life", and anyone who was losing their life force must be losing blood. Yet, in many instances the vampire's "attack" does not even involve physical contact. In others, it is clearly sexual energy which is exchanged.1





Fresh blood is the highest known source of pranic energy (life force).2 Human beings have practiced blood-drinking for many reasons throughout history, but drinking blood alone does not indicate that a person is a vampire. Only real vampires can directly absorb the pranic energy in fresh blood, and for this reason some real vampires are attracted to blood and find different means of obtaining it.3 However, it is a rare vampire who cannot absorb energy in much more subtle ways. This is the mechanism that causes real vampires to inflict harm on others and themselves if they fail to recognize what is happening and do conscious work on transforming their inner natures. Vampires are no more likely to be either malicious or spiritually aware than the general population, but without awareness, they can spend their lives making themselves and others unhappy, and will continue to incarnate in this pattern until they take action to change it.

There are a number of external symptoms of vampirism, but it is important to realize that some of them are found in ordinary human behavior. Real vampires are identifiable partly because they have a majority of the symptoms, not just one or two. But more significantly, real vampires are distinguished by a certain quality to the energy. While anyone reading a description of the symptoms and behavior patterns might find a few that apply to people he knows, or even to himself, real vampires have a way of standing out vividly to everyone who interacts with them. There are few people who do not know at least one vampire.

Physically, vampires are usually "night people"" on a biochemical level. They have inverted circadian rhythms, with body cycles such as temperature peaks, menstrual onset, and the production of sleep hormones in the brain occurring at the opposite time of day from most people. They have difficulty adjusting to daytime schedules and frequently work nights. They tend to be photosensitive, avoiding sunlight, sunburning easily, and having excellent night vision. Their vitality ranges widely, and they can be vigorous and active one day, depressed and languorous the next.

They frequently have digestive trouble. Even those with cast-iron stomachs have many issues with food that are rooted in their constant hunger for energy. Contrary to the image of the vampire as thin, many real vampires are troubled by obesity because of a hunger that makes them food addicts, and a system that is sluggish in processing physical food. They are also sometimes troubled by other substance addictions for the same reasons, but since their systems are tuned to pranic energy more than to processing physical substance, they may not be as sensitive to drugs and alcohol as an ordinary person would be.

Emotionally and physically, vampires are unpredictable, moody, temperamental and overwhelming. The major distinguishing characteristic of real vampires as opposed to ordinary people who share those qualities is the vampire's intensity. Vampires are extremely intense people. They are frequently given nicknames such as "the black hole." When others talk about them (usually to complain about them), vampires are often described by such terms as "needy," "attention-seeking," "grandstanding," "manipulative," "exhausting," "draining," "monopolizes the conversation," "jealous," "huge ego," and so on. A vampire's emotions are deep, fervent, and powerful, and she usually displays great psychic ability and has uncontrolled magickal and psychic experiences. Vampires are also empaths, and while they remain unconscious of their natures, they are frequently "psychic sponges" who simply absorb vibrations from everywhere, with the expected emotional instability resulting.





A "hungry" vampire -- one whose energy level is imbalanced to the deficit side -- becomes an involuntary psychic vortex, drawing all pranic energy in the area towards her. When the energy does not flow in fast enough -- and it is typical of vampires that the energy never flows fast enough for them -- she will begin manifesting behavior patterns to increase the amount of conscious attention she gets from others. For this reason, some vampires develop a pattern of being aggressively confrontational, or of constantly antagonizing people with whom they have relationships. Nearly all vampires, whatever ploys they use, have a talent for attracting (or distracting) the attention of everyone present.

Once a vampire overloads on energy, she reverses her behavior patterns. She may become morose, silent, withdrawn and introverted. Some vampires become maniacally cheerful when they are satiated, but even their good moods seem to annoy others, and it is more typical for vampires to be infamous as wet blankets. "Hungry" and "overload" phases can occur within a few minutes or last for days at a time. Vampires are commonly loners, in part because they feel so different from those around them, but also because they have a need to control the degree of contact they have with sources of energy.



Real vampires are not the demonic fiends of Christianized folklore, but as long as they refuse to accept their inner nature, their bad reputation is not undeserved. Unconscious vampires have a tendency to reach adulthood with less than the average level of social skill and general finesse, and tend to be selfish and self-centered. The demands of their own energy systems are so distracting to them that it is difficult for them to pay attention to the needs of others. Their relationships tend to be disasters. Different vampires develop different patterns according to what works best for them in their life situation, but several patterns are common. The "femme fatale" or "lady-killer" vampire forms a continuous series of sexual connections with one partner at a time, dropping each unfortunate lover as they become too exhausted (or defensive) to support the vampire's energy needs. Other vampires form a long-term relationship with a single person: either another vampire whose energy cycle complements their own, or a person who derives satisfaction from being a psychic servant or martyr. A common pattern, especially in young adults, is to continuously join social, religious, political and magickal groups and either blow them apart or end up being thrown out. Vampires may go through roommates, housing situations, magickal groups, jobs and lovers like so much Kleenex.

Many people find that they feel "creepy" or "weird" around a vampire. This is usually due to the effects of one's own life force being drawn towards the vampire's vortex. Most people feel uncomfortable and distracted when their energy is pulled away from themselves. In addition to this, a common result of such an energy drain is for the aura to pull in tightly towards the body, and this causes a prickling sensation on the skin -- the "creepy-crawlies."

It is no more common for vampires to be psychopaths or killers than it is for any random person on the street. However, a prolonged, or very involved, relationship with a vampire can put a severe strain on the emotional and psychic energy systems of an ordinary person. Folklore suggests that victims of a vampire become vampires themselves. In reality, people who have been seriously "drained" -- that is, have had their own energy pulled off balance into a deficit -- also become psychic vortices which pull life force away from other living things. However, they are never as powerful as a true vampire, and unlike vampires, quickly recover and stabilize. True vampires are born the way they are -- no one can be "turned into a vampire." However, years of energy depletion can lead to health problems ranging from depression and malaise to a suppressed immune system and susceptibility to serious illnesses. Most people will break off the relationship before it gets that far.





Many vampires are attracted to magickal paths. In a magickal working group, their ability to wreak havoc is increased because of the psychic openness and trust that exist there. But there can be a benefit, as well. Some vampires become aware of their true natures and choose to undertake serious work to transform themselves. As soon as they begin doing so, they become more acceptable working partners and companions. Once in control of their capacity for handling energy, they become extraordinary magicians and healers. Their ability to hold the attention of others gives them the potential to be fine leaders and teachers. Ultimately, the purpose of vampires is not to plague the universe but to facilitate its healing. Vampirism is the dark, or unfocused, side of a certain kind of psychic talent, one which has been developing for many lifetimes. It is destructive only when a vampire either refuses to face the truth about herself and work with her abilities, or when she chooses to play out a sinister role because of the illusion of power it gives her.

Because of this, many of the vampire characteristics described above are far less evident in the most powerful vampires, the ones who have done considerable work on their inner selves. Many of these are poised, pleasant, competent individuals, with great personal power. They have come to terms with who and what they are, and no longer exhibit the negative qualities associated with "psychic vampirism." 4 Unfortunately, unconscious vampires are far more common than evolved ones, and it is these troubled souls who more usually appear in magickal groups.

There is no "generic advice" to give those who believe they may be dealing with a real vampire. Those who are so inclined might try to help a friend or fellow group member explore their inner nature and come to terms with their destructive behaviors. Those who feel victimized can choose to end the relationship. Each case is different, and can only be judged by the individuals concerned. But it is important for anyone involved in magickal or psychic work to understand that vampires are a real phenomenon, and that, like all perils, they should not be greeted with fear or anger. Nothing is evil by nature -- only by choice. Terror of discovery (followed by ridicule or rejection) inhibits the self-development of many real vampires. When they reach out for friendship, they are often reaching out for help.



A person who believes she may be a real vampire herself has a long and difficult process ahead of her. The most important step on her path is complete self-awareness: of her relationships, patterns, energy levels, and all other personal qualities. The most challenging work may often be summarized in the simplest of terms. Knowledge, awareness, and control are the lessons real vampires must learn in order to harness their abilities. If real vampires are not the immortals of fiction, they can at least be confident of one thing: for better or worse, they will keep the qualities they develop for many lives to come.

(Readers wishing for more information about vampire lore in general are referred to the Bibliography.)



NOTES

by Inanna Arthen



For a thorough examination of traditional vampire folklore, see the works of Montague Summers and Anthony Masters.

Other high sources of pranic energy include semen, fresh fruits and vegetables, and the breath of living animals. Meat -- filled with chemicals, long dead, refrigerated, frozen and "aged" (partially decomposed) as it is -- contains almost none. Many real vampires, aside from drinking blood, are vegetarians.

For a somewhat flawed but interesting look at blood-drinking and vampirism, see Stephen Kaplan. Leonard Wolf explores this subject from a more philosophical and personal viewpoint.

This is not to suggest that even evolved vampires are always comfortable to be around. They remain unpredictable, intense, emotional, and altogether overwhelming personalities. Most are remarkable sexually, and all still draw energy, although they can generally control this to some extent. Furthermore, this article is not intended to mislead -- real vampires, even evolved ones, do sometimes drink blood in order to obtain their energy. Those who understand the many ways that life "gives way" to nurture more life will see this as no more unnatural than eating live vegetables or animals for food.

PARTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY

Stephen Kaplan,Vampires Are (ETC Publications, 1984)

Anthony Masters, The Natural History of the Vampire (Berkley Publishing Corp., 1972)

Raymond T. McNally and Radu Florescu, In Search of Dracula (New York Graphic Society, 1972)

Montague Summers, The Vampire, His Kith and Kin (University Books, 1960)

Montague Summers, The Vampire in Europe (The Aquarian Press Limited, 1980)

James B. Twitchell, The Living Dead: A Study of the Vampire in Romantic Literature (Duke University Press, 1981)

Leonard Wolf, A Dream of Dracula (1972)

20 Greatest Vampires

A look at the most unforgettable bloodsuckers, from ''True Blood'''s Bill and Eric to ''Underworld'''s Selene

1. Lestat

Without Lestat, there would be no Twilight. Until Anne Rice introduced the character in her 1976 novel, Interview With the Vampire, the undead had all the sex appeal of Bela Lugosi in plastic fangs. But her handsome blond creation — Tom Cruise dyed his hair to play the role in the 1994 movie — was a new sort of bloodsucker. Foppishly charming, endearingly tortured, and always trendy no matter what the century, he became the template for all culturally relevant vampires since.

2. Christopher Lee's Dracula

He was an evil Sith lord in the Star Wars saga and threatened James Bond as Scaramanga, but Lee will always be remembered — especially by cowering beauties in their gauzy negligees — for his suave, silent, and really, really thirsty Count Dracula from a string of Hammer horror films in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s.

3. Bela Lugosi's Dracula

With his billowing black cape and heavily accented delivery (''I never drink...wine''), Lugosi's portrayal of Dracula in the 1931 film adaptation of Stoker's novel remains the one by which all others are judged. Unfortunately, Lugosi, who campaigned hard for the role, became so associated with the charming count that the life quickly drained out of his career.

4. Edward Cullen

FROM TWILIGHT

To Bella Swan (and author Stephenie Meyer), Edward Cullen — with his alabaster skin, unkempt hair, and lanky frame — is the undead ideal. But add songwriting skills, piano-playing prowess, and 100 years of wisdom packaged into a 17-year-old's physique, and the two women may have a point. Robert Pattinson masters the tousled hair and tortured gaze every Twilight fan expects. Even men agree. ''He becomes this perfect creature,'' says New Moon director Chris Weitz of his star. ''Plus he photographs like nothing I've ever seen.''

5. Bill and Eric

FROM TRUE BLOOD

Even in the world of HBO, it all comes down to choosing between a brunet and a blond. While dark-haired Bill (Stephen Moyer) exudes genteel Southern values, Eric (Alexander Skarsg岤) thrills with bad-boy mystique. Their battle for control of Sookie (Anna Paquin) has not only fueled season 2 of the hit series but also polarized fans into two camps — with a bonfire blazing in each.

6. Asa Vajda

FROM 1960'S BLACK SUNDAY

''Look into my eyes...Embrace me. You will die!'' warns the beautiful and deadly Asa (Barbara Steele) in Italian horror maestro Mario Bava's cult hit. Five decades later, Steele's villainess remains one of the most scarily seductive vamps in film history.

7. Angel

As portrayed by the dreamy David Boreanaz on Buffy the Vampire Slayerand later in a spin-off series of his very own, Angel was sort of like a vamp Fonzie: effortlessly cool, with meticulously coiffed hair and a fondness for black leather. Sexual tension between him and Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) simmered, but unfortunately for the couple, their horizontal mambo unlocked Angel's dark side and transformed him into one helluva mean ex-boyfriend (see: unleashing demons).

8. Mr. Barlow

FROM SALEM'S LOT

In the 1979 miniseries based on Stephen King's novel, the bat-fanged Mr. Barlow (Reggie Nalder) didn't say much. Instead, he let his assistant, Mr. Straker (James Mason), do the talking while he terrifies a sleepy Maine town — not to mention millions of TV viewers.

9. Schuyler Van Alen

FROM MELISSA DE LA CRUZ'S BLUE BLOODS SERIES

Teen vamp Schuyler likes to toy with things way beyond her years: schoolmate Jack Force, a Blue Blood — or ancient vampire — who must cycle through lifetimes bonded to someone who isn't her; and Silver Bloods, who prey on their Bluer cousins. Fans came for the romance but stayed for the slow-build family and murder mysteries.

10. Gary Oldman's Dracula

Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 adaptation of Stoker's novel has long been regarded as especially sensitive and accurate — largely because the director emphasized romance almost as much as horror. Oldman reveals the vampire for what he really is: a guy who's still hung up on his late wife. ''I have crossed oceans of time...'' he tells the reincarnation of his long-dead beloved, played by Winona Ryder. It's as heartbreaking a performance as you're likely to find in a movie that also features Keanu Reeves.



More Vampires Are Coming

BOOKS

A Practical Guide to Vampires by Lisa Trutkoff Trumbauer (Aug. 11)

V Is for...Vampire: A Vampire Island Story by Adele Griffin (Sept. 3)

Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Sept. 15)

The Van Alen Legacy: A Blue Bloods Novel by Melissa de la Cruz (Oct. 6)

Tempted by P.C. and Kristin Cast (Oct. 27)

How to Be a Vampire by Amy Gray (Nov. 10)

MOVIES

The Vampire's Assistant (Oct. 23)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Nov. 20)

TV

The Vampire Diaries (Sept. 10)

DVD

Dark Shadows: The Haunting of Collinwood (Sept. 15)

The Hunger, Season 2 (Oct. 13)

11. Klaus Kinski's Dracula

Vampires haven't always been sex symbols. In Nosferatu the Vampyre, Werner Herzog's 1979 reworking of F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent film, Kinski radiated pathos and self-loathing as a rodentlike Count Dracula (a stark contrast to Murnau's character, who was merely a walking cadaver). Kinski amped up the creep factor by shaving his head and spackling himself in white makeup. Critics still regard him as the most human rendering of Stoker's creation.

12. Zoey Redbird

FROM P.C. AND KRISTIN CAST'S HOUSE OF NIGHT SERIES

Through five YA best-sellers, teenage heroine Zoey has matured into the most gifted and beautifully tattooed rebel that the coed Tulsa vampyre finishing school House of Night has ever seen. Battling evil that ranges from your standard Mean Girl to a seductive fallen angel, as well as higher-than-Hogwarts hormone levels, she's learned the power of free will and friendship — and the joy of having a gay man in her circle.

13. Jean-Claude

FROM LAURELL K. HAMILTON'S ANITA BLAKE, VAMPIRE HUNTER SERIES

Technically, the Master of the City of St. Louis — who still rocks a lace-trimmed shirt and leather pants after centuries and 17 novels — first blackmailed Anita Blake into dating him by threatening to kill her werewolf boyfriend. But ultimately theirs is a relationship based on his respect for her free will (Anita resisted him until a heavily earmarked bathtub scene in the sixth book, The Killing Dance) and their mutual openness to the male-skewed menage a trois. Hello, Asher (book 11, Cerulean Sins)!

14. David

FROM 1987'S THE LOST BOYS

The '80s were a natural fit for vampires — after all, what's more punk rock than refusing to die? As David, Kiefer Sutherland sported a platinum Billy Idol mullet and black new-wave overcoat — perfect attire for terrorizing beach parties, dangling from railway bridges, or menacing Coreys on the boardwalk. His vamp-gang leader flashed a style just attainable enough to inspire parent-upsetting trends. See what happens when you watch too much MTV? You start drinking blood!

15. Miriam Blaylock and Sarah Roberts

FROM 1983'S THE HUNGER

Tony Scott's directorial debut didn't win many raves from critics, but the appeal of actresses Catherine Deneuve (Miriam) and Susan Sarandon (Sarah), when combined with the star wattage of David Bowie (who also played a vampire, natch), and a killer song by Bauhaus called ''Bela Lugosi's Dead,'' helped the picture build a fan base. The steamy face-sucking scene between the two women is a cinematic moment as immortal as the vampires they play on screen.



READERS' POLL

Who's the hottest new vampire?

42% Eric

Alexander Skarsgard, True Blood

35% Edward

Robert Pattinson, Twilight

10% Bill

Stephen Moyer, True Blood

8% Damon*

Ian Somerhalder, The Vampire Diaries

3% Mitchell

Aidan Turner, Being Human

2% Stefan*

Paul Wesley, The Vampire Diaries

*The Vampire Diaries premieres on The CW on Sept. 10



16. Blade

FROM BLADE TRILOGY

Blade is a complex dude: He's both a vampire and a vampire hunter. But thanks to Wesley Snipes' take on the Marvel character, he's also 100 percent badass. With his long black leather coat, chopsocky moves, and signature double-edged sword with an acid-etched titanium blade, Snipes' most indelible performance singlehandedly rescued the black-vampire genre from Blacula minstrelsy.

17. Eli

FROM 2008'S LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

In the Swedish sleeper hit, Lina Leandersson plays Eli, a vampire in the body of a 12-year-old girl. As she befriends a neighborhood boy, Eli poignantly battles a foe worse than angry mobs or cross-wielding hunters: the loneliness of being undead in a living world.

18. Countess Bathory

FROM 1971'S DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS

Countess Bathory (Delphine Seyrig) looks like Dietrich and kills like Dracula. With her flawless style and timeless beauty — who needs Botox when you've got the blood of 800 virgins? — Seyrig's vampire is one of the undead's most glamorous.

19. Selene

FROM THE UNDERWORLD TRILOGY

Most of the vampires on this list can bare fangs and suck blood, but how many of them can also rock a curve-hugging leather ensemble while blasting guns? Vamp warrior Selene, embodied by a pale, pouty, eerily still Kate Beckinsale, has been pumping silver bullets into archenemy Lycans for centuries, with style. Who cares if the Underworld movies themselves make very little sense?

20. Caleb and Mae

FROM 1987'S NEAR DARK

The vampires in Kathryn Bigelow's neo-Western-cum-horror flick are far from your stereotypical bloodsuckers. They're more like a vicious, pistol-packing biker gang. Time magazine film critic Richard Corliss recently called Near Dark ''the all-time teenage vampire love story.'' (Though we know a few million Twilighters who might disagree.)



Honorable Mentions

How could we neglect these fanged friends?

GRANDPA MUNSTER

His centuries-old comic instincts supplied constant punchlines.

COUNT VON COUNT

Sesame Street's resident ghoul thirsts only for numbers.

ELVIRA

The beehived blood-sucker has a knack for B-film broadcasting.

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL

The star of its musical-within-a-movie stole the (puppet) show.

WRITTEN AND REPORTED BY: Christina Amoroso, Mandi Bierly, Clark Collis, Jeff Jensen, Beth Johnson, Jeff Labrecque, Adam Markovitz, Chris Nashawaty, Whitney Pastorek, Josh Rottenberg, Nicole Sperling, Christine Spines, Tim Stack, Benjamin Svetkey, Ken Tucker, Adam B. Vary, Simon Vozick-Levinson, Kate Ward, and David Yi

Hungry for Vampires

• EW talks to the best-selling authors behind the current vamp vogue including Stephanie Meyer, Melissa de la Cruz, and Anne Rice

• By Jeff Jensen

They want your body. Your blood. Your soul. In the meantime, they'll settle for your time and money. Vampires have risen again — and in astonishing numbers. They haunt bookstores, television, and movies. Why has pop culture thrown open its door and invited them in? ''The traditional vampire story, with monsters and victims, chases and chills, is pure plain fun,'' says True Blood's executive producer Alan Ball. ''But they can often reveal the general state of the cultural psyche.''

The vampire trope is as old as the dirt in a bloodsucker's coffin. But the modern mold was created by the now-forgotten John William Polidori, whose 1819 gothic novella The Vampyre concerned a supernatural sexual predator — a withering riff (according to literary legend) on Polidori's friend, the womanizing poet Lord Byron. Then Bram Stoker's Dracula(1897) laid bare the pride, prejudices, and prudishness of Victorian London. Contemporary vampire stories have been more open-minded, often presenting the ghouls as misunderstood misfits. Beginning in the 1980s, the vampire became the symbol of choice for ''issues'' — feminism, drug addiction, and AIDS. ''Vampirism basically came out of the closet as metaphor, not particularly for gay sex, but for an act of love that kills,'' says author Neil Gaiman.

Vamps are such versatile symbols now that they can express both conservative and liberal views. Stephenie Meyer's Twilight novels are steeped in her Mormon values. Conversely, True Blood speaks in part for gays and, as Ball puts it, ''eight years of institutionalized demonization of pretty much any group that wasn't on the bus with Mr. Bush.'' And vampires, of course, have always embodied more timeless themes, such as the fear of death, the veneration of youth, and the conflict between faith and reason. Just as Stoker's Dracula reflected the tensions of a society being transformed by scientific and industrial revolutions, Chuck Hogan, who coauthored The Strain with Guillermo del Toro, believes that our vampire outbreak is symptomatic of similar anxiety: ''A big part of the vampire myth — and maybe why it's so popular now — is that it's a counterbalance to the technological wave we've been riding. We've made so many advances, but there's that shadow part of the psyche that wants to pull you back and say, 'Do we really have control of everything?'''

Before we get too philosophical, we should also note that many new vampires are young, male, and smoking hot. Behold the grand new subject of vampire fiction: The Boyfriend. Vampire stories give everyone a glimpse of what women want — a deep romance of the soul. They have always been written mostly for women and, lately, by women. The abundance of them now speaks to how much current pop culture skews female in general. Quips Chris Moore, author of the comic vampire novel You Suck: ''The ultimate in chick lit would be a vampire who's a shoe whore. It seems like the logical next step.'' If that particular fantasy doesn't work for you, check out the following pages. Pop culture has given all of us a vampire to sink our teeth into.

Stephanie Meyer

Author of the Twilight series

It may come as a surprise to learn that Meyer — reigning queen of pop culture's vampire coven — has an uneasy relationship with the toothy buggers. Back in 2003, when she was tapping out the first draft of Twilight, she refused to show it to her husband. ''I was embarrassed,'' she said. ''It was about vampires.''

In 2007, as Twilight propelled her from a surprise YA best-seller to a multigenerational superstar, she admitted to EW that she had never read Bram Stoker's Dracula. Reading other people's vampire stories made her too ''neurotic,'' she explained. As a Mormon, Meyer doesn't watch R-rated movies, so that eliminated a whole other swatch of the canon. (She has seen bits of Interview With the Vampire and The Lost Boys on late-night TV. Her respective reviews: ''Yuck!'' and ''Creepy!'')

Before the movie adaptation of Twilight premiered last fall, EW caught up with Meyer on the book tour for her first adult novel, The Host. A well-reviewed sci-fi romance that has been on best-seller lists for nearly 60 weeks, the book offered Meyer a chance to move on from Edward. Her voracious fans weren't as ready to let go. As they continue to swarm Twilight conventions, and Robert Pattinson is routinely attacked on the street by ponytailed neck nibblers, Meyer has taken a vow of media silence. Last year she told EW that her great wish was to reclaim some time to write something new. ''Look, I'm not just a vampire girl,'' she said emphatically. ''I can do other worlds.''

Melissa de la Cruz

Author of the Blue Bloods series

Who's your favorite vampire that's not your own?

Anne Rice's Lestat. He's Socratic and flawed and sexy — and evil, but in a really good way.

What's unique about your vision of vampires?

I wanted to have a little bit of a creation myth, explain how they came to be, so my big twist is that vampires are fallen angels. They're cast out of heaven with Lucifer, and that's how they were cursed to become vampires. And they've been trying to gain redemption by being good, so I have good vampires and bad vampires. I also wanted to tie the mythology into American history, so I have vampires come over on the Mayflower.

What are your thoughts on the Twilight phenomenon?

Her book came out a year before mine. I was worried. But it did so well, it lifted all the vampire and paranormal genres. So thank God for Twilight! I finally actually read the book. Her vamps and her mythology are so different from mine that I never should have been worried.

Who's the scariest vampire in film or literature?

Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot just scared the s--- out of me. It was really real. King's vampires are not sexy or fabulous or attractive; they're horrible, evil creatures. I don't write that much horror. People tell me my books are scary, but they're not really; I don't go there.

Why do people find vampires so appealing?

They have something we don't have: immortality. But because they're immortal, they're cursed. We all want to live forever, but we don't want to suck blood to do it, right? I think people like to have these deep moral questions that don't come up in real life.

Are vampires a metaphor for anything?

I always thought of vampires, especially the young-adult ones, as a metaphor for sex — sucking blood, forbidden, taboo. I think they just ooze sex. Vampires are all the big themes in life in one attractive, bloodsucking package.

NEXT: Talking with the authors of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter and the Sookie Stackhouse series

Laurell K. Hamilton

Author of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books

Who's your favorite vampire that's not your own?

J. Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla. It was written [25 years before] Bram Stoker's Dracula, but Carmilla has a female vampire and a female victim, and it explored lesbian themes at a time when you weren't even allowed to talk about it.

When and how did you envision your first vampire?

When I was about 7, I was allowed to stay up and watch the Creature Feature Hour, and they had the old Hammer vampire films like Vampire Circus. Those movies really sunk into my psyche. 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King was important, because his vampires were modern-day. And The Natural History of the Vampire by Anthony Masters. It was the first book where they equated serial killers with vampires and werewolves.

What are your thoughts on the Twilight phenomenon?

Stephenie Meyer has come and she's taken the genre that I sort of pioneered. Her original audience was 11- and 12-year-olds, so she — very rightly — sanitized the genre. She took out a lot of the sex and violence, especially for the first book. My readership is both male and female, but Twilight is very much a girls' book. I ask people, Why has this really captured you? What I heard from all ages is that it was very romantic that he was willing to wait for her and that there was no sex. They like the idea that [Bella] was like the fairy princess and [Edward]is the handsome prince that rides in and saves her. The fact that women are so attracted to that idea — that they want to wait for Prince Charming rather than taking control of their own life — I find that frightening.

Who's the scariest vampire?

I'll be honest: Vampires don't scare me, never have. I've always just been fascinated by werewolves, shape-shifters, and vampires, since I was small. I always liked anything that could eat you.

Why are vampires appealing?

It's a way to be very scared and sensual and have violent passions and still be safe. You're sitting in your favorite chair, with hot cocoa, and when you close the book, your world is still there. You're safe.



Vampire Hair: The Kindest Cuts

SCARILY GOOD

Christopher Lee in Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)

William Marshall in Blacula (1972)

Kiefer Sutherland in The Lost Boys (1987)

Tom Cruise in Interview With the Vampire (1994)

Eddie Murphy in Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)

Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

SCARILY BAD



SOOKIE STACKHOUSE AND ME by Charlaine Harris

When I began trying to imagine the novel I wanted to write, I knew only two things about this novel: The protagonist would be a woman who was dating a vampire, and the book would be both funny and bloody. In 1998, there were not that many strong women characters in the science-fiction field, and I was constructing my heroine from new material.

Sookie took shape slowly. She's a very modern woman in many ways. I knew it would never occur to her to marry in order to be supported. I also knew that any sane woman (and Sookie is very sane) would only date a vampire if other dating options were closed. It took me a long time to pick a disability that would preclude conventional dating. My choices ranged from the practical to the absurd. I settled on telepathy because it seemed one of the worst things that could befall anyone.

The next most important figure was her new suitor, a vampire. I thought of many names for him, ranging from Eurotrash to ridiculous. It seemed funniest to me to give him an absolutely prosaic name: Bill. If it made me laugh, it might make other people laugh too.

I had to put Sookie in a position to meet a lot of new people, so I made her a barmaid in a small-town bar. That way, people/werewolves/vampires could wander in and out. That also meant children wouldn't be in danger when trouble came into Merlotte's, as it was sure to do. Since everyone in a series has to have secrets, Sookie's boss had to have a secret too, and that was the easiest part of the setup. If Bill was going to be a vampire, Sam Merlotte would be a shape-shifter. Since Sookie had a boss, I thought Bill should have one too; no free-range vampires in my world! I decided Bill's boss would be Bill's opposite in most ways. Blond, tall, imperious, and in some ways surprisingly liberated, Eric almost leaped into the story.

These characters grew to populate the world of Sookie Stackhouse, telepath and barmaid. Though she has no superpowers, and she's terrifyingly human, Sookie has become my very own heroine, in every sense of the word.

NEXT: Interviews with Anne Rice and P.C. Cast

Anne Rice

Author of the series The Vampire Chronicles

When and how did you envision your first vampire?

It's such a mystery, what makes you write about something. I thought, What would it be like to interview a vampire? To get him to tell you what it's like to be who he is? What's interested me throughout my career is the first-person voice of the mysterious one. I never dreamed Lestat would be the hero, or in a series of books.

What was the first vampire book or movie that influenced you?

A black-and-white film called Dracula's Daughter, with Gloria Holden. I saw it when I was a little girl at the neighborhood theater. I think it influenced everything I subsequently wrote. I never really read any vampire literature, but in our family, we had a collection of short stories from the library, and we read one called ''Dress of White Silk.'' It was a first-person vampire story from the point of view of a little-girl vampire. It had quite an influence on me.

Who's your favorite vampire that's not your own?

I would say Bill Compton on True Blood. I think Bill is terrific. I haven't read Miss Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books, but I really am loving the HBO series. Bill is a very romantic vampire. I love his suffering, his self-loathing, and his struggle to be good. And I think Stephen Moyer plays it beautifully.

What vampire cliché should be retired?

The vampire bullying helpless humans. It's always the same: The vampires gleefully descend on some bikers and smash them to pieces. I think a self-respecting immortal isn't going to bully humans endlessly.

Why do people find vampires so appealing?

I think people are intrigued by what they would do if they were offered the opportunity to be a vampire. Would they be willing to drink human blood in order to be immortal? Maybe they would.

What's unique about your vision of vampires?

Their glamour. What I thought to do with Louis and Lestat was make them very beautiful and very seductive and very appealing. I thought to myself, Why should this supernatural being be repulsive? Why should he be feral like Dracula? What if he was more like a dark angel? It was kind of a radical idea. And now, 30 years later, no one would even question vampires being beautiful and magnetic.

P.C. CAST

Cast and her daughter, Kristin, write the House of Night series

Who's your favorite vampire that's not your own?

Oh, my God, Spike [from Buffy the Vampire Slayer]. Please. Spike is my boyfriend. In my heart, Spike is my boyfriend.

And why is that?

Because he is that perfect mix of really bad boy and sex appeal.

What's unique about your vision of vampires?

I think my vampire world is the only one that is matriarchal.

When and how did you envision your first vampire?

In 2005, my agent said, ''Hey, I'd like you to write a series set in a vampire finishing school.'' I was intrigued by the idea, especially because I was teaching high school. My dad is a biologist, so I sat down with him, and he and I brainstormed an idea for a physiological basis of vampires.

What was the first vampire book that influenced you?

Interview With the Vampire. 1976. I was 16. It scared the bejesus out of me.

What vampire cliché do you think needs to be retired?

The males being in charge. It's a cliché that's died off almost completely in the romance world. Let's kill it off in the vampire world, too.

Who's the scariest vampire in film or literature?

Lestat, for sure. Anne Rice developed him so fully.

Why do people find vampires so appealing?

It's the allure of being immortal and beautiful. I mean, look at the True Blood vampires! Thank you, Charlaine Harris.





Posted Jul 31, 2009