Vampire Books to Sink YOUR Teeth Into
BY anna robertson ham
My favorite time of year is here… when all things spooky are welcome. Pumpkins and ghouls galore take center stage, and the embrace of autumn, takes its hold on us all. With all things creepy and cool, comes the horror movies and spooky reads. Admittedly, I’ve read horror books and watched scary movies since I was young. I love the genre, but I do have my own standards... I am not a fan of gore and pointless shock value. I appreciate more suspense, supernatural, science fiction and good, old-school scares.
Vampires are a long-standing topic of the horror genre, but have been made popular due to some incredible books. The characters that brought the beasts to life and kept people turning pages, then turned to the silver screen to make people fall in love with the entire genre. I am sure many remember some of these famous lines: “I want some more,” from Interview With The Vampire along with “And so the lion fell in love with the lamb,” from Twilight. But, have you read the books behind the movies with these well-known lines? Have you witnessed the unfolding of the characters through the author’s eyes and imagination? You should…and if you are not quite sure where to begin, here is a little selection of my favorites, to sink your teeth into.
Dracula
by Bram Stoker
Probably one of the most well-known names in vampire history – Count Dracula – was a creation of Bram Stoker. This book, published in 1897, brought vampires to the forefront of nightmares and curiosity. It also inspired the famous film Bram Stoker’s Dracula and made Van Helsing a character to continue in other stories as well.
Salem’s Lot
by Stephen King
No list is complete without the master of horror himself, Stephen King, and his work that brings horror to the pages. Not all vampires are beautiful creatures, and King creates characters of nightmares in this story about a writer who returns to his hometown - only to learn that the residents are being turned into vampires.
Interview With The Vampire
by Anne Rice
by Anne Rice
Anne Rice brought her characters to life and made monsters complicated, beautiful beings in her Vampire Chronicles series of books. This was Anne Rice’s debut work in the series – It is the story of a 200-year-old vampire retelling his life to a reporter. Based on the novel, the drama series debuted this month on AMC.
Dead Until Dark
by Charlaine Harris
by Charlaine Harris
The first in the Southern Vampire Series that inspired the HBO hit television series TRUE BLOOD. This series is a modern-day take on vampires, where they are known and live amongst humans, but the unknown is the other creatures that live in the world. This series follows the life of a mind-reading waitress, in a small town of Louisiana, and her romances with the other supernatural beings.
Twilight
by Stephanie Meyer
The first work in the Twilight Saga had teens and adults alike stammering for copies of this story about a teenager falling in love with a vampire who attends her high school. This series is an easier read for those that prefer a lighter side of horror and science fiction. Twilight launched the phenomenon of vampires all over again with the book-based movies. We can’t forget Team Edward or Team Jacob…
