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secret group known only to certain highly placed members of the Vatican who consider vampires the spawn of Satan. Rarely do religions other than Christianity enter into the fray, although there are exceptions. In Christopher Pike's young adult series, The Last Vampire, Lord Krishna has a prominent role, and in Blood of Our Children by Matt Wartell, a Jewish holy man is one of those who must confront and conquer a vampire scourge. |
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Novels of the science fiction genre often offer a pseudo-scientific reason for the vampire, explaining it as the product of a mutation or a biochemical agent or as a creature of extraterrestrial origins. Examples of the last possibility can be found in Those of Our Blood by Jacqueline Lichtenberg and The Madness Season by C. S. Friedman. Works such as Wm. Mark Simmons' One Foot in the Grave and William Hill's Vampire's Kiss rely on the biochemical angle. Fantasy, on the other hand, often mixes magic with mythical demons, as in David Gemmell's Morningstar. Then there are the stories of Laurell K. Hamilton that have a little bit of everything. Her heroine, Anita Blake, while fending off the amorous advances of the incredibly handsome vampire Jean-Claude, contends with a variety of creatures from werewolves to zombies. |
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As Anita Blake, who made her reputation as a vampire slayer, reluctantly admits, certain vampires have an alluring, romantic appeal. The irresistible attraction of the vampire is a theme that has spurred many stories, several published in the romance genre. Romance writers Lori Herter, Maggie Shayne, and Nancy Gideon have written series with vampire heroes and heroines. Even writers outside this genre have used strong romantic themes as elements of their plots. In Anno-Dracula by Kim Newman, the love between the good vampire Geneviève and her mortal lover Beauregard gives them a combined strength that helps bring about Dracula's downfall. Count Saint-Germain, the vampire hero of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's series, always has a romantic interest. |
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Where there is romance, eroticism can not be far behind. Several novels and anthologies have been created with this as a central theme. The Kiss by Katherine Reines and The Darker Passions: Dracula by Amarantha Knight are prime examples. Of course many stories and novels are a mixture of love and the erotic; Maria Kiraly's Mina and Child of the Night by Nancy Kilpatrick come to mind. Lesbian and gay themes are also explored in anthologies such as Daughters of Darkness, edited by Pam Keesey, as well as novels like Diary of a Vampire by Gary Bowen. |
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The terrible intimacy that the image of the vampire conjures, com- |
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