Bite me...
On the eve of the premier of the third season of True Blood (a show to which I have become hopelessly addicted) I ponder...
What's with the fad wave of blood-suckers, beasties and things that go "bump" in the night?
According to The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures (a book that should be on everyone's shelf) the vamp craze took a strong hold sometime in the late 1700's - about a hundred years before Mr. Stoker's story about a certain child-of-the-night hit the market. And, shapeshifters and werewolves and other half-creatures have been around pretty much since the dawn of man.
So, here we are in the wee morning hours of the 21st century, still enamored by the appeal of beings that are positively extraordinary. Well, at least, that's how some see it. I feel, though, that the situation needs, nay - deserves - a bit more insight and scrutiny. Keep in mind, dear reader, that this is my own observation and my own opinion of the subject matter, and I implore you to come to you own conclusions. And, here we go...
Way back when ... in 1976 ... a Ms. Anne Rice published a book by the name Interview with the Vampire. I was too young to have read it then ... in fact, my mother was probably still pregnant with me ... but, as luck would have it, books have a tendency to stick around for a while, and, for the most part, maintain their fervor. I must admit that during my high school career I loathed reading. I trudged through 1984, Catch 22, and (gag) Great Expectations ... I think the only required reading I actually enjoyed was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. But, I digress.
In 1994 Rice's book was made into a movie, and I very clearly remember standing in my kitchen with a friend watching television when the trailer was released. For someone who is normally a very reserved, brain-first kind of person, I thought she was going to have convulsions. Meh. Ok, I'm game. After all, who could resist a film with four major hotties? (uh... that would be Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas and Christian Slater, for those who've had the misfortune of never seeing it).
Here's where I think a wire was tweaked in my brain... Why the hell was everyone so sorry for Louis? Poor little vampire. How sad that he has to take human life and live forever...
You've gotta be kidding me...
Now, Lestat, on the other hand, relishes his situation. It's a game for him - as it should be. What's the point of having such a fantastic creature in a story if we have to focus on the one who's depressed all the friggin time? Oh, the anguish!
(Oh, and don't think I've forgotten Buffy the vampire slayer. Now, there's a badass. And, she didn't choose her calling, either, just like her vampy counterparts. And, no, I'm not including the long-running television show and it's Angel spin off. We'll get to that another time.)
After seeing Interview, I read the book, which reignited the literary flame, so to speak.
Fast forward to present day. Now, we must sink our teeth into a whole new generation of teenagers. Pun intended.
Here we have not one, not two, but three very popular vampire situations... Twilight, True Blood, and Vampire Diaries. Since I haven't seen the Vampire Diaries I don't feel that I should offer an opinion on this one; it simply wouldn't be fair. So then there are two....
I've read the Twilight series (sans Meyer's most recent addition about Bree Tanner, which is coming in the mail). I've also read the Sookie Stackhouse books (there are 10 of them, plus a compilation of short stories... so far). I must admit I like Sookie much better than Bella as the leading female character in said stories, simply because I feel she has so much more substance. I'm going to try my best to break things down for you without spoiling too much...
Bella is a typical teenager living in isolated, hum-drum Forks, Washington where she meets and falls in love with a sparkly Ireallydontwannabeavampire vampire.
Sookie is a bit older (but not by much), telepathic, living in rural Bon Temps, Louisiana and wants nothing more that to be "normal". In Sookie's world, Vampires have made themselves known to the public (hinged upon by the invention of synthetic blood, i.e. True Blood - hence the name of the HBO series) where she meets Bill Compton, her neighbor and, by the way, vampire. In Bella's world, vamps are a big secret.
So, why did Bella fall for Edward Cullen? Fate? True Love? Nah. He's sparkly and can run really, really fast. He brings her life a little color. I think the biggest pull of attraction is not for Bella, but for Edward. He can't read her thoughts (yeah, he's telepathic, too)... plus she smells to him like chocolate cupcakes do to me.
And Sookie? With all the thought-traffic running through her head like a super highway, Bill Compton is a non-traveled dirt road. In other words, he's quiet. Just what every woman needs. A man who doesn't bump his gums at every opportunity... even in his head.
Both Edward and Bill come from similar time eras ... Bill being a tad older. However, neither of them really truly likes being what they are. Eddie and Bill have both sworn off human blood (for the most part) and don't want to make spectacles of themselves.... *sigh*
What's a girl to do?
...Eric Northman.
Eric is the more modern version of Lestat. He loves being a vampire to the point that he's cocky about it, and doesn't care what anyone thinks. Fangtasia, anyone?
Sookie wins over Bella for me.
Anyhoo... I'll get to the werewolves later, I promise :)
As for now... time to make the kiddies some lunch before they make lunch out of me ... ta-ta blood-sucker lovers :)
What's with the fad wave of blood-suckers, beasties and things that go "bump" in the night?
According to The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures (a book that should be on everyone's shelf) the vamp craze took a strong hold sometime in the late 1700's - about a hundred years before Mr. Stoker's story about a certain child-of-the-night hit the market. And, shapeshifters and werewolves and other half-creatures have been around pretty much since the dawn of man.
So, here we are in the wee morning hours of the 21st century, still enamored by the appeal of beings that are positively extraordinary. Well, at least, that's how some see it. I feel, though, that the situation needs, nay - deserves - a bit more insight and scrutiny. Keep in mind, dear reader, that this is my own observation and my own opinion of the subject matter, and I implore you to come to you own conclusions. And, here we go...
Way back when ... in 1976 ... a Ms. Anne Rice published a book by the name Interview with the Vampire. I was too young to have read it then ... in fact, my mother was probably still pregnant with me ... but, as luck would have it, books have a tendency to stick around for a while, and, for the most part, maintain their fervor. I must admit that during my high school career I loathed reading. I trudged through 1984, Catch 22, and (gag) Great Expectations ... I think the only required reading I actually enjoyed was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. But, I digress.
In 1994 Rice's book was made into a movie, and I very clearly remember standing in my kitchen with a friend watching television when the trailer was released. For someone who is normally a very reserved, brain-first kind of person, I thought she was going to have convulsions. Meh. Ok, I'm game. After all, who could resist a film with four major hotties? (uh... that would be Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas and Christian Slater, for those who've had the misfortune of never seeing it).
Here's where I think a wire was tweaked in my brain... Why the hell was everyone so sorry for Louis? Poor little vampire. How sad that he has to take human life and live forever...
You've gotta be kidding me...
Now, Lestat, on the other hand, relishes his situation. It's a game for him - as it should be. What's the point of having such a fantastic creature in a story if we have to focus on the one who's depressed all the friggin time? Oh, the anguish!
(Oh, and don't think I've forgotten Buffy the vampire slayer. Now, there's a badass. And, she didn't choose her calling, either, just like her vampy counterparts. And, no, I'm not including the long-running television show and it's Angel spin off. We'll get to that another time.)
After seeing Interview, I read the book, which reignited the literary flame, so to speak.
Fast forward to present day. Now, we must sink our teeth into a whole new generation of teenagers. Pun intended.
Here we have not one, not two, but three very popular vampire situations... Twilight, True Blood, and Vampire Diaries. Since I haven't seen the Vampire Diaries I don't feel that I should offer an opinion on this one; it simply wouldn't be fair. So then there are two....
I've read the Twilight series (sans Meyer's most recent addition about Bree Tanner, which is coming in the mail). I've also read the Sookie Stackhouse books (there are 10 of them, plus a compilation of short stories... so far). I must admit I like Sookie much better than Bella as the leading female character in said stories, simply because I feel she has so much more substance. I'm going to try my best to break things down for you without spoiling too much...
Bella is a typical teenager living in isolated, hum-drum Forks, Washington where she meets and falls in love with a sparkly Ireallydontwannabeavampire vampire.
Sookie is a bit older (but not by much), telepathic, living in rural Bon Temps, Louisiana and wants nothing more that to be "normal". In Sookie's world, Vampires have made themselves known to the public (hinged upon by the invention of synthetic blood, i.e. True Blood - hence the name of the HBO series) where she meets Bill Compton, her neighbor and, by the way, vampire. In Bella's world, vamps are a big secret.
So, why did Bella fall for Edward Cullen? Fate? True Love? Nah. He's sparkly and can run really, really fast. He brings her life a little color. I think the biggest pull of attraction is not for Bella, but for Edward. He can't read her thoughts (yeah, he's telepathic, too)... plus she smells to him like chocolate cupcakes do to me.
And Sookie? With all the thought-traffic running through her head like a super highway, Bill Compton is a non-traveled dirt road. In other words, he's quiet. Just what every woman needs. A man who doesn't bump his gums at every opportunity... even in his head.
Both Edward and Bill come from similar time eras ... Bill being a tad older. However, neither of them really truly likes being what they are. Eddie and Bill have both sworn off human blood (for the most part) and don't want to make spectacles of themselves.... *sigh*
What's a girl to do?
...Eric Northman.
Eric is the more modern version of Lestat. He loves being a vampire to the point that he's cocky about it, and doesn't care what anyone thinks. Fangtasia, anyone?
Sookie wins over Bella for me.
Anyhoo... I'll get to the werewolves later, I promise :)
As for now... time to make the kiddies some lunch before they make lunch out of me ... ta-ta blood-sucker lovers :)
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