Vampires Who Don't Suck - Guest Post From Author Nancy A. Collins

Vampires Who Don’t Suck

Vampires—the regal lords of the undead—have never been more popular than they have been for the last few years. Nor have they been in greater danger of being completely destroyed. Thanks to hordes of hormonal Young Adults, creatures that were once symbolic of everything from the parasitic nature of the Ruling Class to the dangers of syphilis are now nothing more than misunderstood “bad boys” with Vitamin D deficiencies.

It is my opinion that for monsters to truly serve a purpose in our shared cultural psyche, they must retain their dark and dangerous edge. Since the publication of Dracula, there has always been a touch of gothic romance to the vampire. But now the original, scary, super-predator vampire is in danger of being sent into eclipse by flood of watered down living dead designed for consumption by “tweens” (who used to be called teenie-boppers and bobby-soxers in earlier eras). The last time vampires were this close to becoming laughing stocks was when Dracula was trotted out as a comic foil for the likes of Abbot and Costello or, worse yet, the Ritz Brothers.

I have done my part to try and combat the wussification of the undead with my own Sonja Blue series, as seen in A Dozen Black Roses, Some Velvet Morning, ColdTurkey, Tender Tigers and Vampire King Of The Goth Chicks (all published by Biting Dog Publications). For those of you unfamiliar with her, Sonja Blue is a vampire/vampire slayer. She has anger issues.

But I would also like to recommend a few other books, not by me, for those of you looking for edgier, nastier vampires.

Dracula by Bram Stoker is, of course, the touchstone from which all vampire-centric reading must spring.

‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King gives you a whole town of blood-suckers, and remains of King’s best works.

Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindvist is one of the best vampire novels of the last decade.

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson gives you a world over-run by vampires, as seen through the eyes of the sole surviving human/vampire hunter.

Some Of Your Blood by Theodore Sturgeon is a groundbreaking psychological look at a “real” vampire, and still packs a punch, decades after its original publication.

As for movies, I recommend Near Dark, a vampire-action film directed by Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigleow, Let The Right One In (if you like subtitles) or Let Me In (if you don’t), The Hamiltons (about a family of vampires passing for human), and the original Fright Night, starring Michael Sarandon & Roddy McDowall.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time I went to bed. The sun is coming up…

Happy Halloween!

Nancy A. Collins is the author of numerous horror, dark fantasy & comics stories. A native of Arkansas, she currently resides in Cape Fear with her Significant Other and their Boston Terrier, Chopper.