Question of the Day: Vampires!

For those who haven’t made it to the Facebook page yet, you really should.  I know the site has been quiet for the past week or so – I’m sorry for that, but I’ve been dealing with some family issues that decided to grow an additional head.  However, even when I’m quiet here, I’m rarely totally silent on FB.  Yes, I am a FB junkie and I will post some things there before I can get it posted here (i.e. the cover for Ilona Andrews’ Magic Slays, due out May 31st, was posted yesterday!).  It’s also a great place to get quick updates, like the fact that I’m currently working on the newsletter and will have it posted tonight.

But I digress, the reason I am bringing this up is because every so often I throw up a Question of the Day.  Sometimes the topic is as simple as “what are you reading today”, but other times I end up hitting on a topic that gets a great response.  Yesterday’s topic kind of did that.  So I got to thinking of posting the QOTD here and including some of the answers.  This way, for everyone not on FB, they can get in on the action too.  So let’s get started, here’s the question and how people on FB have answered it, what would your response be?

Which books portray vampires differently than what the normal mythology shows?

Literary Escapism: I would suggest looking at the vampires in the series by Jeaniene Frost, Jocelynn Drake, Charlaine Harris and Sherrilyn Kenyon. Each gives them a different spin, yet still remains the integrity of the myth.

Brandy S: Lynsay Sands has her own twist that I enjoyed. JR Wards vampires are very close to the mythology however I like that they feed off of The opposite sex of their own kind and not necessarily on humans.

Meleesa T: Laurell Hamilton, Lynsay Sands, J.R. Ward, Christine Feehan, Lara Adrian, Kerrelyn Sparks… and then you have twicrap.

Jennifer K: I love Kenyon’s view of vampires, incorporating Greek mythology with the paranormal. And how she and JR Ward have them exisiting as separate species from humans.

Amy G: Lynn Viehl: Her vamps are caused by virus (a scientific virus, not a paranormal one), and are a dying breed: until now?

Michele O: Definitely J.R. Ward.

Dana S: Ilona Andrews, Alyxandra Harvey….

Sara M: The Greyfriar by Clay & Susan Griffith (I just finished it) was a very interesting take on vampires.

Nicola: I think all of the popular series put their own spin on the legend, but I personally think the ones that eliminate the “undead” piece are the most divergent — JR Ward for one, Lara Adrian for another. Any vamps that are warm to the touch and have a heartbeat.

Julie R: I love the vampires of Ilona Andrews…nothin’ cute cozy or warm about them but very cool twist.

Christina M: How about Lynsay Sands, her vamps are alive and immortal because of nanites.

Ivie S: Jeaniene Frost! Her vamps can go out in daylight, just get tired at dawn.

Christina A: ?@Ivie I agree Jeaniene’s vamps leave time for plenty of important stuff no sleeping ;-)

Heza L: Well comon, everybody loves to hate the books, but the twiligth cvamps are as different from the myths as one can get. Also, J. F Lewis’ are different in the way their society and heirarchy playout. I love Jr Ward’s take, and Jocelyn Drake,… although hers aren’t really different from the myths, neither is Harris’s that much, thogh I love the books. Nalini Singh’s Archangels has a twist in that the vamps are created by angels, how I’m not saying, but they are the same otherwise, but it does make it interesting.See More

Tine T: I just finished and Falling, Fly by Skyler White. Her vamps are fallen angels of desire. She has a very intersting take on them. @Julie: I totally agree, the vampires of the Kate Daniels series are very cool though slightly creepy!

And occasionally I get a few responses from Twitter, so let’s include those as well:
@SylviaSybil: Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels books. Vamps are mindless killing machines that can be controlled by necromancers.

@truedeadman: Twilight?

@SylviaSybil: I think they’re in every book. And they’re definitely different. Not sexy at all >.<

@habrewer: I love the vampires in Lynn Viehl’s Darkyn series and Susan Squires in blood series. They r different too

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

5 Comments

  1. The variation of the vampire mythos is what keeps it so interesting. I’m always spotting blog posts and magazine articles with fans dictating what are and are not vampire traits. It’s even more common in the Twilight wake, as Stephenie Meyer’s vampires sparkle in the sun and break like boulders. Here’s the thing, though: Vampire novels would be horribly boring if we expected authors to work within preset rules and worlds. Hey, we enjoy imagining flashes of fang as much as the next reader, but if a book has vamps with typical canines, we’d still be in.

    As for favorites — Jeaniene Frost puts a great spin on vampires and made decisions about the “vampire rules” based on what would make things most interesting. (Wood through the heart isn’t a problem, or they’d be in trouble breaking the coffee table, etc.)

    I also like Richelle Mead’s take in Vampire Academy — having both living and dead vampires.

    Charlaine Harris and her southern vampires always get a nod from me, as well.

    All three authors do something I think works best: they don’t make anyone inherently good or evil. Their vampires make a choice to be one way or the other. It certainly makes it easier to relate to the characters.

  2. I tend to agree with Chelsea as it’s the variety of vampires out there that keeps me returning to this genre. If it was always the same old thing, I believe I would have lost interest a long time ago. I love to see the different twists that authors put on their vamps, it’s fun.

    For me, I love Anne Rice’s version of vampires and Lestat has always been one of my favourites. There’s something pretty sexy about him, no matter how nasty he can get.

    I also love Jeaniene Frost’s version of vamps. I look forward to every release to see what is in store next.

    I can’t wait to see what is in store for the future.

  3. Ward, Viehl and Adrian have been named already, what about Susan Sizemores Primes series, with its matriarchal clans?

    Another interesting take on vampires can be found in Angela Knight’s Mageverse series – vampires were created by alien Merlin…

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