Author Topic: Vampire Lit (Read 21832 times)

Russell Nash · **on:** June 17, 2007, 01:30:17 PM

NPR had a story about the growing vampire genre in literature.

DKT · **Reply #1 on:** July 05, 2007, 08:10:01 PM

Thanks for that. I just listened to this. I haven't read any of the new wave of vampire books mentioned, although I've heard of all of them (except for Fangland). I really want to read some of Christopher Moore's and Charlaine Harris's stuff. I'm unsure about Charlie Huston for several reasons, but I'll probably try out one of his vampire detective books one day.

Anyone read any of them? Thoughts?

jrderego · **Reply #2 on:** July 05, 2007, 08:17:40 PM

Quote from: Russell Nash on June 17, 2007, 01:30:17 PM

NPR had a story about the growing vampire genre in literature.

Man, I hope this translates into short story markets opening up to vampire stories that don't have some whacked-out storytelling prerequisites, like have to have a romance between a vampire woman and a moral man, or have to be set in space, or have to feature only extraterrestrial vampires...

Russell Nash · **Reply #3 on:** July 06, 2007, 07:21:22 AM

Quote from: jrderego on July 05, 2007, 08:17:40 PM

Quote from: Russell Nash on June 17, 2007, 01:30:17 PM
NPR had a story about the growing vampire genre in literature.

Man, I hope this translates into short story markets opening up to vampire stories that don't have some whacked-out storytelling prerequisites, like have to have a romance between a vampire woman and a moral man, or have to be set in space, or have to feature only extraterrestrial vampires...

Ooh, ooh, ooh, A terraforming ship where one of the settlers was bitten right before suspended animation. The suspended animation makes it so that the effects are slow to evolve. Strange things start to happen once the crew is awakened two weeks before landing.

Anyone who can write is free to take this idea.

lowky · **Reply #4 on:** July 06, 2007, 12:51:44 PM

Quote from: DKT on July 05, 2007, 08:10:01 PM

Thanks for that. I just listened to this. I haven't read any of the new wave of vampire books mentioned, although I've heard of all of them (except for Fangland). I really want to read some of Christopher Moore's and Charlaine Harris's stuff. I'm unsure about Charlie Huston for several reasons, but I'll probably try out one of his vampire detective books one day.

Anyone read any of them? Thoughts?

I have read all of Christopher Moore's novels. They are usually quite humerous and filled with satire along the lines of Carl Hiaasen.
Note that You Suck is a sequal to Blood Sucking Fiends:A love Story. You Suck ties a lot of his stories together, with appearances of scenes from other books, where characters interacted. There is a scene in that from the perspective of it's central character, that is same scene from Dirty Job, which in Dirty Job is told from the perspective of it's central character, but dialog exchange is exactly the same. If you haven't read Dirty Job it's not a requirement, it's just a neat little trick if you have read it.

Charlaine Harris's stuff centers around a female character who is telepathic. She started dating a vampire, in part because she couldn't hear his thoughts, and then each book has her in some kind of mystery/adventure due to her relationships with Vampires, were-creatures, etc. I enjoy them, but I prefer Laurell K. Hamilton (closest author I can think of with similar plots).

Leon Kensington · **Reply #5 on:** July 09, 2007, 04:26:41 PM

Does anyone have a link to this from their site?

Russell Nash · **Reply #6 on:** July 09, 2007, 05:31:02 PM

Quote from: Leon_Kensington on July 09, 2007, 04:26:41 PM

Does anyone have a link to this from their site?

If you mean the story, click NPR in my original post.

Quote from: Russell Nash on June 17, 2007, 01:30:17 PM

NPR had a story about the growing vampire genre in literature.

Leon Kensington · **Reply #7 on:** July 09, 2007, 05:52:14 PM

Cool, thanks.

Listener · **Reply #8 on:** July 11, 2007, 05:37:52 PM

For a (so far in my experience) unique take on vampires, read The World On Blood by Jonathan Nasaw. The book has its flaws -- it's a little too long, it reads more like several novellas rather than a single book, and the final battle almost feels a little tacked on -- but overall I found it very enjoyable.

lowky · **Reply #9 on:** July 12, 2007, 05:55:07 PM

Quote from: Listener on July 11, 2007, 05:37:52 PM

For a (so far in my experience) unique take on vampires, read The World On Blood by Jonathan Nasaw. The book has its flaws -- it's a little too long, it reads more like several novellas rather than a single book, and the final battle almost feels a little tacked on -- but overall I found it very enjoyable.

it's sequel Shadows wasn't bad either.

Listener · **Reply #10 on:** July 13, 2007, 12:50:43 AM

Quote from: lowky on July 12, 2007, 05:55:07 PM

Quote from: Listener on July 11, 2007, 05:37:52 PM
For a (so far in my experience) unique take on vampires, read The World On Blood by Jonathan Nasaw. The book has its flaws -- it's a little too long, it reads more like several novellas rather than a single book, and the final battle almost feels a little tacked on -- but overall I found it very enjoyable.

it's sequel Shadows wasn't bad either.

Eh... I don't know... I could buy the whole vampire thing because vampires aren't real. But what the author did to wicca and paganism in that book made me cringe. Plus, well... I was going to post a spoiler but for some reason I can't get the text to come up tiny, so I won't.

lowky · **Reply #11 on:** July 13, 2007, 09:12:53 PM

Quote from: Listener on July 13, 2007, 12:50:43 AM

Quote from: lowky on July 12, 2007, 05:55:07 PM
Quote from: Listener on July 11, 2007, 05:37:52 PM
For a (so far in my experience) unique take on vampires, read The World On Blood by Jonathan Nasaw. The book has its flaws -- it's a little too long, it reads more like several novellas rather than a single book, and the final battle almost feels a little tacked on -- but overall I found it very enjoyable.

it's sequel Shadows wasn't bad either.

Eh... I don't know... I could buy the whole vampire thing because vampires aren't real. But what the author did to wicca and paganism in that book made me cringe. Plus, well... I was going to post a spoiler but for some reason I can't get the text to come up tiny, so I won't.

True he did take liberties and cast them both in a somewhat negative light, but he also did that to a lesser extent in the world on blood iirc (it's been several years since I read it, and for some reason I can't find my copy of either book so *shrug*...) I still liked the story over all.

Alasdair5000 · **Reply #12 on:** August 31, 2007, 09:40:54 PM

Quote from: DKT on July 05, 2007, 08:10:01 PM

Thanks for that. I just listened to this. I haven't read any of the new wave of vampire books mentioned, although I've heard of all of them (except for Fangland). I really want to read some of Christopher Moore's and Charlaine Harris's stuff. I'm unsure about Charlie Huston for several reasons, but I'll probably try out one of his vampire detective books one day.

Anyone read any of them? Thoughts?

Yeah I had to review No Dominion, the second Huston Joe Pitt novel this month. It's pretty good actually, although my latent gamer gene was going 'This would make a great Vampire campaign' for much of it. It's pleasantly...earthy for a vampire novel, very street level, very nasty. Imagine Mike Hammer with fangs and you're basically there.

You in England by the way? Because if you, PM me your address and I'll send it over if you're interested.

DKT · **Reply #13 on:** August 31, 2007, 10:04:52 PM

Thanks, but no, I'm in the States. Much appreaciate the thought, though

I'm sure I'll check one of them out sometime, because despite the way they buckle, my bookshelves have not yet broken from their overcapacity.

Alasdair5000 · **Reply #14 on:** August 31, 2007, 10:18:45 PM

No worries:) And when they buckle, just stack the books in piles on the floor! Works for me and you get free furniture;)

Tango Alpha Delta · **Reply #15 on:** October 21, 2007, 06:46:55 PM

It's not lit, but I had the opportunity to catch "Night Watch" (originally "Nochnoy Dozor") recently. <gratuitous plug> It was one of the "Watch Instantly" options through NetFlix. </gratuitous plug>

Gave quite a different backstory to what vampires are, and I enjoyed the way they handled it. I especially appreciated the amount of thematic ambiguity they managed to leave in. Since it's a Russian movie, I don't know how much exposure it got here in "The West", but I'd be curious to see what fang-genre enthusiasts think of it.

Listener · **Reply #16 on:** October 22, 2007, 07:23:38 PM

Quote from: Tango Alpha Delta on October 21, 2007, 06:46:55 PM

It's not lit, but I had the opportunity to catch "Night Watch" (originally "Nochnoy Dozor") recently. <gratuitous plug> It was one of the "Watch Instantly" options through NetFlix. </gratuitous plug>

Gave quite a different backstory to what vampires are, and I enjoyed the way they handled it. I especially appreciated the amount of thematic ambiguity they managed to leave in. Since it's a Russian movie, I don't know how much exposure it got here in "The West", but I'd be curious to see what fang-genre enthusiasts think of it.

Read the book. The movie was pretty good, but the book goes deeper into the vampire lore, and the payoff for it (in the third book, Twilight Watch) was wortht he wait.

DDog · **Reply #17 on:** October 23, 2007, 10:49:18 PM

I loved Night Watch and was so bummed I missed Day Watch in theaters. I haven't been able to get ahold of the book yet though.

Tango Alpha Delta · **Reply #18 on:** October 24, 2007, 11:43:05 PM

Looks like finding the book (in English) may be nigh unto implausible; and expensive, even in Russian. (And my Russian isn't that good.)

I haven't seen Day Watch, yet, but I'm already hoping there are plans for a Twilight film (contingent upon it's earlier recommendation!)

DKT · **Reply #19 on:** October 25, 2007, 04:16:05 PM

They had a translation of Daywatch at Borders last night in the SF/F section. I'm pretty sure you can find English translations in a lot of major bookstores.

Russell Nash · **Reply #20 on:** October 25, 2007, 06:31:20 PM

A run through Amazon got me this:

Book:
Night Watch (Paperback)by Sergei Lukyanenko
Day Watch (Paperback)by Sergei Lukyanenko
Twilight Watch (Paperback)by Sergei Lukyanenko

DVD:
Night Watch (2004)
Day Watch (Unrated) (2006)

Listener · **Reply #21 on:** October 26, 2007, 07:18:45 PM

Quote from: Russell Nash on October 25, 2007, 06:31:20 PM

A run through Amazon got me this:

Book:
Night Watch (Paperback)by Sergei Lukyanenko
Day Watch (Paperback)by Sergei Lukyanenko
Twilight Watch (Paperback)by Sergei Lukyanenko

DVD:
Night Watch (2004)
Day Watch (Unrated) (2006)

Do not watch the films until after you've completely read Night Watch.

The second film borrows partially from the first Day Watch story as well.

Tango Alpha Delta · **Reply #22 on:** October 27, 2007, 12:19:36 PM

Quote from: Russell Nash on October 25, 2007, 06:31:20 PM

A run through Amazon got me this:

Book:
Night Watch (Paperback)by Sergei Lukyanenko
Day Watch (Paperback)by Sergei Lukyanenko
Twilight Watch (Paperback)by Sergei Lukyanenko

DVD:
Night Watch (2004)
Day Watch (Unrated) (2006)

weeerd... I did a search in amazon, amazon.co.uk, and half.com the other day before making my comment, and only found Russian language copies for upwards of 60 bones.

Now we just need the wife's new paycheck to start coming in!

shwankie · **Reply #23 on:** November 21, 2007, 09:51:54 PM

Okay, I admit it: vampire fic of all ilk is one of my life's biggest guilty pleasures: movies, books, comics, gory, space opera, philosophical, romantic, horrifying, etc. Doesn't matter, I love it all. Well, all except Dracula 3000--there's two hours of my life I'll never get back. I can't wait to listen to that article.

I like Charlaine Harris' stuff. It's fun, and if you're out for mind candy it's a hoot. My current absolute favorite, however, is one I haven't yet seen here: "Sunshine," by Robin McKinley. To be fair, I like all of her works, partially because she's such a surprise. She's written excellent young adult novels such as "The Hero and the Crown," and does equally well at novels that are definitely adult, like "Deerskin." "Sunshine" is based on one of the more novel premises I've read recently. I love the details, the realism, the plot, and the non-mysticism of it all. McKinnley is also a master of being a clean writer, which makes her very occasional uses of explatives and/or vulgarities particularly powerful.

Listener · **Reply #24 on:** December 03, 2007, 04:24:43 PM

If you like Star Trek and Vampires, you could do worse than to read JM Dillard's "Bloodthirst".

Author Topic: Vampire Lit (Read 21832 times)

Russell Nash

Russell Nash

Russell Nash

Russell Nash

shwankie