Vampire literature covers the spectrum of literary work concerned principally with the subject of

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

s. The literary vampire first appeared in 18th-century poetry, before becoming one of the stock figures of

gothic fiction Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...

with the publication of Polidori's ''

The Vampyre "The Vampyre" is a short work of prose fiction written in 1819 by John William Polidori taken from the story Lord Byron told as part of a contest among Polidori, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Percy Shelley. The same contest produced the novel '' ...

'' (1819), which was inspired by the life and legend of

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

. Later influential works include the penny dreadful '' Varney the Vampire'' (1847); Sheridan Le Fanu's tale of a lesbian vampire, ''

Carmilla ''Carmilla'' is an 1872 Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's '' Dracula'' (1897) by 26 years. First published as a serial in ''The Dark Blue'' (1871–72), the ...

'' (1872), and the most well known:

Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) was an Irish author who is celebrated for his 1897 Gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. During his lifetime, he was better known as the personal assistant of actor Sir Henry Irving and busi ...

's ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taki ...

'' (1897). Some authors created a more "sympathetic vampire", with ''Varney'' being the first, and

Anne Rice Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien; October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021) was an American author of gothic fiction, erotic literature, and Christian literature. She was best known for her series of novels '' The Vampire Chronicles'' ...

's 1976 novel '' Interview with the Vampire'' as a more recent example.

History

18th century

Vampire fiction is rooted in the "vampire craze" of the 1720s and 1730s, which culminated in the somewhat bizarre official exhumations of suspected vampires

Petar Blagojevich Petar ( sr, Петар, bg, Петър) is a South Slavic masculine given name, their variant of the Biblical name Petros cognate to Peter. Derivative forms include Pero, Pejo, Pera, Perica, Petrica, Periša. Feminine equivalent is Petra. Pe ...

and

Arnold Paole Arnold Paole (''Arnont Paule'' in the original documents; an early German rendition of a Serbian name or nickname, perhaps Арнаут Павле, '' Arnaut Pavle''; died c. 1726) was a Serbian hajduk who was believed to have become a vampire afte ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...

under the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

. One of the first works of art to touch upon the subject is the short German poem ''The Vampire'' (1748) by Heinrich August Ossenfelder, where the theme already has strong erotic overtones: a man whose love is rejected by a respectable and pious maiden threatens to pay her a nightly visit, drink her blood by giving her the seductive kiss of the vampire and thus prove to her that his teaching is better than her mother's

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

. Furthermore, there have been a number of tales about a dead person returning from the grave to visit his/her beloved or spouse and bring them death in one way or another, the

narrative poem Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story, often using the voices of both a narrator and characters; the entire story is usually written in metered verse. Narrative poems do not need rhyme. The poems that make up this genre may be ...

'' Lenore'' (1773) by

Gottfried August Bürger Gottfried August Bürger (31 December 1747 – 8 June 1794) was a German poet. His ballads were very popular in Germany. His most noted ballad, '' Lenore'', found an audience beyond readers of the German language in an English and Russian ...

being a notable 18th-century example (though the apparently returned lover is actually revealed to be death himself in disguise). One of its lines, ''Denn die Todten reiten schnell'' ("For the dead ride fast"), was to be quoted in Bram Stoker's classic ''Dracula''. A later German poem exploring the same subject with a prominent vampiric element was '' The Bride of Corinth'' (1797) by

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...

, a story about a young woman who returns from the grave to seek her betrothed: The story is turned into an expression of the conflict between Heathendom and Christianity: the family of the dead girl are Christians, while the young man and his relatives are still pagans. It turns out that it was the girl's Christian mother who broke off her engagement and forced her to become a nun, eventually driving her to her death. The motive behind the girl's return as a "spectre" is that "e'en Earth can never cool down love". Goethe had been inspired by the story of '' Philinnion'' by

Phlegon of Tralles Phlegon of Tralles ( grc, Φλέγων ὁ Τραλλιανός ''Flegon o Trallianos'') was a Greek writer and freedman of the emperor Hadrian, who lived in the 2nd century AD. Works His chief work was the ''Olympiads'', an historical compen ...

, a tale from

classical Greece Classical Greece was a period of around 200 years (the 5th and 4th centuries BC) in Ancient Greece,The "Classical Age" is "the modern designation of the period from about 500 B.C. to the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C." ( Thomas R. Marti ...

. However, in that tale, the youth is not the girl's betrothed, no religious conflict is present, no actual sucking of blood occurs, and the girl's return from the dead is said to be sanctioned by the gods of the

Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwo ...

. She relapses into death upon being exposed, and the issue is settled by burning her body outside of the city walls and making an apotropaic sacrifice to the deities involved.

19th century

The first mention of vampires in English literature appears in Robert Southey's monumental oriental epic poem '' Thalaba the Destroyer'' (1801), where the main character Thalaba's deceased beloved Oneiza turns into a vampire, although that occurrence is actually marginal to the story. It has been argued that

Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge (; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lak ...

's poem '' Christabel'' (written between 1797 and 1801, but not published until 1816) has influenced the development of vampire fiction: the heroine Christabel is seduced by a female supernatural being called Geraldine who tricks her way into her residence. Though Coleridge never finished the poem, some argue that his intended plot had Geraldine eventually trying to marry Christabel after having assumed the appearance of Christabel's absent lover. The story bears a remarkable resemblance to the overtly vampiric story of

by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1872). In a passage in his epic poem '' The Giaour'' (1813),

alludes to the traditional folkloric conception of the vampire as a being damned to suck the blood and destroy the life of its nearest relations:

But first, on earth as vampire sent,
Thy corpse shall from its tomb be rent:
Then ghostly haunt thy native place,
And suck the blood of all thy race; There from thy daughter, sister, wife,
At midnight drain the stream of life;
Yet loathe the banquet which perforce
Must feed thy livid living corpse:
Thy victims ere they yet expire
Shall know thy demon for their sire,
As cursing thee, thou cursing them,
Thy flowers are withered on the stem.

Byron also composed an enigmatic fragmentary story, published as " A Fragment" in 1819 as part of the '' Mazeppa'' collection, concerning the mysterious fate of an aristocrat named Augustus Darvell whilst journeying in the Orient—as his contribution to the famous ghost story competition at the Villa Diodati by

Lake Geneva , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial lak ...

in the summer of 1816, between him,

Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 17928 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his achi ...

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an early example of science fiction. She also ...

and

John William Polidori John William Polidori (7 September 1795 – 24 August 1821) was a British writer and physician. He is known for his associations with the Romantic movement and credited by some as the creator of the vampire genre of fantasy fiction. His most suc ...

(who was Byron's personal physician). This story provided the basis for ''

'' (1819) by Polidori. Byron's own wild life became the model for Polidori's undead protagonist Lord Ruthven. According to A. Asbjorn Jon, "the choice of name or Polidori's Lord Ruthvenis presumably linked to Lady Caroline Lamb's earlier novel ''

Glenarvon ''Glenarvon'' was Lady Caroline Lamb's first novel. It created a sensation when published on 9 May 1816. Set in the Irish rebellion of 1798, the book satirized the Whig Holland House circle, while casting a sceptical eye on left-wing politicking. ...

'', where it was used for a rather ill disguised Byronesque character". An unauthorized sequel to Polidori's tale by Cyprien Bérard called ''Lord Ruthwen ou les Vampires'' (1820) was attributed to Charles Nodier. Nodier himself adapted "The Vampyre" into the first vampire stage melodrama, ''Le Vampire''. Unlike Polidori's original story, Nodier's play was set in Scotland. This, in turn, was adapted by the English melodramatist James Planché as '' The Vampire; or, the Bride of the Isles'' (1820) at the Lyceum (then called the English Opera House), also set in Scotland. Planché introduced the "vampire trap" as a way for the title fiend to appear in a dream at the beginning and then to vanish into the earth at his destruction. Nodier's play was also the basis of an opera called ''

Der Vampyr '' Der Vampyr '' (''The Vampire'') is a Romantic opera in two acts by Heinrich Marschner. The German libretto by Wilhelm August Wohlbrück (Marschner's brother-in-law) is based on the play ''Der Vampir oder die Totenbraut'' (1821) by Heinrich Lud ...

'' by the German composer Heinrich Marschner, who set the story in a more plausible

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and s ...

. Planché in turn translated the libretto of this opera into English in 1827, where it was performed at the Lyceum also. Alexandre Dumas, ''père'' later redramatized the story in a play also entitled ''Le Vampire'' (1851). Another theatrical vampire of this period was "Sir Alan Raby", who is the lead character of ''The Vampire'' (1852), a play by Dion Boucicault. Boucicault himself played the lead role to great effect, though the play itself had mixed reviews. Queen Victoria, who saw the play, described it in her diary as "very trashy". An important later example of 19th-century vampire fiction is the penny dreadful epic '' Varney the Vampire'' (1847), featuring Sir Francis Varney as the vampire. In this story, we have the first example of the standard trope in which the vampire comes through the window at night and attacks a maiden as she lies sleeping. Heathcliff in

Emily Brontë Emily Jane Brontë (, commonly ; 30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848) was an English novelist and poet who is best known for her only novel, '' Wuthering Heights'', now considered a classic of English literature. She also published a book of poe ...

's '' Wuthering Heights'' (1847) is suspected of being a vampire by his housekeeper at one point, which he immediately laughs off as "absurd nonsense". Fascinating erotic fixations are evident in Sheridan Le Fanu's classic novella ''

'' (1872), which features a female vampire with lesbian inclinations who seduces the heroine Laura while draining her of her vital fluids. Le Fanu's story is set in the

Duchy of Styria The Duchy of Styria (german: Herzogtum Steiermark; sl, Vojvodina Štajerska; hu, Stájer Hercegség) was a duchy located in modern-day southern Austria and northern Slovenia. It was a part of the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 180 ...

. Such central European locations became a standard feature of vampire fiction. Another important example of the development of vampire fiction can be found in three seminal novels by Paul Féval: ''Le Chevalier Ténèbre'' (1860), ''La Vampire'' (1865) and ''La Ville Vampire'' (1874). Marie Nizet's ''Le Capitaine Vampire'' (1879) features a Russian officer, Boris Liatoukine, who is a vampire. In German literature, one of the most popular novels was Hans Wachenhusen's ''Der Vampyr – Novelle aus Bulgarien'' (1878), which, on account of the author's first-hand experience of Ottoman society, includes a detailed description of the multicultural society of Bulgaria, and which contains an atmosphere that is "in some parts comparable to ''Dracula''". The most famous Serbian vampire was

Sava Savanović Sava Savanović ( sr-cyr, Сава Савановић) is one of the most famous vampires in Balkan and Serbian folklore. Legend Sava Savanović was said to have lived in an old watermill on the Rogačica river, at Zarožje village in the m ...

, from a folklore-inspired novel, ''Ninety Years Later'', by

Milovan Glišić Milovan Glišić (6 January 1847 – 20 January 1908) was a Serbian writer, dramatist, translator, and literary theorist. He is sometimes referred to as ''the Serbian Gogol''. Legacy Glišić is considered to be one of the best translato ...

, first published in 1880. Serbian vampires—albeit depicted first in French (1839) and then Russian (1884)—also appear in Count Tolstoy's novella ''

The Family of the Vourdalak ''The Family of the Vourdalak'' is a gothic novella by Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy, written in 1839 in French and originally entitled ''La Famille du Vourdalak. Fragment inedit des Memoires d'un inconnu''. Tolstoy wrote it on a trip to Franc ...

''.

''Dracula''

Bram Stoker's ''

'' (1897) has been the definitive description of the vampire in popular fiction for the last century. Its portrayal of vampirism as a disease (contagious demonic possession), with its undertones of sex, blood, and death, struck a chord in a Victorian Britain where

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, ...

and

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium '' Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, a ...

were common. Although it has been claimed that the character of

Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some ...

is based upon Vlad Dracula III ( Vlad the Impaler), also known as Vlad Ţepeş', a notorious 15th-century

n (Romanian) warlord, or

Voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...

, this has been debunked by multiple scholars. Unlike the historical personage, however, Stoker located his Count Dracula in a castle near the Borgo Pass in

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the A ...

, and ascribed to that area the supernatural aura it retains to this day in the popular imagination. Stoker likely drew inspiration from Irish myths of blood-sucking creatures. He was also influenced by Le Fanu's ''Carmilla''. Le Fanu was Stoker's editor when Stoker was a theater critic in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

, Ireland. Like Le Fanu, Stoker created compelling female vampire characters such as Lucy Westenra and the Brides of Dracula. Stoker's vampire hunter

Abraham Van Helsing Professor Abraham Van Helsing, a fictional character from the 1897 gothic horror novel '' Dracula'', is an aged Dutch polymath doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the string of letters that follows h ...

was a strong influence on subsequent vampire literature.

20th century

Though Stoker's Count Dracula remained an iconic figure, especially in the new medium of cinema, as in the film ''

Nosferatu ''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' (German: ''Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens'') is a 1922 silent German Expressionist horror film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife ...

'', 20th-century vampire fiction went beyond traditional Gothic horror and explored new genres such as science fiction. An early example of this is Gustave Le Rouge's ''Le prisonnier de la planète Mars'' (1908) and its sequel ''La guerre des vampires'' (1909), in which a native race of bat-winged, blood-drinking humanoids is found on

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...

. In the 1920 novella ''La Jeune Vampire'' (''The Young Vampire''), by J.-H. Rosny aîné, vampirism is explained as a form of possession by souls originating in another universe known simply as the Beyond. Possibly the most influential example of modern vampire science fiction is Richard Matheson's '' I Am Legend'' (1954). The novel is set in a future Los Angeles overrun with undead cannibalistic/bloodsucking beings. The protagonist is the sole survivor of a

pandemic A pandemic () is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. A widespread endemic disease with a stable number of in ...

of a

bacterium Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were am ...

that causes vampirism. He must fight to survive attacks from the hordes of nocturnal creatures, discover the secrets of their biology, and develop effective countermeasures. The novel was adapted into three movies: '' The Last Man on Earth'' starring Vincent Price in 1964, ''

The Omega Man ''The Omega Man'' (stylized as ''The Ωmega Man'') is a 1971 American post-apocalyptic action film directed by Boris Sagal and starring Charlton Heston as a survivor of a pandemic. It was written by John William Corrington and Joyce Corrington, ba ...

'' starring

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten ...

in 1971, and ''I am Legend'' (film) starring

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...

in 2007. The latter part of the 20th century saw the rise of multi-volume vampire epics. The first of these was Gothic romance writer

Marilyn Ross William Edward Daniel Ross (November 16, 1912 - November 1, 1995) was a Canadian actor, playwright, and bestselling writer of more than 300 novels in a variety of genres. He was known for the speed of his writing and was, by some estimates, the m ...

's ''

Barnabas Collins Barnabas Collins is a fictional character, a featured role in the ABC daytime serial ''Dark Shadows'', which aired from 1966 to 1971. Barnabas is a 175-year-old vampire in search of fresh blood and his lost love, Josette. The character, origin ...

'' series (1966–71) loosely based on the contemporary American TV soap opera ''

Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinspo ...

''. It also set the trend for seeing vampires as poetic, tragic heroes rather than as the traditional embodiment of evil. This formula was followed in the popular ''

Vampire Chronicles ''The Vampire Chronicles'' is a series of gothic horror novels and a media franchise, created by American writer Anne Rice, that revolves around the fictional character Lestat de Lioncourt, a French nobleman turned into a vampire in the 18t ...

'' (1976–) series of novels by

and

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (born September 15, 1942) is an American writer. She is known for her series of historical horror novels about the vampire Count Saint-Germain. Biography Yarbro was born in Berkeley, California. She attended Berkeley sch ...

's massive Saint-Germain series (1978–). Ross, Rice and Yarbro set the trend for multi-volume vampire sagas which are now a stock feature of mass-market fiction (see below for list). Rice's work also saw the beginning of the convergence of traditional Gothic ideas with the modern

Gothic subculture Goth is a music-based subculture that began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. It was developed by fans of Gothic rock, an offshoot of the post-punk music genre. The name ''Goth'' was derived directly from the genre. Notable post-p ...

and a more explicit exploration of the transgressive sexualities which had always been implicit in vampire fiction.

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

, while not a writer of multi-volume epics on vampires, has become a very influential horror writer of the late 20th and early 21st century, evidenced by the nearly sixty books he has published over the past 50 years selling around the world in multiple languages. King's repertoire often hybridizes traditional vampire folklore with the coy charm inspired by Bela Lugosi's performance while increasing the physical violence, carnage, and overall butchery. His work describes very graphically in detail the ruthlessness of what essentially is a supernatural, parasitic predator that unleashes itself and intrudes on ordinary life for ordinary people, a recurring theme of his books. According to King himself, he was still a teacher at a high school when one of the books the class was studying was Bram Stoker's ''Dracula.'' Over dinner, he asked his wife, Tabitha, what would happen if Dracula came back in the 20th century. "He'd probably be run over by a Yellow Cab on Park Avenue and killed," his wife replied, and it was from there that she suggested a different, rural setting. ''

Salem's Lot ''Salem's Lot'' is a 1975 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his second published novel. The story involves a writer named Ben Mears who returns to the town of Jerusalem's Lot (or 'Salem's Lot for short) in Maine, where he l ...

,'' the book that resulted from that conversation, was published in 1975 as the follow up to '' Carrie'''';'' as of 2022, the process of weaving vampires into his stories is still ongoing. King's overall body of work spans both the late 20th and early 21st centuries and ''Salem's Lot'' has over the years become one of his most important works. The title references a Maine town called Jerusalem's Lot and it is the centerpiece of 2 full novels and one short story, plus twelve other books that reference the town's existence within the multiverse that runs through all Stephen King books. King also has written several other works with vampires included in them in both long and short form including '' The Little Sisters of Elluria'' (1998), '' The Nightflier'' (1993, in ''Nightmares and Dreamscapes''), and several books in his series '' The Dark Tower'' (1982-2012) which also contains at least one character from ''Salem's Lot''. Many of these have been brought to film and television as well as comic books. The 1981 novel '' The Hunger'' (adapted as a film in 1983) continued the theme of open sexuality and examined the biology of vampires, suggesting that their special abilities were the result of physical properties of their blood. The novel suggested that not all vampires were undead humans, but some were a separate species that had evolved alongside humans. This interpretation of vampires has since then been used in several science-fiction stories dealing with vampires, most famously the '' Blade'' movie series. The 1982 novel '' Fevre Dream'' by notable author George R. R. Martin tells the tale of a race of living vampires, extremely human-like but

obligate {{wiktionary, obligate As an adjective, obligate means "by necessity" (antonym ''facultative'') and is used mainly in biology in phrases such as: * Obligate aerobe, an organism that cannot survive without oxygen * Obligate anaerobe, an organism tha ...

predators on humans, set in the Mississippi Riverboat era, where one of them has developed a

dietary supplement A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement one's diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or that are synthetic in order ...

to "cure" them, and is fighting for the right and opportunity to distribute it. Kim Newman's ''Anno Dracula'' series (1992–) returns to Stoker's Count Dracula, looking at an alternate world where Dracula defeated Van Helsing's group and conquered Britain, and gives the genre a somewhat

postmodern Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or Rhetorical modes, mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by philosophical skepticism, skepticis ...

spin. The television series ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the 1992 film of the same name, also written by Whedon, although the events of the film are not consid ...

'', created and largely written by

Joss Whedon Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television serie ...

, also explored vampire folklore in the light of

and

feminist theory Feminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical, fictional, or philosophical discourse. It aims to understand the nature of gender inequality. It examines women's and men's social roles, experiences, interests, chores, and femin ...

, defining the 'condition' as humans who were made to drink vampire blood after the vampire drinks from them, with turned vampires being essentially demons possessing human corpses; ''Buffy'' and its spin-off, ''

Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles ...

'', also feature the character of

in a prominent role, with Angel being a vampire who was cursed with his

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

, restoring his capacity for compassion, but also forcing him to live with the guilt of what he did as a regular vampire. Post-Colonial perspectives on the vampire legend are provided in Nalo Hopkinson's novel ''Brown Girl In The Ring'' (1998), which features the

Soucouyant The soucouyant or soucriant in Dominica, St. Lucian, Trinidadian, Guadeloupean folklore (also known as Loogaroo or Lougarou) in Haiti, Louisiana, Grenada and elsewhere in the Caribbean or Ole-Higue (also Ole Haig) in Guyana, Belize and Jamaica ...

, a vampire of Caribbean folklore, and in

Tananarive Due Tananarive Priscilla Due ( ) (born January 5, 1966) is an American author and educator. Due won the American Book Award for her novel '' The Living Blood''. She is also known as a film historian with expertise in Black horror. Due teaches a cours ...

's '' My Soul to Keep'' (1995) and its sequel ''

The Living Blood ''The Living Blood'' is a novel by writer Tananarive Due. It is the second book in Due's ''African Immortals Series''. It is preceded by '' My Soul to Keep'', which was published in 1997, and is followed by '' Blood Colony'', which was published ...

'' (2001). One of the more traditional vampire works of the 20th century is

's ''

'Salem's Lot ''Salem's Lot'' is a 1975 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his second published novel. The story involves a writer named Ben Mears who returns to the town of Jerusalem's Lot (or 'Salem's Lot for short) in Maine, where he li ...

'' (1975), which re-imagines the archetypal ''Dracula''-type story in a modern American small town setting. King acknowledged the influence of ''Dracula'' on the work, as well as the violent, pre- Comics Code vampires portrayed in horror comics such as those released by

E.C. Comics Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books, which specialized in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction, dark fantasy, and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s ...

. In 1989, a comprehensive bibliography of vampire literature was published – Margaret L. Carter's ''The Vampire in Literature. A Critical Bibliography'' (Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.: Umi Research Press).

21st century

Many books based on vampires are still being published, including several continuing series.

Paranormal romance Paranormal romance is a subgenre of both romantic fiction and speculative fiction. Paranormal romance focuses on romantic love and includes elements beyond the range of scientific explanation, blending together themes from the speculative fictio ...

, inspired by Anne Rice, but mostly dropping the open sexuality of her characters in favor of more conventional sexual roles, is a remarkable contemporary publishing phenomenon. Romances with handsome vampires as the male lead include

Lynsay Sands Lynsay Sands (born Leamington, Ontario) is a Canadian author of over 30 books. She is noted for the humor she injects into her stories. While she writes both historical and paranormal romance novels, she is best known for her Argeneau series abou ...

' Argeneau family series (2003–), Charlaine Harris '' The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' series (2001–2013), and

Christine Feehan Christine Feehan (born Christine King in Ukiah, California) is an American author of paranormal romance, paranormal military thrillers, and fantasy. She is a #1 ''New York Times'', #1 ''Publishers Weekly'', and International bestselling author ...

's Carpathian series (1999–). However, Laurell K. Hamilton's '' Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter'' series has again shifted the genre boundaries from romance back toward the territory of erotica. The occult detective subgenre is represented by Jim Butcher's ''

The Dresden Files ''The Dresden Files'' is a series of contemporary fantasy/ mystery novels written by American author Jim Butcher. The first novel, '' Storm Front''—which was also Butcher's writing debut—was published in 2000 by Roc Books. The books are wr ...

'' fantasy series (2000–), and Charlaine Harris's '' The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' (2001–). In the field of juvenile and young adult literature, Darren Shan wrote a 12-book series ('' The Saga of Darren Shan'') about a boy who becomes a vampire's assistant, beginning with '' Cirque Du Freak'' (2000) and ending with '' Sons of Destiny'' (2006). A film adaptation has been made of the first three books called '' Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant'' (2009). He is also currently writing a prequel to the ''Saga'', a series of four books all about

Larten Crepsley The book series ''The Saga of Darren Shan'' features humans, vampires and fantasy characters of other types. Overview * A dark grey cell indicates that the character was not in the property or that the character's presence in the property h ...

(one of the main characters) starting with ''Birth of a Killer'' (2010) and finishing with ''Brothers to the Death'' (2012). Ellen Schreiber created a young adult series about Raven Madison and her vampire boyfriend Alexander Sterling, starting with ''Vampire Kisses'' (2005). In

Scott Westerfeld Scott David Westerfeld (born May 5, 1963) is an American writer of young adult fiction, best known as the author of the ''Uglies'' and the '' Leviathan'' series. Early life Westerfeld was born in Dallas, Texas. As a child he moved to Connectic ...

's young adult novel '' Peeps'' (2005), the protagonist carries a contagious parasite that causes vampire-like behavior. Count Dracula also continues to inspire novelists, for example Elizabeth Kostova in ''

The Historian ''The Historian'' is the 2005 debut novel of American author Elizabeth Kostova. The plot blends the history and folklore of Vlad Țepeș and his fictional equivalent Count Dracula. Kostova's father told her stories about Dracula when she was a ...

'' (2005). Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist's critically praised vampire story ''Låt den rätte komma in'' (2004), about the relationship of a 12-year-old boy with a 200-year-old vampire child, has now been translated into English as '' Let the Right One In'' (2007) and a film adaptation has been produced. The story takes place in Blackeberg, a suburb of Stockholm. This particular novel does not follow the modern romantic trend, and instead focuses on a human-vampire friendship. Crucially, it retains many of the vampire traits popularized by ''

''. Dimitris Lyacos's second book of the ''

Poena Damni In Greek mythology, Poena or Poine () is the spirit of punishment and the attendant of punishment to Nemesis, the goddess of divine retribution. Sometimes mentioned as one being, and sometimes in the plural as Poenai (Ποιναί) and are akin to ...

'' trilogy '' With the People from the Bridge'' handles the vampire legend in the context of a ritualistic post-theatrical drama performance. In a dystopian setting, under the arches of a derelict bridge, a group of social outcasts present an unconventional, non-Gothic version of a vampire drawing from ancient Greek religion and literature,

Christian eschatology Christian eschatology, a major branch of study within Christian theology, deals with "last things". Such eschatology – the word derives from two Greek roots meaning "last" () and "study" (-) – involves the study of "end things", whether of ...

as well as traveler reports of vampire epidemics in the Balcans. The story is recounted in a minimalist style that makes no explicit mention to vampires, the undead, graves or the Underworld, conveying, nevertheless, the underlying theme unambiguously and in striking physical detail. Peter Watts' novel '' Blindsight'' has explored a scientific basis for vampires, depicting them as an evolutionary offshoot from humanity who were not the dominant species on the planet solely due to an evolutionary glitch making them averse to Euclidean geometry (right angles cause seizures in what is called "Crucifix Glitch", leading to them dying out when modern technology with all its structures swept the world). Implied to have vastly superior intelligence and problem-solving capabilities, they were recreated from gene snippets for special tasks, with special drugs alleviating their crucifix glitch. One particularly important vampire trait is their ability to hibernate for extended periods of time, which makes cryogenic stasis possible and is applied to astronauts via gene-therapy. At the end of the novel it is implied the vampires have taken control of earth and may be exterminating baseline humanity. In recent years, vampire fiction has been one of many supernatural fiction genres used in the creation of

mashup Mashup may refer to: * Mashup (culture), the rearrangement of spliced parts of musical pieces as part of a subculture * Mashup (education), combining various forms of data and media by a teacher or student in an instructional setting * Mashup (m ...

s. These works combine either a pre-existing text or a historic figure with elements of genre fiction. One of the best-known of these works is '' Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter'' by Seth Grahame-Smith, in which the historic

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...

has a fictional secret identity as a hunter of evil vampires. The 21st century brought more examples of vampire fiction, such as J. R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and other highly popular vampire books which appeal to teenagers and young adults. Such vampiric

paranormal romance Paranormal romance is a subgenre of both romantic fiction and speculative fiction. Paranormal romance focuses on romantic love and includes elements beyond the range of scientific explanation, blending together themes from the speculative fictio ...

novels and allied vampiric chick-lit and vampiric occult detective stories are a remarkably popular and ever-expanding contemporary publishing phenomenon. L. A. Banks' ''

The Vampire Huntress Legend Series The Vampire Huntress Legend Series (VHLS) is a twelve book series written by Leslie Esdaile Banks under the pen name L.A. Banks. The series centers around a young "twenty-something" year old woman named Damali Richards who is a spoken word artist ...

'', Laurell K. Hamilton's erotic '' Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter'' series, and

Kim Harrison Kim Harrison (born 1966) is a pen name of American author Dawn Cook. Kim is best known as the author of the ''New York Times'' #1 best selling Hollows series, but she has written more than urban fantasy and has published over two dozen books span ...

's ''

The Hollows The Hollows series (also called the Rachel Morgan series) is a series of 16 urban fantasy novels, eight short stories, two graphic novels, and one compendium resource by Kim Harrison, published by HarperCollins Publishers, in an alternate history ...

'' series, portray the vampire in a variety of new perspectives, some of them unrelated to the original legends. Vampires in the ''Twilight'' series (2005–2008) by Stephenie Meyer ignore the effects of garlic and crosses and are not harmed by sunlight, although it does reveal their supernatural status. Richelle Mead further deviates from traditional vampires in her '' Vampire Academy'' series (2007–2010), basing the novels on Romanian lore with two races of vampires, one good and one evil, as well as half-vampires.

Traits of vampires in fiction

The traits of the literary vampire have evolved from the often repulsive figures of folklore. Fictional vampires can be romantic figures, often described as elegant and sexy (compare demons such as succubi and

incubi An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...

). This is in stark contrast to the vampire of Eastern European folklore, which was a horrifying animated corpse. However, as in folklore, the literary vampire is sustained by drinking blood. They do not need other food, water, or even oxygen. They are sometimes portrayed as being unable to eat human food at all, forcing them to either avoid public dining or mime chewing and eating to deceive their mortal victims. The fictional vampire, however, often has a pale appearance rather than the dark or ruddy skin of folkloric vampires and their skin is cool to the touch. As in folklore, literary vampires can usually be warded off with

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeas ...

and symbols of the Christian faith, such as

holy water Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...

, a

crucifix A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (La ...

, or a

rosary The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or ...

. According to literary scholar Nina Auerbach in ''Our Vampires, Ourselves'', the influence of the moon was seen as dominant in the earliest examples of vampire literature: Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' was hugely influential in its depiction of vampire traits, some of which are described by the novel's vampire expert

. Dracula has the ability to change his shape at will, his featured forms in the novel being that of a wolf, bat, mist and fog. He can also crawl up and down the vertical external walls of his castle in the manner of a lizard. One very famous trait that Stoker added is the inability to be seen in mirrors, which is not found in traditional Eastern European folklore, as Stoker combined the folklore of Jiangshi being terrified of their own reflection with the material fact of the silver backed mirrors of the time. Dracula also had protruding teeth, though was preceded in this by Varney the Vampire and Carmilla. In Anne Rice's books, the vampires appear their best self of the age they were turned into a vampire; for instance, when Claudia was turned into a vampire, her golden curls became tight and voluminous, her skin turns a pale but smooth and clear, and rids her of the rotting disease. But it also seems like a curse as she retains her child-body for her entire vampire lifetime and any modifications on her body, such as even cutting her hair, grows it back to the same length as it was before. A similar occurrence can be observed in the ''Twilight'' series - when Bella is turned into a vampire, her wounds heal, hair becomes healthy and shiny, her broken back and ribs get mended, the color comes back to her skin, and her sunken eyes, cheeks and skinny body return to a healthy state; in fact she is brought back to life from the brink of death by turning her into a vampire. In the ''Dracula'' novel, the vampire hunter Van Helsing prescribes that a vampire be destroyed by a wooden stake (preferably made of white oak) through the heart,

decapitation Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...

, drowning, or incineration. The vampire's head must be removed from its body, the mouth stuffed with

and holy water or relics, the body drawn and quartered, then burned and spread into the four winds, with the head buried on hallowed ground. The destruction of the vampire Lucy follows the three-part process enjoined by Van Helsing (staking, decapitation, and garlic in the mouth). Traditional vampire folklore, followed by Stoker in ''Dracula'', does not usually hold that sunlight is fatal to vampires, though they are nocturnal. It is also notable in the novel that Dracula can walk about in the daylight, in bright sunshine, though apparently in discomfort and without the ability to use most of his powers, like turning into mist or a bat. He is still strong and fast enough to struggle with and escape from most of his male pursuers. Fatal exposure to sunlight of a vampire in their coffin dates at least as far back as ''The Story Of Yand Manor House'' (1898) by E. and H. Heron; such scenes in

vampire films Vampire films have been a staple in world cinema since the era of silent films, so much so that the depiction of vampires in popular culture is strongly based upon their depiction in films throughout the years. The most popular cinematic adaptat ...

however, most especially 1922's ''

'' and the closing scene of the 1958 film ''

'' in which Count Dracula is burnt by the sun, were very influential on later vampire fiction. For instance, Anne Rice's vampire Lestat and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Count Saint-Germain both avoid the lethal effects of daylight by staying closeted indoors during the day. A well-known set of special powers and weaknesses is commonly associated with vampires in contemporary fiction. There is a tendency, however, for authors to pick and choose the ones they like, or find more realistic ones, and have their characters ridicule the rest as absurd. For example, in the movie '' Blade'', the vampire hunter Blade tells Karen Jenson what kills vampires (stakes, silver, and sunlight), and dismisses tactics seen in vampire movies (namely crosses and running water) as ineffective. Some vampires can fly. This power may be supernatural levitation, or it may be connected to the vampire's shape-shifting ability. Some traditions hold that a vampire cannot enter a house unless he or she is invited in. Generally, a vampire needs be invited in only once and then can come and go at will.

's novel ''

'' explored an unusual direction with this myth in having one of the protagonists revoke a vampire's invitation to a house; the vampire was forced to flee the building immediately. This is also featured in the American TV series ''

True Blood ''True Blood'' is an American fantasy horror drama television series produced and created by Alan Ball. It is based on '' The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', a series of novels by Charlaine Harris. A reboot is currently in development. The ser ...

'', where Sookie withdraws her invitation on a number of occasions, causing vampires to be thrown out by supernatural forces. Also, in ''

The Vampire Diaries ''The Vampire Diaries'' is an American supernatural teen drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. The series premiered on The CW on September 10, ...

'' when a newly turned vampire wakes up in a house that he was not invited into, he immediately flees. Some tales maintain that vampires must return to a coffin or to their "native soil" before sunrise to take their rest safely. Others place native soil in their coffins, especially if they have relocated. Still other vampire stories, such as Le Fanu's ''

'', maintain that vampires must return to their coffins, but sleep in several inches of blood as opposed to soil. Vampires are generally held to be unable to bear children, though the concept of a "half vampire" and similar creatures does exist in folklore and in some modern fiction. Some fictional vampires are fascinated with counting, an idea derived from folk stories about vampires being compelled to stop and count any spilled grain that they find in their path. The most famous fictional counting vampire is likely the

Muppet The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety-sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...

character

Count von Count Count von Count (known simply as the Count) is a Muppet character on the PBS/HBO children's television show ''Sesame Street.'' He is meant to parody Bela Lugosi's portrayal of Count Dracula. He first appeared on the show in the Season 4 premier ...

on television's ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000 ...

''. Other examples include a fifth season episode of the '' X-Files'' titled ''Bad Blood'', and the Discworld novel, '' Carpe Jugulum'' by Terry Pratchett. Some modern fictional vampires are portrayed as having magical powers beyond those originally assigned by myth, typically also possessing the powers of a witch or seer. Such examples include Drusilla from ''

'' (Drusilla was a seer before she was a vampire, and carried those powers into her undeath), and

Olivia Nightshade Olivia may refer to: People * Olivia (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Olivia (singer) (Olivia Longott, born 1981), American singer * Olívia (basketball) (Carlos Henrique Rodrigues do Nascimento, born 197 ...

from ''The Nightshade Chronicles''. Also, vampires from the ''Vampire Academy'' books, also known as the moroi, are skilled in elemental magic. Also, in the ''Twilight'' series, certain vampires appear to have special gifts like Edward (telepathy), Alice (visions), Bella (shielding), that are either supernatural or evolved from their own personalities like Victoria (survival instinct).

Vampire hybrids

The dhampir, the offspring of a vampire and a human known from Serbian folklore, has been popularized in recent fiction.

Literature

Poems

* ''Der Vampir'' (''The Vampire'') by Heinrich August Ossenfelder (1748) * '' Travels into Dalmatia'' by Alberto Fortis (1774), including a story of fighting against vampires * ''Die Braut von Korinth'' (''The Bride of Corinth'') by

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...

(1797) * '' Thalaba the Destroyer'' by Robert Southey (1801) * ''The Vampyre'' by John Stagg (1810) * '' The Giaour'' by

(1813) * '' Christabel'' by

(1816) * "Vurdalak" by

Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...

(1836)

Prose

*''

Fragment of a Novel "Fragment of a Novel" is an unfinished 1819 vampire horror story written by Lord Byron. The story, also known as "A Fragment" and "The Burial: A Fragment", was one of the first in English to feature a vampire theme. The main character was Augustus ...

'', unfinished vampire story by

(1819) *''

'' by

(1819) *'' The Black Vampyre'' by Uriah D'Arcy (1819) * '' Lord Ruthwen ou les vampires'' by Cyprien Bérard (1820) (often attributed to Charles Nodier who, as a matter of a fact, only made the theater play version of it) *''Vampirismus'' by

E. T. A. Hoffmann Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (born Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann; 24 January 1776 – 25 June 1822) was a German Romantic author of fantasy and Gothic horror, a jurist, composer, music critic and artist. Penrith Goff, "E.T.A. Hoffmann" in ...

(1821) * '' Wake Not the Dead'' by

Ernst Raupach Ernst Benjamin Salomo Raupach (21 May 178418 March 1852) was a German dramatist. Biography He was born at Straupitz ( pl, Strupice), near Liegnitz in Silesia, a son of the village pastor. He attended the gymnasium at Liegnitz, and studied theol ...

(1823), often misattributed to

Johann Ludwig Tieck Johann Ludwig Tieck (; ; 31 May 177328 April 1853) was a German poet, fiction writer, translator, and critic. He was one of the founding fathers of the Romantic movement in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Early life Tieck was born in ...

. * ''The Virgin Vampire'' by Étienne-Léon de Lamothe-Langon (1825) * ''

La Morte Amoureuse "La Morte amoureuse" (in en, "The Dead Woman in Love") is a short story written by Théophile Gautier and published in ''La Chronique de Paris'' in 1836. It tells the story of a priest named Romuald who falls in love with Clarimonde, a beautiful w ...

'' (The Dead Woman in Love) by Théophile Gautier (1836) * ''

'' by Count Alexis Tolstoy (1843) * '' Varney the Vampire or The Feast of Blood'' by James Malcolm Rymer (or

Thomas Peckett Prest Thomas Peckett (or Preskett) Prest (probable dates 1810–1859) was a British hack writer, journalist, and musician. He was a prolific producer of penny dreadfuls and was known as a skilled author in the horror genre. He is now remembered as the co ...

) (1847) * ''Vampire'' by Vladimir Dal (1848) * ''The Pale Lady'' by

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where '' '' is French for 'father', to distinguish him from his son Alexandre Dumas fils), was a French writer ...

(1849) * ''The Mysterious Stranger'' by

Anonymous Anonymous may refer to: * Anonymity, the state of an individual's identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown ** Anonymous work, a work of art or literature that has an unnamed or unknown creator or author * Anony ...

(translated from the original German, this vampire tale appeared in the English magazine ''Odds and Ends'' in 1860) * '' Le Chevalier Ténèbre'' (''Knightshade'') by Paul Féval (1860) * '' La Vampire'' (''The Vampire Countess'') by Paul Féval (1865) * '' La Femme Immortelle'' (''The Immortal Woman'') by Pierre Alexis de Ponson du Terrail (1869) * '' Il Vampiro. Storia Vera'' (''The Vampire: True Story'') by Franco Mistrali (1869) * ''

'' (1872) by Sheridan Le Fanu * ''

La Ville Vampire LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

'' (''Vampire City'') by Paul Féval (1874) * '' Le Capitaine Vampire'' (''Captain Vampire'') by Marie Nizet (1879) * '' After Ninety Years'' by

(1880) * '' The Fate of Madame Cabanel'' by Eliza Lynn Linton (1880) * ''Manor'' by Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (1884) * '' The True Story of the Vampire'' by Count Stanislaus Eric Stenbock (1894) * '' Lilith'' by

George MacDonald George MacDonald (10 December 1824 – 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll ...

(1895) * ''

'' by

(1897) * '' The Blood of the Vampire'' by

Florence Marryat Florence Marryat (9 July 1833 – 27 October 1899) was a British author and actress. The daughter of author Capt. Frederick Marryat, she was particularly known for her sensational novels and her involvement with several celebrated spiritual me ...

(1897) * ''The Tomb of Sarah'' by

F. G. Loring Frederick George Loring (1869–1951) was an English naval officer and writer, and an early expert in wireless telegraphy. Family Loring was born on 11 March 1869 in Ryde, Isle of Wight (then still part of Hampshire), the eldest son of Admiral Sir ...

(1900) * '' The House of the Vampire'' by George Sylvester Viereck (1907) * ''Vampiro'' by Enrico Boni (1908) * ''

The Lair of the White Worm ''The Lair of the White Worm'' is a horror novel by the Irish writer Bram Stoker. It was first published by Rider and Son of London in 1911 – the year before Stoker's death – with colour illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith. The story is ba ...

'' by

(1911) * ''For the Blood is the Life'' by

F. Marion Crawford Francis Marion Crawford (August 2, 1854 – April 9, 1909) was an American writer noted for his many novels, especially those set in Italy, and for his classic weird and fantastical stories. Early life Crawford was born in Bagni di Lucca, in th ...

(1911) * ''Wampir ("The Vampire")'' by Władysław Reymont (1911) * '' The Room in the Tower'' by

E.F. Benson Edward Frederic Benson (24 July 1867 – 29 February 1940) was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist, archaeologist and short story writer. Early life E.F. Benson was born at Wellington College in Berkshire, the fifth child of the headm ...

(1912) * "

Dracula's Guest ''Dracula's Guest'' is a short story by Bram Stoker, first published in the short story collection '' Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Stories'' (1914). It was written as the first chapter for Stoker's 1897 novel ''Dracula'', but was deleted prior ...

" by

(1914) * ''The Vampire'' by Jan Neruda (1920 – posthumous) * ''Mrs. Amworth'' by

(1922) * ''Bewitched'' by

Edith Wharton Edith Wharton (; born Edith Newbold Jones; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and interior designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray ...

(1927) * "The Hills of the Dead" by Robert E. Howard (1930) * ''The Dark Castle'' by Marion Brandon (1931) * ''Revelations in Black'' by Carl Jacobi (1933) * ''Vampires Overhead'' by Alan Hyder (1935) * ''Doom of the House of Duryea'' by Earl Peirce Jr. (1936) * '' Lady Christina'' by

Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade (; – April 22, 1986) was a Romanian historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. He was a leading interpreter of religious experience, who established paradigms in religiou ...

(1936) * "The Man Upstairs" by

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and ...

(1943) * ''The Girl with the Hungry Eyes'' by

Fritz Leiber Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Robert ...

(1949) * '' I Am Legend'' by Richard Matheson (1954) * "The Longest Night" by Ray Russell (1960) *''Progeny of the Adder'' by

Les Whitten Les Whitten (February 21, 1928 – December 2, 2017) was an American investigative reporter at the '' Washington Merry-Go-Round'' under Jack Anderson, as well as translator of French poetry by Baudelaire and influential novelist of horror and ...

(1965) *''Vampire's Moon'' by

Peter Saxon Peter Saxon is a pen name used by various thriller authors from the 1950s to the 1970s. History The pseudonym "Peter Saxon" was originally used by Irish pulp fiction writer and journalist W. Howard Baker at Amalgamated Press, mostly for novels in t ...

(1970) *''The Night Stalker'' by

Jeff Rice ''The Night Stalker'' is an American made for television horror film which aired on ABC on January 11, 1972 as their ABC Movie of the Week. In the film, an investigative reporter, played by Darren McGavin, comes to suspect that a serial killer i ...

(1973) *''Pages from a Young Girl's Journal'' by Robert Aickman (1973) * ''

'' by

(1975) ** " One for the Road" by

(1977). A sequel to ''

'' ** " The Night Flier" by

(1988) ** " Popsy" by

(1993) ** " The Little Sisters of Eluria" by

(1998) ** " The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla" by

(2003) ** " The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower" by

(2004) *'' Interview with the Vampire'' by Anne Rice (1976) *''

The Silmarillion ''The Silmarillion'' () is a collection of myths and stories in varying styles by the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien. It was edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, assisted by the fantasy author Guy Gavri ...

'' by J.R.R. Tolkien (1977) * '' The Hunger'' by

Whitley Strieber Louis Whitley Strieber (; born June 13, 1945) is an American writer best known for his horror novels ''The Wolfen'' and '' The Hunger'' and for '' Communion'', a non-fiction account of his alleged experiences with non-human entities. He has mai ...

(1981) * '' The Keep'' by

F. Paul Wilson Francis Paul Wilson (born May 17, 1946, in Jersey City, New Jersey) is an American medical doctor and author of horror, adventure, medical thrillers, science fiction, and other genres of literary fiction. His books include the Repairman Jack n ...

(1981) * '' They Thirst'' by Robert McCammon (1981) * ''

The Journal of Edwin Underhill ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' by Peter Tonkin (1981) * '' Fevre Dream'' by George R. R. Martin (1982) * ''

The Delicate Dependency ''The Delicate Dependency: A Novel of the Vampire Life'' is a 1982 vampire novel by Michael Talbot. Plot In Victorian London, widowed Dr. John Gladstone runs over a beautiful young man named Niccolo Cavalanti with his carriage. When others at t ...

'' by Michael Talbot (1982) * ''

The Dragon Waiting ''The Dragon Waiting: A Masque of History'' is a 1983 fantasy novel by John M. Ford. It won the 1984 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. Plot summary The novel is a fantasy alternate history combining vampires, the Medicis, and the convoluted ...

'' by

John M. Ford John Milo "Mike" Ford (April 10, 1957 – September 25, 2006) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, game designer, and poet. A contributor to several online discussions, Ford composed poems, often improvised, in both complicated ...

(1983) * ''

The Light at the End ''The Light at the End'' is a 1986 vampire novel by John Skipp & Craig Spector which became a ''New York Times'' bestseller and is often credited as the book that started the splatterpunk movement. Story The book takes place in the 1980s punk s ...

'' by

John Skipp John Skipp is a splatterpunk horror and fantasy author and anthology editor, as well as a songwriter, screenwriter, film director, and film producer. He collaborated with Craig Spector on multiple novels, and has also collaborated with Marc Le ...

and Craig Spector (1986) * ''

Those Who Hunt the Night ''Those Who Hunt the Night'' is a 1988 horror/ mystery novel by American writer Barbara Hambly. It was first published in paperback by the British publisher Unwin Paperbacks in November 1988 under the title ''Immortal Blood''. The first American ...

'' (UK title: ''Immortal Blood'') by Barbara Hambly (1988) * ''

The Stress of Her Regard Timothy Thomas Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels '' Last Call'' and ''Declare''. His 1987 novel ''On Stranger Tide ...

'' by

Tim Powers Timothy Thomas Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels '' Last Call'' and ''Declare''. His 1987 novel ''On Stranger Tide ...

(1989) * ''

Vampire$ ''Vampires'' (sometimes stylized as ''Vampire$'') is a 1990 horror novel by John Steakley. A dark fantasy with a contemporary setting, the novel concerns a company called Vampire$, Inc. which treats vampire-hunting as a commercial enterprise, f ...

'' by John Steakley (1990) * '' The Silver Kiss'' by Annette Curtis Klause (1991) * ''Vampire of the Mists'' by

Christie Golden Christie Golden (born November 21, 1963) is an American author. She has written many novels and several short stories in fantasy, horror and science fiction. Career Golden has written many novels and several short stories in the fields of science ...

(1991) * ''Knight of the Black Rose'' by James Lowder (1991) * '' Lost Souls'' by

Poppy Z. Brite Billy Martin (born May 25, 1967), formerly Poppy Z. Brite, is an American author. He initially achieved fame in the gothic horror genre of literature in the early 1990s by publishing a string of successful novels and short story collections. He i ...

(1992) * The books ''I, Strahd, Memories of the Vampire'' (1993) and ''I, Strahd, the War with Azalin'' by P. N. Elrod tells the tale of the vampire lord Strahd von Zarovich, who occupies the castle Ravenloft * ''Travelling with the Dead'' by Barbara Hambly (1995). A sequel to ''Immortal Blood'' * '' Dracula the Undead'' by

Freda Warrington Freda Warrington is a British author, known for her epic fantasy, vampire and supernatural novels. Four of her novels (''Dark Cathedral'', ''Pagan Moon'', '' Dracula the Undead'', and ''The Amber Citadel'') have been nominated for the British Fa ...

(1997) (commissioned by Penguin books as a sequel to Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' for the centenary of the latter's first publication) * '' Carpe Jugulum'' by Terry Pratchett (1998) * '' Sunshine'' by Robin McKinley (2003) * '' Let the Right One In'' (''Låt Den Rätte Komma In'' in the original Swedish) by John Ajvide Lindqvist (2004). Translated into English in 2007 * ''

'' by Elizabeth Kostova (2005) * '' Fledgling'' by

Octavia Butler Octavia Estelle Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006) was an American science fiction author and a multiple recipient of the Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995, Butler became the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship ...

(2005) * ''Renfield: Slave of Dracula'' by Barbara Hambly (2006) * "Morrigan's Cross", "Dance of the Gods" and "Valley of Silence" (The Circle Trilogy) by Nora Roberts (2006) * ''Empire V'' (the original Russian title ''Ампир В'' is an acronym of the word "vampire") by Victor Pelevin (2006) *'' Fangland'' by John Marks (2007) *''Blood Oath'' by

Christopher Farnsworth Christopher Farnsworth (born 1971) is an American novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of the President's Vampire series of novels from G.P. Putnam's Sons G. P. Putnam's Sons is an American book publisher based in New York City, New Yor ...

(2010). * ''Modern Marvels – Viktoriana'' by Wayne Reinagel (2011) * ''Batman Apollo'' (original Russian title ''Бэтман Аполло'') by Victor Pelevin (2013) *''

NOS4A2 ''NOS4A2'' (pronounced ''Nosferatu'') is the third novel by American author Joe Hill, son of authors Stephen and Tabitha King. The book was published on April 30, 2013 through William Morrow and Company, and has since been adapted to a televis ...

'' by Joe Hill (2013) * '' Doctor Sleep'' by

(2013). A sequel to King's novel '' The Shining'' (1977) * '' With the People from the Bridge'' by Dimitris Lyacos (2014) * '' The Vampyre of Gotham'' by

Lev Raphael Lev Raphael (born May 19, 1954) is an American writer of Jewish heritage.Emmanuel S. Nelson, ''Encyclopedia of Contemporary LGBTQ Literature of the United States''. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2009. . pp. 525-526. He has published work in a varie ...

(2014) * ''The New Romantics: Ten Stories of Mystery, Passion, Travel and Vampires'' ("Bangkok Underground" and "Baltimore's Vampire Culture" are the two vampires stories here) by Richard Marranca * ''Captive'' by Gabrielle Estres * ''Vlad, the last confession'' by Chris Humphreys *''The Orange Spong and Storytelling at the Vamp-Art Café'' by St. Sukie de la Croix (2020) *''Silver Under Nightfall'' by

Rin Chupeco Rin Chupeco is a Chinese Filipino writer of young adult fiction, best known for their books ''The Bone Witch'', ''The Girl from the Well'', and ''The Never-Tilting World'' series. Personal life Chupeco was born and raised in Manila, Philippines ...

(2022)

Fiction series

There are several recent series in vampire fiction, of variable literary quality. They tend to either take the form of direct

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

s (or

prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term ...

s) to the first book published or detail the ongoing adventures of particular characters. * Cassandra Clare - ''

The Mortal Instruments ''The Mortal Instruments'' is a series of six young adult fantasy novels written by American author Cassandra Clare, the last of which was published on May 27, 2014. ''The Mortal Instruments'' is chronologically the third series of a planned fi ...

'' series (2007 to 2014 - excluding spin-off books) *

Lara Adrian Tina St. John (born 1966 in Michigan, United States), is an author of historical and paranormal romance novels. As Tina St. John she wrote seven historical romances, and under the pseudonym Lara Adrian she currently writes the New York Times and ...

's ''Midnight Breed'' series (2007–) * Elaine Bergstrom's ''Austra Vampires'' series (1989–) * Jenna Black's ''Guardians of The Night'' series (2006–) * Jim Butcher's ''

'' series (2000–). Not all of these novels concern themselves largely with vampires, but a war between vampires and wizards figures heavily in the story * P.C. Cast and

Kristin Cast Kristin F. Cast (born November 4, 1986) is an American author of young adult books. She is the editor for the '' House of Night'' series for young adults with her mother, P.C. Cast, and the author of ''The Escaped'' series. Life and career Cas ...

's ''

House of Night ''House of Night'' is a series of young adult vampire-themed fantasy novels by American author P. C. Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast. It follows the adventures of Zoey Redbird, a 16-year-old girl who is "marked", becomes a fledgling vampy ...

'' series * Kresley Cole's ''The Immortals After Dark'' series (2006–) *

Nancy A. Collins Nancy A. Collins (born September 10, 1959) is an American horror fiction writer best known for her series of vampire novels featuring her character Sonja Blue. Collins has also written for comic books, including the '' Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) ...

's ''

Sonja Blue Nancy A. Collins (born September 10, 1959) is an American horror fiction writer best known for her series of vampire novels featuring her character Sonja Blue. Collins has also written for comic books, including the ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) se ...

'' series (1989–) * Les Daniels' ''Don Sebastian: Vampire Chronicles'' series * MaryJanice Davidson's ''

Undead The undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if alive. Most commonly the term refers to corporeal forms of formerly-alive humans, such as mummies, vampires, and zombies, who have been reanimated b ...

'' series (2004–) *

Guillermo del Toro Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and actor. He directed the Academy Award–winning fantasy films ''Pan's Labyrinth'' (2006) and '' The Shape of Water'' (2017), winning the Academy Awards for ...

with Chuck Hogan's ''

The Strain ''The Strain'' is a 2009 vampire horror novel by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. It is the first installment in ''The Strain Trilogy'', and was followed by '' The Fall'' (2010) and ''The Night Eternal'' (2011). Plot synopsis A Boeing 777 ...

'' (2009), '' The Fall'' (2010) and '' The Night Eternal'' (2011) ''(La trilogía de la oscuridad)'' * P. N. Elrod's '' Vampire Files'' series (1990–) * P. N. Elrod's ''Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire'' series *

's ''Dark'' series (1999–) *

Jeaniene Frost Jeaniene Frost (born 1974) is an American fantasy author, known for her '' Night Huntress'' series and the ''Night Huntress World'' novels. Foreign rights for her novels have sold to twenty different countries. Bibliography The Night Huntress ...

's ''Night Huntress'' series (2007–) *

Christopher Golden Christopher Golden (born July 15, 1967) is an American author of horror, fantasy, and suspense novels for adults and teens. Early life Golden was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. He graduated from Tufts ...

's ''Shadow Saga'' (1994–2014) * Laurell K. Hamilton's '' Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter'' series (1993–) * Charlaine Harris's '' The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' (2001–) *

's '' Hollows'' series (2004–) *

Tanya Huff Tanya Sue Huff (born 1957) is a Canadian fantasy author. Her stories have been published since the late 1980s, including five fantasy series and one science fiction series. One of these, her '' Blood Books'' series, featuring detective Vicki Ne ...

's Blood Books series (1991–1997) *

Faith Hunter Gwendolyn Faith Hunter is an American author and blogger, writing in the fantasy and thriller genres. She writes as Faith Hunter in the fantasy genre, and as Gwen Hunter in the thriller genre.

's Jane Yellowrock series (2009–) * Charlie Huston's ''Joe Pitt Casefiles'' series (2005–) *

Jasper Kent Jasper Kent (born 1968) is an English author and composer. As a composer his work is generally in the field of musical theatre and his novel series include the Danilov Quintet and the Charlie Woolf Mysteries. Biography Born in Worcestershire, E ...

's '' Danilov Quintet'' (2009–) *

Justin Cronin Justin Cronin (born 1962) is an American author. He has written five novels: ''Mary and O'Neil'' and ''The Summer Guest'', as well as a vampire trilogy consisting of ''The Passage,'' '' The Twelve'' and '' City of Mirrors''. He has won the Heming ...

s ''

The Passage Passage, The Passage or Le Passage may refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Passage'' (2008 film), a documentary about Arctic explorers * ''Passage'' (2009 film), a short movie about three sisters * ''The Passage'' (1979 film), starring ...

(2010),'' '' The Twelve'' (2012) and '' City of Mirrors'' (2016) * Sherrilyn Kenyon's ''

Dark-Hunter Dark-Hunter is a term from a paranormal romance and fantasy series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Kenyon began writing the series in 1986 in horror, fantasy and science fiction magazines. Definition The Dark-Hunters are immortal warriors who sell their sou ...

'' (2002–) * E. E. Knight's '' Vampire Earth'' series (2003–) * Brian Lumley's ''

Necroscope ''Necroscope'' is the title of a series of horror novels by British author Brian Lumley. The term ''necroscope'', as defined in the series, describes someone who can communicate with the dead (coined Deadspeak later in the series). Unlike ...

'' series (1986–) * Richelle Mead's '' Vampire Academy'' and '' Bloodlines'' series * Stephenie Meyer's ''

Twilight Twilight is light produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, when the Sun is below the horizon, which illuminates the lower atmosphere and the Earth's surface. The word twilight can also refer to the periods of time when this i ...

'' series (2005–2008) * Deborah Harkness's '' A Discovery of Witches'' (2011–2018) * Christopher Moore's ''A Love Story'' series (1995–2007) * Kim Newman's '' Anno Dracula'' series (1992–) *

's ''

'' series (1976–) *

series (1966–1971) * Fred Saberhagen's ''Vlad Tepes'' series (1975–2002) * Darren Shan's '' The Saga of Darren Shan'' series (2000–2006) *

Maggie Shayne Maggie Shayne (born Margaret Lewis) is an American author of more than 70 novels. Shayne has won numerous awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA Award, multiple Reviewers' Choice and Career Achievement Awards, The Readers' Choice A ...

's ''Wings in the Night'' series (1993–) * L.J. Smith's ''

'' series * Jeanne C. Stein's ''Anna Strong'' series *

's ''The Hunger'' series (1981–2002) * J. R. Ward's ''Black Dagger Brotherhood'' series (2011–) *

's ''Bloodwine'' series (1992–) * David Wellington's '' Thirteen Bullets'', '' 99 Coffins'', '' Vampire Zero'', '' 23 Hours'' (Laura Caxton, James Arkeley series) * Gene Wolfe's '' Urth: Book of the Short Sun''

trilogy A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...

(1999–2001) *

's ''Saint-Germain'' series (1978–) *

Chloe Neill Chloe Neill (born May 1975 in the United States) is the ''New York Times'' and ''USA Today'' bestselling author of the Devil's Isle and Chicagoland Vampires series. She writes in the urban fantasy and paranormal romance genres. Life and caree ...

's '' Chicagoland Vampires'' series White Wolf, a maker of

role-playing games A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal ac ...

, releases novels set in the fantasy world of its '' Vampire: The Masquerade'' game. These series of novels were released in 13-book sets, each corresponding to one of the 13 clans of vampires in their game universe.

Juvenile fiction

* ''

'' series by Cassandra Clare (2007 to 2014 - excluding spin-off books) * '' The Little Vampire'' series by

Angela Sommer-Bodenburg Angela Sommer-Bodenburg (born December 18, 1948) is the author of a number of fantasy books for children. Her most famous contribution to the field of children's fantasy is '' The Little Vampire'' series, which has sold over 10 million copies and ...

(1979) * The ''

Bunnicula ''Bunnicula'' is a children's novel series. The first installment was written by James and Deborah Howe, and introduced a vampire rabbit named Bunnicula who sucks the juice out of vegetables. After the sudden death of his wife in 1978, Howe ...

'' series by

Deborah Howe Deborah Smith Howe (August 12, 1946 – June 3, 1978) was an American children's writer and actress. She and her husband James Howe wrote two books, '' Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery'' and '' Teddy Bear's Scrapbook'', but she died of cance ...

and James Howe (1979) * The '' School for Vampires'' series by Jackie Niebisch (1985) * The ''Darkangel'' series by Meredith Ann Pierce (1982–1990) * ''

'' series by

L. J. Smith (author) Lisa Jane Smith is an American author of young adult fiction best known for her best-selling series ''The Vampire Diaries'', which has been turned into a successful television show. Her books, particularly ''The Vampire Diaries'' and '' Night W ...

(1991–) * The '' Night World'' series by L. J. Smith (1996–) * ''The Silver Kiss'' by Annette Curtis Klause (1992) * ''

The Last Vampire ''The Last Vampire'' series (later rebranded as ''Thirst'') consists of books written by Christopher Pike and chronicles the life of Sita, a 5,000-year-old vampire. Publication History ''The Last Vampire'' was published in 1994. Sequels were o ...

'' series by Christopher Pike (1994–) * '' Companions of the Night'' (1995) by Vivian Vande Velde * ''How to Be a Vampire'' (1996) by R. L. Stine **"A Vampire in the Neighborhood" short story in ''Tales to Give you Goosebumps'' by

R.L. Stine Robert Lawrence Stine (; born October 8, 1943), sometimes known as Jovial Bob Stine and Eric Affabee, is an American novelist, short story writer, television producer, screenwriter, and executive editor. Stine has been referred to as the "St ...

(1994) **'' Vampire Breath'' book #49 in the '' Goosebumps'' series by

(1996) **'' Please Don't Feed the Vampire!'' book #15 in the '' Give Yourself Goosebumps'' series by

(1997) **'' The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod'' series by

Z Brewer Z Brewer, previously known as Zac Brewer (born Heather Brewer; September 21, 1973), is an American writer of young adult fiction. Their debut series, '' The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod'', was published by Dutton Juvenile. Personal life Brewer ...

(2007) **'' Who's Your Mummy?'' book #6 in the ''

Goosebumps HorrorLand ''Goosebumps HorrorLand'' is a horror novella series by R.L. Stine, a spin-off of his popular ''Goosebumps'' books. There was an almost ten-year gap between the publication of the initial installment in the ''Goosebumps Horrorland.'' Overview ...

'' series by

(2009) **'' Welcome to HorrorLand: A Survival Guide'' book #13 in the ''

Goosebumps Horrorland ''Goosebumps HorrorLand'' is a horror novella series by R.L. Stine, a spin-off of his popular ''Goosebumps'' books. There was an almost ten-year gap between the publication of the initial installment in the ''Goosebumps Horrorland.'' Overview ...

'' series by

(2009) **''Goosebumps Monster Survival Guide'' (2015) *'' Vampire Express'' (1984) book #31 in ''Choose Your Own Adventure'' **'' Biting for Blood'' (1996) book #7 in ''Choose Your Own Nightmare'' *

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes Amelia Holt Atwater-Rhodes (born April 16, 1984), known professionally as Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, is an American author of fantasy and young adult literature and a Language Arts/Literature teacher at Learning Prep School in West Newton, MA. She wa ...

's novels '' In the Forests of the Night'' (1999), ''

Demon in My View ''Demon in My View'' is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and published on May 9, 2000. Originally entitled ''Bitter Life'', it was published when the author was 16. It is the follow-up to '' In the Forests of the Night'', wh ...

'' (2000), ''

Shattered Mirror ''Shattered Mirror'' is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, published in 2001 when the author was 17. W. B. Yeats’ poem "The Two Trees", which references broken glass, appears in the beginning of the book, and is the inspiration ...

'' (2001), ''

Midnight Predator ''Midnight Predator'' is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, published in 2002 when the author was 18. The novel was an ALA Quick Pick and “a must-read” according to ''School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ ...

'' (2002) and ''Persistence of Memory'' (2008) * '' The Saga of Darren Shan'', also known as the ''Cirque Du Freak'' series (2000–4) by Darren Shan * ''

Sweetblood ''Sweetblood'' is a young adult novel by Pete Hautman, first published in 2003. It is the story of a teenage girl's encounter with the vampire lifestyle, vampire subculture. The novel "was recognized as a YALSA Best Book for Young Adults and rece ...

'' by

Pete Hautman Peter Murray Hautman (born September 29, 1952) is an American author best known for his novels for young adult fiction, young adults. One of them, ''Godless (novel), Godless'', won the 2004 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. The Na ...

(2003) * The ''Vampire Kisses'' series by Ellen Schreiber (2005–) * '' Peeps'' by

(2005) * The ''

'' series by Stephenie Meyer (2005–2008) * '' The Last Days'' by

(2006) * The '' Blue Bloods'' series by Melissa de la Cruz (2006–) * The '' Vampire Academy'' series by Richelle Mead (2006–2010) * ''Tantalize'' by

Cynthia Leitich Smith Cynthia Leitich Smith (born 1967) is a New York Times best-selling author of fiction for children and young adults. A member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, she writes fiction for children centered on the lives of modern-day Native Americans. Th ...

(2007) * The ''

'' series by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast (2007–) * ''The Reformed Vampire Support Group'' by

Catherine Jinks Catherine Jinks (born 1963) is an Australian writer of fiction books for all age groups. She has won many awards including the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award four times, the Victorian Premier's Literary Award, the Au ...

(2009) * '' Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side'' by Beth Fantaskey (2009) * The '' Little Dracula'' series by Martin Waddell and Joseph Wright (1986–2001) * ''

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown ''The Coldest Girl in Coldtown'' is a 2013 young adult novel by Holly Black. The book was first published on September 3, 2013, through Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and follows Tana, a teenager that believes that she has been infected wi ...

'' by Holly Black (2013) * '' Carry On'' by Rainbow Rowell (2015)

Vampire fiction based on TV series

*''

''; see: List of ''Angel'' novels *'' Being Human''; see: ''Being Human'' novels *''

''; see: List of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' novels *''

''; see: ''Carmilla'' novelization * ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...

''; see: ** '' Blood Harvest'' ** ''

Goth Opera ''Goth Opera'' is an original ''Doctor Who'' novel, published by Virgin Publishing in their '' Missing Adventures'' range of ''Doctor Who'' novels. It was the first book in that series and a sequel to the '' New Adventure'' book '' Blood Harvest' ...

'' ** '' World Game'' ** ''

The Eight Doctors ''The Eight Doctors'' is a BBC Books original novel written by Terrance Dicks and based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was the first of the Eighth Doctor Adventures range and features the Eighth ...

'' ** ''

Vampire Science ''Vampire Science'' is the second novel in the BBC Books series, the Eighth Doctor Adventures, based upon the BBC's long-running science fiction television series, ''Doctor Who''. It was written by Jonathan Blum and Kate Orman. Synopsis An a ...

'' ** ''

The Vampire Curse ''The Vampire Curse'' is a Big Finish original novella collection, featuring Bernice Summerfield, a character from the spin-off media based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', fighting vampire ...

'' ** '' Short Trips: Defining Patterns: Twilight's End'' *''

''; see '' Dark Shadows novels'' (novels #6-32) *'' Forever Knight''; see ''Forever Knight'' novels *'' I Heart Vampires''; see '' I Heart Vampires: Birth (A Confessions of a High School Vampire Novel)'' *'' The Originals''; see '' The Originals novels'' *''

''; see: '' Stefan's Diaries''

Comic books

Comic books and graphic novels which feature vampires include ''

Vampirella Vampirella () is a fictional vampire superheroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and comic book artist Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine ''Vampirella'' #1 (Sept. 1969), a sister publication of '' Cre ...

'' (Warren Publishing, 1969), '' Morbius the Living Vampire'' (Marvel, 1971), '' The Tomb of Dracula'' (Marvel Comics, 1972), '' Blade'' (Marvel, 1973), '' I...Vampire'' (DC Comics, 1981), ''

Hellsing ''Hellsing'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano. It was serialized in Shōnen Gahōsha's ''seinen'' manga magazine '' Young King OURs'' from May 1997 to September 2008, with its c ...

'' (Shonen Gahosha, 1997), '' Vampire Girl'' (Shodensha, 1999–unknown), ''

30 Days of Night ''30 Days of Night'' is a three-issue horror comic book miniseries written by Steve Niles, illustrated by Ben Templesmith, and published by American company IDW Publishing in 2002. All three parties co-own the property. The series takes place i ...

'' (IDW Publishing, 2002), ''

Chibi Vampire ''Chibi Vampire'', originally released in Japan as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuna Kagesaki. The story is about an unusual vampiress girl, who instead of drinking blood must inject it into others because she produ ...

'' (Monthly Dragon Age, 2003), '' JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' (''Weekly Shonen Jump'' 1986–2004, ''Ultra Jump'' 2004-) ''

Rosario + Vampire is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akihisa Ikeda. The story revolves around Tsukune Aono, a boy who inadvertently enrolls in a boarding school for monsters. He quickly befriends Moka Akashiya, a vampire who soon develop ...

'' (''Monthly Shōnen Jump'' 2004), ''

Vampire Knight is a Japanese manga series written by Matsuri Hino. It was serialized in Hakusensha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''LaLa'' from 2004 to 2013, with its chapters collected in nineteen '' tankōbon'' volumes. The manga series is licensed in Eng ...

'' (LaLa, 2005), ''

Blood Alone ''Blood Alone'' is a Japanese manga series written by Masayuki Takano, author of ''Boogiepop Dual''. It was originally published as a ''dōjinshi''. The manga ended abruptly in Spring 2014, however the story was concluded in a dōjinshi. Plot K ...

'' (MediaWorks, 2005), '' Dracula vs. King Arthur'' (Silent Devil Productions, 2005), ''

Dance in the Vampire Bund is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nozomu Tamaki. The manga was serialized in Media Factory's ''seinen'' manga magazine '' Monthly Comic Flapper'' between 2005 and 2012, and is licensed for publication in English by ...

'' (Media Factory, 2006), '' Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures'' (Dabel Brothers Productions/Marvel Comics, 2007), ''Half Dead'' (Dabel Brothers Productions/Marvel Comics, 2007), '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight'' (Dark Horse Comics, 2007), ''

Black Rose Alice is a Japanese fantasy romance manga series written and illustrated by Setona Mizushiro. It was serialized in Akita Shoten's '' Princess'' magazine from 2008 to 2011, after which the manga was put on hold for eight years. Mizushiro resumed ...

'' (Akita Shoten, 2008), ''

'' (Viper Comics, 2010), '' Twilight: The Graphic Novel'' (2010) and ''

He's My Only Vampire is a Japanese '' shōjo'' fantasy romance vampire manga series written and illustrated by Aya Shouoto and published by Kodansha on ''Aria'' magazine. It is licensed in English by Yen Press Yen Press, LLC is an American manga and graphic ...

'' (Kodansha, 2010). Proinsias Cassidy, the supporting lead male in Garth Ennis' comic book series ''

Preacher A preacher is a person who delivers sermons or homilies on religious topics to an assembly of people. Less common are preachers who preach on the street, or those whose message is not necessarily religious, but who preach components such as ...

'' (DC/Vertigo, 1995), is a vampire of Irish origin. In addition, many major superheroes have faced vampire supervillains at some point. In the Belgo-French comic ''Le Bal du rat mort'', police inspector Jean Lamorgue is a hybrid vampire and he is a king of rats. He is guiding an invasion of rats in

Ostend Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...

and he sucks the blood of his human victims. In 2009, Zuda Comics launched '' La Morté Sisters'', a story of teenage vampirism in a Catholic orphanage taking place in South

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

. The story follows new girl Maddie in a world of ninja nuns and black magic. ''

American Vampire ''American Vampire'' is an American comic book series created by writer Scott Snyder and drawn by artist Rafael Albuquerque. It was published by DC Comics under its Vertigo imprint. ''American Vampire'' continued under the newly-created DC Blac ...

'', created by Scott Snyder, was published in 2010. It explores the idea of the evolution of vampires, leading to new species throughout American history.

Magazines

Magazines which feature vampires include ''Bite me'' magazine (launched 1999). Typical features include interviews with vampire actors, features on famous vampire film classics, vampire-related news, forthcoming vampire film and book releases. Defunct vampire magazines include ''Crimson'' (England); ''Journal of the Dark'' (US), Father Sebastiaan's ''Vampyre Magazine'' (US) and ''The Velvet Vampyre'' (available to members of the disbanded The Vampyre Society, England).

References

Bibliography

* Freelad, Cynthia A. (2000) ''The Naked and the Undead: Evil and the Appeal of Horror''. Westview Pres Adaptations. Greenwood Press. * Melton, J. Gordon. (1999) ''The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead''. Visible Ink Press. * Montague Summers (1928) ''The Vampire: His Kith and Kin'', (book reprinted with alternate title: ''Vampires and Vampirism'' ). Chapter 5 - "The Vampire in Literature" is reprinted in Clive Bloom (2007) ''Gothic Horror'': 108–126. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
El estudio académico más completo en español sobre el origen y evolución de los vampiros: Toribio-Hernández, Edgar. (2018). EL ORIGEN Y EVOLUCIÓN DE LOS VAMPIROS: MONSTRUOS DE LA FANTASÍA. Acta literaria, (57), 39-70. https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0717-68482018000200039

Townsend, Dorian Aleksandra, ''From Upyr' to Vampire: The Slavic Vampire Myth in Russian Literature'', Ph.D. Dissertation, School of German and Russian Studies, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, May 2011.
*M. J. Trow (2003) ''Vlad the Impaler''. Sutton: Stroud. {{DEFAULTSORT:Vampire Literature Horror fiction Fantasy genres Horror genres Vampires in popular culture

History

18th century

19th century

''Dracula''

20th century

21st century

Traits of vampires in fiction

Vampire hybrids

Literature

Poems

Prose

Fiction series

Juvenile fiction

Vampire fiction based on TV series

Comic books

Magazines

See also

References

Bibliography