The Madison Vampire Coven consists of...wait for it...authors based in and around Madison, WI who write about vampires. Currently we have four members, and I asked each to complete the following statement.
What I love most about vampires is...
Jordan Castillo Price, author of Hemavore:
"What I love most about vampires is their vulnerability. I think the ways in which vampires can be harmed are much more interesting than their powers. Depending on which mythologies you draw from, your vampire characters could be vulnerable to sunlight, running water, garlic, or holy relics, just to name a few things. Spin these vulnerabilities into your storyline and you could end up with some really fun elements. What about a vampire who makes a living selling "native earth" to other vampires online? Or maybe an As-Seen-On-TV acupressure bracelet that allows vamps to cross bridges over streams and rivers without freaking out? Vampire weaknesses allow for really compelling world building."
Anna Black, author of "The Temptation of Mlle. Marielle Doucette," found in The Sweetest Kiss: Ravishing Vampire Erotica:
"What I love most about vampires is that as humans we can both envy and pity them. We can envy their immortality, fantastic strength, hypnotic power and, in some cases, their preternatural beauty. We can yearn to be like them and yet, at the same time, shun and even dread becoming one of them. That is where pity comes into play. We can pity their isolation from humanity and, possibly, each other. We can acknowledge that even as they are envied they are also hated and hunted. They are the shadowy reflection of our most impassioned and fearsome desires."
Fred Schepartz, author of Vampire Cabbie:
"What I love most about vampire is that they're so damn sexy. Even when they're not sexy, they're very sexy. They're hideous, but they're beautiful. They are that thing that we fear most, a creature above us on the food chain, a creature that means sure death or worse. And yet, they are so fascinating, we would just love to meet a real vampire sometime."
And yours truly, author of Blood Groove and, coming this July, The Girls with Games of Blood:
"What I like most about vampires is they can represent things in a way that makes us see them anew. Whether it's xenophobia and superstition (Dracula), loneliness and narcissism (Interview with the Vampire), or the terror of sexual relationships (Twilight), vampires stand in for things we otherwise don't want to acknowledge or discuss. In fact, I'd make the case that if a vampire isn't a metaphor for something else, there's no point in writing about them. The vampires that last are the ones who are more than just monsters."
Leave a comment completing the statement, "What I love most about vampires is..." for a chance to win a signed advance reader copy (ARC) of The Girls with Games of Blood. Deadline is May 14!
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9 comments:
What I love most about vampires is the dichotomy of their being a part of human society, yet always being separate. Kind of a Clark Kent/Superman thing, but for blood sucking monsters.
Paul
paulwiesner@hotmail.com
What I love most about vampires is their "nocturnal-ness". It's almost like they're night personified - a dark shadow that lures us into its corner to see what's there - and maybe stay...
Lisa
www.InByTheEye.com
What I like most about vampires is their age, in the sense that they've been around forever (sometimes), that they've lived through many centures (or decades) and have all those experiences to draw on.
What I love most about vampires is the history they can share. When you have lived 600 years you have a lot to share!
The same thing I love about any monster that started off as a human - even zombies. They are the perfect vehicle for s metaphor. With them you can take a critical look at humans and society without directly pointing a finger.
Wow, that sounded like I knew what I was talking about. And before coffee to boot!
Vampires make us romanticize what should be disturbing or even revolting. I think we get a guilty satisfaction from entertaining the forbidden, especially when an author convinces us it is erotic to drink blood or justifiable to kill. And of course, vampires also provide an unlimited source of tortured Byronic heroes, something I simply can't get enough of.
What I like most about vampires is the fact that they can interact with humans...and they are always so darn cute.
I'm not a huge vampire fan, but I do love the many interesting 'takes' the writing/entertainment world has on them, especially in recent years. (Though my possible favorite is 'Love at First Bite' - not so recent, and very tongue in cheek.)
bobbi
What I love most about vampires is the diversity. Unlike other monsters who, in their transformation, become bland and homogenized, vampires retain their personalities and can grow and change mentally and emotionally. Plus, being a vampire can lead to amazing self-conflicts and inner turmoil, making for even better, more rounded characters.
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