Horror goes mainstream... At least that's what the USA Today said: http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2006-06-28-vampire-romance_x.htm
There's also a profile of writer Laurell K. Hamilton:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2006-06-28-chat-hamilton_x.htm
Vampire/romance/detective books are big now. I was an early fan of Laurell Hamilton, but somewhere along the way she lost me. I think she took a turn into poorly written porn. I was into Kim Harrison's books of a vampire ridden Cincinnati, but I fear they are heading into the same cliched waters that Laurell Hamilton headed to. Apparently all Vampire books must involve a Vampire slayer who loves both a vampire and some type of werewolf. I wish I could write Vampire fiction as easily as I do my mystery stuff.
3 comments:
A question: why do vampires always have to be sexy? I'm sure there are plenty of ugly vampires out there.
Oh, right. That wouldn't sell. ;)
I haven't read a vampire story in years. They don't seem to be very good (although "Salem's Lot" continues to be one of my favorite SK books... creepy!). I've written one vampire story myself, about a vampire support group, but really have no desire to do any more.
Somewhere along the line (perhaps with Anne Rice) they stopped making vampires evil. They had to be cute and funny and sexy. I'd love to read something where the dang Vampire was just plain old evil and the good people wanted to cut off his head. There seems to be a real lack of originality. Everything is either rip off of Anne Rice or Laurell K. Hamilton. Though I did think Kim Newman's Anno Dracular was pretty good. But that's truly horror and not mainstream.
In Danse Macabre SK wrote a very nice analysis of vampires and sexuality in the context of the Bram Stoker novel. He saw it as a Victorian repression thing, and decided not to go there in 'Salem's Lot.
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