This is such an amazing post. You brought up a bunch of interesting points that I had never thought about. I feel about like you on the subject of vampires in media. I don't seek them out or avoid them. I read/watch things that I think I will like. Still, now I have a lot to think about. Thank you fro sharing this essay.
I guess I always assumed (like I did with Harry Potter) that Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse were less about the story and more about a large mainstream audience forgetting its sci-fi/fantasy hang ups.
Eeeenteresting. Because, as you point out, sci fi and fantasy allow storytellers to communicate and comment upon the human condition in a way realistic fiction doesn't accommodate, and both Rowling's and Harris' series are (to varying degrees) morality tales about prejudice and violence against those who are different, and therefore considered to be "less human."
I'm not sure what lesson we're meant to learn from Twilight, if any - I never finished the series, though I'm familiar with the events of the later books. Maybe Meyer wants us all to get married young and have eerily precocious babies? That's probably the least offensive interpretation, actually.
I was completely convinced, had she still just been sweet, jealous, human Caroline she still would have kicked his ass.Word. Caroline's arc this past season was a wonderful
( ... )
I am fangirling you SO MUCH right now for this insightful and hilarious essay. (I am also belatedly fangirling your fifth grade English teacher for accomplishing some epic terrifying of children. Two monkey thumbs up!)
This was highly relevant to my interests. My livejournal interests even include an entry for "vampire novels (not twilight)." I really liked your analysis of the phenomenon. Bonus points for concluding with a well-played vampire pun.
(Yeah, I’m not sure what’s up with the garlic thing. I know it keeps away mosquitoes? My research never really hit on that.)
Because garlic is delicious, and it's part of the tragedy of vampires that they can never eat it again.
I'm slowly working my way through True Blood on dvd. Less than a day after reading your "Epitaph," I got to the episode where Godric deliberately met the sun. As messages from the universe go, encountering multiple "vampire sets self to extra crispy" stories is rather disturbing.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And I know that somewhere my fifth grade English teacher is sitting in a darkened classroom, cackling to herself in quiet self-satisfaction.
As messages from the universe go, encountering multiple "vampire sets self to extra crispy" stories is rather disturbing.
Death by sunshine - hey, all the cool kids are doing it. ;)
This is an awesome essay - and it's a good reminder that vampires are inherently a horror trope, no matter how trendy it is to mask that fact with romance or sparkly daytime goodness. Vampires are intelligent beings who feed on intelligent beings. That has implications for civilisation.
When I tried to write non-supernatural vampires for NaNo, it was all merry fun until I had to write tooth meeting skin. And suddenly my nice and friendly vampire was doing something not very nice at all. It was a shock, and it really shouldn't have been - we've got all those tropes programmed into us, culturally.
Vampires are intelligent beings who feed on intelligent beings. That has implications for civilisation.
Oh, but this is well put. It's a basic reality of most vampire 'verses, and yet many stories seem to lose track of it. I think you're right, and that it's a terribly important thing to keep in mind.
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Now I'm just waiting for you to mention Vampire Weekend.
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HOW DO YOU KNOW MY SECRET HIPSTER SHAME.
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Eeeenteresting. Because, as you point out, sci fi and fantasy allow storytellers to communicate and comment upon the human condition in a way realistic fiction doesn't accommodate, and both Rowling's and Harris' series are (to varying degrees) morality tales about prejudice and violence against those who are different, and therefore considered to be "less human."
I'm not sure what lesson we're meant to learn from Twilight, if any - I never finished the series, though I'm familiar with the events of the later books. Maybe Meyer wants us all to get married young and have eerily precocious babies? That's probably the least offensive interpretation, actually.
I was completely convinced, had she still just been sweet, jealous, human Caroline she still would have kicked his ass.Word. Caroline's arc this past season was a wonderful ( ... )
Reply
This was highly relevant to my interests. My livejournal interests even include an entry for "vampire novels (not twilight)." I really liked your analysis of the phenomenon. Bonus points for concluding with a well-played vampire pun.
(Yeah, I’m not sure what’s up with the garlic thing. I know it keeps away mosquitoes? My research never really hit on that.)
Because garlic is delicious, and it's part of the tragedy of vampires that they can never eat it again.
I'm slowly working my way through True Blood on dvd. Less than a day after reading your "Epitaph," I got to the episode where Godric deliberately met the sun. As messages from the universe go, encountering multiple "vampire sets self to extra crispy" stories is rather disturbing.
Reply
As messages from the universe go, encountering multiple "vampire sets self to extra crispy" stories is rather disturbing.
Death by sunshine - hey, all the cool kids are doing it. ;)
Reply
When I tried to write non-supernatural vampires for NaNo, it was all merry fun until I had to write tooth meeting skin. And suddenly my nice and friendly vampire was doing something not very nice at all. It was a shock, and it really shouldn't have been - we've got all those tropes programmed into us, culturally.
Reply
Oh, but this is well put. It's a basic reality of most vampire 'verses, and yet many stories seem to lose track of it. I think you're right, and that it's a terribly important thing to keep in mind.
Also, I love your icon.
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