Spring Break
A bloody good time: The year of the vampire in pop culture
Natalie Abreu
Issue date: 10/27/09 Section: Focus
A perpetual symbol of romance, the vampire has certainly gone a long way since it was introduced into mainstream culture in Bram Stroker's 1897 novel "Dracula." Though it seems that every decade since then has had some vampire rage, 2009 has proved to be the year of the vampire - one in which vampire-mania has reached a fever pitch in mainstream popular culture.
Vampires can now be anything and everything - from overly sexual, like in the hit television show "True Blood," to chaste and beautiful creatures like in the "Twilight" series. They can glitter and shine or fade into dust in the sunlight. But one thing about the vampire in pop culture hasn't changed: they are romantic. They embody youth and vitality with exciting yet troubled lives and powers beyond belief of the average human. In this troubled time of economic recession and health care reform, maybe a little bloody fun is just what the doctor ordered.
And the kings of this new vampire movement, interestingly enough, started out as book series. Like the vampire novels of Anne Rice in the 1970s and 1980s, these book series have been adapted into a multitude of mediums. "The Southern Vampire Mysteries" novels by Charlaine Harris that were first introduced in 2001 became HBO's "True Blood," which recently ended its second wildly successful season.
The "Twilight" series by Stephenie Meyer began in 2005 with "Twilight" and has become a successful film and marketing franchise with the sure hit "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" to be released Nov. 20th and its accompanying soundtrack released Oct. 16th.
The newest book series turned pop culture hit has been "The Vampire Diaries" by L. J. Smith. The newest novel in the series was released in February 2009 and the television adaptation of the novels was aired on the CW just last month. Already receiving high ratings and positive reviews, the television series has proved that the vampire obsession is something almost everyone wants to sink their teeth into.
Vampires can now be anything and everything - from overly sexual, like in the hit television show "True Blood," to chaste and beautiful creatures like in the "Twilight" series. They can glitter and shine or fade into dust in the sunlight. But one thing about the vampire in pop culture hasn't changed: they are romantic. They embody youth and vitality with exciting yet troubled lives and powers beyond belief of the average human. In this troubled time of economic recession and health care reform, maybe a little bloody fun is just what the doctor ordered.
And the kings of this new vampire movement, interestingly enough, started out as book series. Like the vampire novels of Anne Rice in the 1970s and 1980s, these book series have been adapted into a multitude of mediums. "The Southern Vampire Mysteries" novels by Charlaine Harris that were first introduced in 2001 became HBO's "True Blood," which recently ended its second wildly successful season.
The "Twilight" series by Stephenie Meyer began in 2005 with "Twilight" and has become a successful film and marketing franchise with the sure hit "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" to be released Nov. 20th and its accompanying soundtrack released Oct. 16th.
The newest book series turned pop culture hit has been "The Vampire Diaries" by L. J. Smith. The newest novel in the series was released in February 2009 and the television adaptation of the novels was aired on the CW just last month. Already receiving high ratings and positive reviews, the television series has proved that the vampire obsession is something almost everyone wants to sink their teeth into.
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Inanna Arthen
posted 10/27/09 @ 3:32 PM EST
Good thoughtful piece! But vampire fiction has *always* reflected the issues of the society that created and consumed it, right from the beginning. The "romantic" vampire trend really started with "Dark Shadows" in the 1960s. (Continued…)
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