VIDEODROME
Barely Breathing
Graveyard Shift
Posts: 49
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Post by VIDEODROME on Dec 8, 2004 22:42:37 GMT -5
What are your thoughts on this unique niche in the horror genre ranging all the way from Bram Stoker's Dracula, to Stephen King's Salem's Lot, and also many of the Ann Rice novels.
Are these beings made more interesting by somewhat romanticizing their immortality? Or should they remain more like powerfull demonic creatures hiding amongst the population; spreading a plague that robs you of both your life and your soul?
What are favorite vampire stories out there? Or what are some of the really bad lame vampire stories that should be avoided?
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Post by Madness on Dec 8, 2004 23:29:43 GMT -5
I liked King's take on it in the short story about Roland, the gunslinger, in his last collection..Um..Everything Eventual.
I will have to look back over my collection..The Necroscope series is awsome by Lumley, I really enjoyed that whole series, the vampires were cool but the hero was even cooler.
I know I have read a few crappy vampire stories but I tend to forget the names..I will look back over my collection, I went through a faze there for awhile with Vampires.
Like Anne Rice, not a big fan of hers but I like Interview, a different take on the whole subject.
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VIDEODROME
Barely Breathing
Graveyard Shift
Posts: 49
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Post by VIDEODROME on Dec 9, 2004 0:56:40 GMT -5
I enjoyed Dracula and it was interesting to see how it differed from some of the movies. In particular I liked the journal entries about Jonathon's imprisonment and escape from Castle Dracula. I also prefer how the relationship between Dracula and Mina was handled in the book. It wasn't some weird love obsession like in the Coppola movie. He mostly bit her because he's evil and did it to get back at Harker. I think my favorite though has to be Vampire$ by John Steakley. It's about a band of mercenaries employed by the Vatican to hunt vampires in North America. They take a more military style approach to it using tactics learned in their previous proffesions as well as more medieval tools like chain mail and large crossbows. Their leader Jack Crow is a former DEA agent. The vampires are portayed as extremely dangerous. The Master Vampires are super strong and very fast. They're almost like fighting Superman except with sunlight and halogen light crosses instead of kryptonite. At one point a Master Vampire grabs one of their handguns and crushes it into a ball just using it's hands. (note: if you saw the movie based on this book just forget about it. The two barely resemble eachother.)  |
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Post by WesCraven on Dec 9, 2004 4:20:57 GMT -5
Well, first off "Salem's Lot" is my favorite King Novel. I think he made the vampire scary by not having so much interaction with it...
Ann Rice does everything you'd want in a vampire novelist.... so many different stories, so many different ideas...
and I have to say I can't really decide on the content differences. I think ramantization of their immorttality makes for interesting reading... but then, so does making them completely evil and vicious creatures who feed not only to live, but to kill are too interesting... I can't pick, I like a good balance...
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Post by Madness on Dec 9, 2004 12:18:14 GMT -5
Well, first off "Salem's Lot" is my favorite King Novel. I think he made the vampire scary by not having so much interaction with it... Ann Rice does everything you'd want in a vampire novelist.... so many different stories, so many different ideas... and I have to say I can't really decide on the content differences. I think ramantization of their immorttality makes for interesting reading... but then, so does making them completely evil and vicious creatures who feed not only to live, but to kill are too interesting... I can't pick, I like a good balance... King does expand on his vampires in the Dark Tower books. The types of vampires from Salam's lot show up again in force along with the low men. |
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