April 23

A Vampire Time Line

If you haven’t already heard it there’s a certain NYT Bestselling author who has claimed a number of times that she “invented” the vampire genre.

What’s that you say? What about Bram Stoker (Dracula, 1897) or Anne Rice (Interview with the Vampire, 1976), or Polidori (The Vampyre, 1819), Varney the Vampire (1847) and Sheridan Le Fanu (Carmilla, 1872)? Or Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (Hotel Transylvania, 1978)?

Usually I assume the intent is “I started urban fantasy”. This came up today because DH and I got a box set of Forever Knight not long ago. Forever Knight? Hardboiled supernatural mystery series staring an angsty but attractive vampire cop. Also, May 5, 1992. Guilty Pleasures, the first book in said “I started the genre”‘s series? Published 1993.

Also, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, starring the quintessential UF heroine (albeit in junior form)–Summer 1992.

Maybe those aren’t bookish enough. How about Tanya Huff’s Blood books, featuring a vampire detective? Blood Price, 1991. Blood Trail, 1992. Blood Lines, 1992. And Blood Pact, 1993. Or P.N. Elrod’s dual series; Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire (Red Death, 1993) and The Vampire Files (Bloodlist, 1990; Lifeblood, 1990; Bloodcircle, 1990; Art in the Blood, 1991; Fire in the Blood, 1991; Blood on the Water, 1992)

If you want to expand a bit, there’s also S.P. Somtow (Vampire Junction, 1984), Brian Lumley (Necroscope, 1986), Vampire: The Masquerade RPG (1991), Kim Newman (Anno Dracula, 1992), and Mercedes Lackey (Burning Water, 1989). Oh, and Castlevania (1986) and Blade (1st Appearance-Tomb of Dracula #10, July 1973).

And let’s be honest and include a few “cutting-edge/subversive” picks: Dark Shadows (tv show & book series, 1966), Whitley Strieber (The Hunger, book-1981 & movie- 1983), and Poppy Z. Brite (Lost Souls, 1992).

So, you know, utter bullshit.

But really I just wanted a nice solid list someplace I could find it for when it comes up again. And you all might as well benefit too. Plus that’s a pretty good vampire reading list.

ETA: I cannot believe I forgot these two…L.J. Smith (Vampire Diaries, 1991), Caroline B. Cooney (The Vampire, 1991) and Christopher Pike’s Last Vampire misses out by a shade at 1994.

*Thanks to Sara M. Harvey and Dhympna who helped with the formation of this list!


Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

Posted April 23, 2011 by Michele Lee in category "Business", "Not My Work

7 COMMENTS :

  1. By Michele Lee on

    From the Facebook thread where I linked this post (dates are mine, comments are others):

    #
    Rebecca Cooper What? No Fright Night (1985) or Once Bitten (1985)? Granted, the Fright Night comics were spun off after the movie, but that was done in 1988 and, while not in novel form, were in print urban/suburban fantastic. Once Bitten definitely did not have any printed book or comic, but an awesome fantasy coming of age vampire comedy, no?
    5 hours ago · LikeUnlike
    #
    Michele Lee Ooo, good points. Also Salem’s Lot (1975). I’ll be transferring these over to the blog as a comment 🙂
    about a minute ago · Like

    And anyone remember My Best Friend is a Vampire (1987)?

  2. By Naomi Clark on

    You’ve also got Caroline B Cooney’s The Cheerleader (1991) which, if I recall correctly is the first of three vampire books she wrote for Point Horror, with The Vampire’s Promise being published in 1993.

    I didn’t even hear of LKH until around 2000, and then I only discovered Anita Blake because the books were heavily discounted in a local odds n’ ends shop. I was reading Point Horror and Mercedes Lackey a long time before that!

    1. By Michele Lee (Post author) on

      Same here (though earlier). I picked up Circus of the Damned first, then went back for books 1&2. Not long after book 4 was out and I was hooked. I loved Cooney’s series because the vampire was so different. I didn’t even broach the subject of how similarly-themed books like Charlaine Harris’ Sookie books helped keep the vampire/paranormal mystery type books visual and helped feed their popularity.

      I really, really don’t understand how she gets off claiming she “started” the genre or whining about how all the other are just knock offs of hers. Sure, in many ways she’s a great writer, or compelling at least. And really, that should be enough.

  3. By Michele Lee on

    OMG I cannot believe I forgot Nancy f-n Collins’ Sonja Blue books. They’re totally one of my favorites! Sunglasses After Dark (1989). Seriously someone should beat me.

    1. By RJ Sullivan on

      I remember Sunglasses After Dark! And then there was the very popular VAMPS comic mini series(es) which I’m certain pre-date 1992, not to mention the classic VAMPIRELLA Warren Comics from the 70s of which I was quite the fan when I was around 12 years old for some reason. 🙂

      RJ

  4. By Shanna Riley on

    I had no idea that Blake was claiming to be the birth mother of the vampire genre. What kind of balls (and/or delusion) must it take to honestly and repeatedly make such a statement to the public at large?

    I like Blake’s work and she’s a good writer, but she’s not even in my top five favorite vampire authors. You could almost understand someone like Anne Rice making such a statement (which she wouldn’t presume to do) – but Anita Blake?

    On the other hand, as mentioned, what a great vampire reading list!

    A childhood favorite of mine that also falls into the ‘pre-dating Blake’s vampires’ category is James Howe’s “Bunnicula” series (the first book was published in 1979).

    Technically, Bunnicula drank vegetable juice, yes, but he was considered a vampire (if not a “vampire bunny”) and *did* have fangs that he used to suck said juice from his unwitting veggie victims. ^_^

    1. By Michele Lee (Post author) on

      I don’t know if she meant the vampire genre or the urban fantasy/paranormal detective genre, but either way she’s real wrong.

Comments are closed.