The Lure
of Vampires
By
Kristen Painter
Much has been written about vampires
and their enduring appeal, so I don’t think anyone’s questioning that. In fact,
as a culture, we’re no different in our love of the creatures than those before
us. Whether it be Stoker’s dark count, Rice’s rock stars or Harris’s Southern
fried fangers, vampires in literature have survived – and thrived – through the
ages as befitting their immortal status.
But why are female readers so drawn to
them? I have my own theories about these undead bad boys. I think much of the
vampire hero’s allure lies in his excusable
darkness. A bad boy without a great reason to be bad is just a jerk. A vampire,
on the other hand, has a built-in reason to be dark, moody and dangerous.
Depending on what series you’re reading, he might have been born bad, cursed
into being bad, turned bad by a bite or infected with badness via some kind of
parasite/host.
Either way, it’s not his fault. And that
makes him easier to love.
His brokenness also provides a degree
of fascination. Women love a challenge and the challenge of fixing a wounded
hero is one many heroines have accepted. Of course, fixing a broken man is much
easier accomplished in fiction than in real life, but perhaps that’s part of
the appeal too? Fiction is an escape for many and doing the (often) impossible
can be a real thrill. What woman can’t understand the draw of taming a man no
other woman has? Of being the one woman who can soothe the tortured hero?
Beauty and the Beast, anyone? This fantasy is an old and dear one.
Lastly, there is the appeal of a
vampire’s worldliness. Their age gives them an edge no mortal man could ever
have. Not only do they understand how the world works, but they understand it
in a way that allows them to manipulate it for their own benefit. And unlike
the average mortal man, they often understand women. How to talk to them, how
to romance them, how to appreciate them. That quality alone is probably enough
for most female readers, but combine that with a vampire’s other attributes and
it’s no wonder they’ve headlined in some of our favorite books, tv shows and
movies as the years have gone by.
No matter how you feel about the
creatures, vampires are here to stay. What is it about vampires that makes you
keep reading?
16 comments:
I actually like when a series is spaced out because it gives me something to look foward to.
Thanks for having me today, Michele!
Hi Kristen, Hey Michele!
Oooh, love "his brokeness" -- that sums it up doesn't it? We women do love to fix things, but if a bad boy can't be fixed -- then it's not our failure...it just is. And it's "okay" to keep loving him.
Plus, sheesh, those dangerous fangs...
Oh, and I like my series both ways -- back to back and waiting for it.
Does anyone else think they put Kristen on the Flesh and Blood cover? Looks awesome!
I love that humans are prey to vampires. I think that's why I love reading a good vampire story. Thanks for the giveaway.
Jnmt3@hotmail.com
Amy - it's very true!
Michele - I promise that's not me. lol
Rain Maiden - It's fun to write a series where the vampires are both good and bad.
I love the Danger v control of vampires... they could eat you up in the blink of an eye, but they have to be tightly controlled to let you live. Delicious, how far can that control be pushed?
I love the idea that the Vampire has been around for a very long time and that he finally meets 'the one'-that is just romantic. And I love all the dark angst of course. :)
I've read the first book in this series and it is awesome btw.
No matter how you feel about the creatures, vampires are here to stay. What is it about vampires that makes you keep reading?
I honestly don't know. There is something about the vampires my husband writes, that I just really like. They are vampires, they need the blood, but they still retain at least a small part of their humanity.
As to other vampires, I don't know. Maybe like Kate Pearce, it's the Dark Angst.
Give me angsty, tortured characters and I'm there. I think that's the allure of vampires--if anyone feels angsty it should be them, right? LOL.
I just like the history of every vampire, they might as well be walking textbooks through all the memories and things they've seen. I'm drawn to vampire books because each vampire has their own story that cracks open a new theory on history.
Oh...I wish ALL series would come out back to back. I hate waiting a year. BUT...that doesn't stop me from buying/loving them.
Vampires can be such tortured souls sometimes and we women love to fix a broken man and make him all our own. :-)
December - I love that too!
Kate - That is romantic. Thanks for liking the first book!
Angel - My vampires all retain a portion of their humanity too, some just have smaller portions than others.
Cynthia - Definitely!
Elise - That's a great point. They have so much backstory!
Lyric - Torture makes for a great hero, doesn't it?
I actually just bought this book last week, and broke my self imposed restriction on new books, because the cover was so lovely. I'm crossing my fingers that I get to start reading it soon.
My thoughts are mixed on back to back release dates, and it all depends on how involved I am with the book. I usually like the 6 month timeframe best because it keeps the anticipation up without making me impatient or frustrated.
I am really looking forward to this series. Vampires are great because there is really so much that can be done with their stories and histories so it doesnt feel like we are reading the same thing rehashed over and over again.
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