Good Books About Vampires

[Julianking93]

Since the release of those piles of shit books known to the masses as "Twilight", I've noticed it has become rather difficult to find any good fiction (or nonfiction for that matter) books having anything to do with vampires.

If you search "Books on vampires" the only thing that will be shown are the Twilight books and since I don't have any interest whatsoever in those, I ask the Escapist to recommend any books worth reading on the subject of vampires or even Dracula himself.

Try not to name the obvious like "Bram Stoker's Dracula"

 

[FolkLikePanda]

Damn I was gonna say "Bram Stoker's Dracula" urm, I'm stuffed, me mate says the Darren Shan books are pretty good though.

 

[Spaceman_Spiff]

I've heard good things about Let the Right one in.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

of I've always thought that Anne Rice did vampires and a bit of romance right. BECAUSE THEY ARE ACTUALLY VAMPIRES! Other than a few of those...I don't read any books about vampires.

And the movie made around "Interview" had the only role Kirsten Dunst did that I ever liked.

 

[Broken Blade]

Hm. I'd recommend Terry Pratchet's "Carpe Jugulum," because it's a good vampire story AND it preemptively deconstructs the Twilight saga (as in, like a decade before the first Twilight book). Also, I kind of like Jim Butcher's versions of vampires, so you could check out The Dresden Files (For the record, Bram Stoker's Dracula was commissioned by one of the vampire courts to exterminate another court. It's that kind of a universe).

 

[Doc Cannon]

Dracula is a racist [http://www.amazon.com/Dracula-Racist-Matt-Melvin/dp/0806531371]

 

[Reire]

The closest thing I can think of is the Mortal Instruments trilogy, although vampires are only a small part of it...and it's for more of a mid-teen audience.

Hm. I'd recommend Terry Pratchet's "Carpe Jugulum," because it's a good vampire story AND it preemptively deconstructs the Twilight saga. Also, I kind of like Jim Butcher's versions of vampires, so you could check out The Dresden Files (For the record, Bram Stoker's Dracula was commissioned by one of the vampire courts to exterminate another court. It's that kind of a universe).

I've been meaning to pick up some of The Dresden Files books, are they in any particular order because it just looks like lots of stand-a-lone books set in the same universe.

 

[Psychophante]

"Let The Right One In" is awesome. And you may wanna try lookong up the "Necroscope" and "Vampire World" series of books by Brian Lumley. I think they're well written and a little different to your usual vampire fare.

 

[Treblaine]

Christopher Pike's "The Last Vampire" saga.

I SERIOUSLY recommend it, they are 6 short books (work out to about 2 full length novels) and it is GLORIOUS pulp fiction of the most satisfying kind.

The plot of the first book is remarkably similar to Twilight only with genders reversed and it doesn't fuck around, there are epic-ly brutal gunfights with mercenaries, murder, lots of vampire on human hunting, vampire vs vampire knife fights.

These are not romance novels (though a romance is at the centre) these are scribed as horror-fiction though a better term is horror thriller and there is plenty of action, tension and adventure.

Be warned though, the violence and gore described is extremely graphic, but still totally badass.

(I also recommend Pike's other novella "Monster" deals with the same themes, really visceral, the best in young-adult/teen horror fiction)

 

[Poofs]

Not to be anti-thread here but, have you read any of the Twilight books?
they are actually quite good
if not i'd say anything by Anne Rice

 

[dsmops2003]

Southern Vampire Mysteries

 

[Billion Backs]

I don't remember reading that many books that had vampires in 'em.

Mainly because I dislike the way vampires often get treated in fiction. They ARE the master-race, people. There's nothing wrong in transcending humanity, and neither is there something wrong with consuming blood - it can be done in more civil circumstances. Like... blood donations! Or something.

Having blood as your main food source doesn't somehow make you "Evil". Carnivores HAVE to eat other animals, and they aren't damn evil. It's the circle of life, people. And humans aren't any more special.

Rant aside, seeing how I"m a rabid Terry Pratchett fan, of COURSE I've read all his books with vampires, along ones that don't contain them. I like how he treats them, for the most part. The undead in Terry Pratchett books are pretty cool dudes. Vampires and werewolves are well done too, both in "negative" and positive roles.

 

[Broken Blade]

Hm. I'd recommend Terry Pratchet's "Carpe Jugulum," because it's a good vampire story AND it preemptively deconstructs the Twilight saga. Also, I kind of like Jim Butcher's versions of vampires, so you could check out The Dresden Files (For the record, Bram Stoker's Dracula was commissioned by one of the vampire courts to exterminate another court. It's that kind of a universe).

I've been meaning to pick up some of The Dresden Files books, are they in any particular order because it just looks like lots of stand-a-lone books set in the same universe.

There actually is an order to them. Butcher is also building towards an epic climax to the series (specifically, an apocalyptic trilogy because "who doesn't like apocalyptic trilogies"), so it would probably be best to read them in order. I don't remember it off the top of my head, but the wikipedia article should reveal all. Also, only one vampire shows up in the first book, but she is? definitely not your friendly neighborhood Count von Count.

 

[Klarinette]

"Let The Right One In" and "Interview With A Vampire". Same with the movie for the latter. Pretty sweet.

 

[tomtom94]

I can't confirm for myself how good they are, but the first thing that came to mind was Darren Shan's Cirque du Freak series.

I say again, I cannot confirm how good they are.

 

[not_the_dm]

Karen Chance's 'Cassandra Palmer' novels are very good, the first being 'Touch the Dark'.
Jack Yeovil's 'The Vampire Genevieve' is very good unless you are a die-hard warhammer hater, this ones an omnibus by the way. Apart from that and those already mentioned I'd say that's about it.

 

[Mr. Bojangles]

Darren Shan's eponymous Saga FTW!

Movie was shite though...

 

[Zhougdog]

Without a doubt "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter." That book is fun as hell to read http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X58RPS665V0

 

[CloudKiller]

I'd recommend Dracula The Un-dead by Dacre Stoker. It's the official sequel to the classic book written by one of Stoker's descendants. Not quite as good as the original and there are a lot of explict sexual scenes, though whether that's good or bad is up to the reader.

 

[XoXoButterflyXoXo]

Interview with the vampire. It's a very good book and it also has a pretty cool movie.