Other Kinds of Vampires

[Amber]

...Such as in books that aren't Buffy.

For instance, in both Twilight and New Moon (and soon Eclipse) by Stephenie Meyer, vampires don't combust in the sun. In fact, their skin shimmers so much that the only reason they don't go out in the sun is that they would be found out. They try their best to keep their identity a secret. If a human finds out, they're supposed to be disposed of, either by killing or turning. Their skin is always pale (very like Joss' vampires), and they are all beautiful, and graceful. A stake in the heart doesn't kill them; they have to be ripped to shreds, and then burned. Their only enemy is the werewolf.

What do you think of these differences? What other kinds of vampires are there in books you've read?

[Deleted]

I love the Twilight series. You're totally from Bella Penombra aren't you. ANYWAYS. I read a book called Lords of Light by Steven Spruill, it was about romantic actiony thing about haemophages and angels, (natural enemies, then one from each fall in love... outrage etc.)
So these vamps, had different characteristics alltogether from the series and from SteMe's vamps. I'm a little hazy on the details so I might go read again if I have the chance.

[Mooshi]

There's an awesome Twilight site and nobody told me!!!!! Must have link! ;D

I just finished reading Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause and there wasn't much of a difference between other vampires. The only difference i saw was when they are staked through the heart, they shrivel up like prunes and if they die willingly, their body becomes mist and floats away.

[Amber]

I'll PM it to you.

Ooh, that's interesting. Not so easy to clean up though.

And what do you mean by die willingly?

[Mooshi]

Thanks for the PM. I'm definitely going to check it out.

I mean for the vampire to purposely stay in the sun to finally die for good or stake themselves.

[Allan]

By "different than Buffy", you guys are missing the big one here - Bram Stoker's Dracula. He's the ultimate vampire, and without him, there'd be no Buffy, and none of the others.

There is always the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, with a very romantic view of vampires in general, and awesomely done.

And while not prose, there is Steve Niles' 30 Days of the Night comic book series (soon to be adapted into comic form). The take on vampires here is very raw, animalistic and visceral, and different to any other take I've seen. To paraphrase Niles about it, "it is not a world where a high school girl will date vampires".

[Paul]

I really like the Necroscope series of books by Brian Lumbley, his take on vampires is different from anything i have read in the past, well worth checking out

[Allan]

What is his take on vampires like? I'd heard the books are good, but haven't heard anything else, really.

[Forsaken]

While not quite in a novel there is a variation of a vampire I've seen in my favorite role-playing game. In it vampires are still hurt by sunlight but they also are seriously injured by any running water as well, nor can they cross running water. They are held at by by religious symbols and even the shadow of a religious symbol is painful. When staked they don't die but instead enter a state of suspended animation until the stake is removed. In the mean time they slowly look they they decay and deteriorate. They only die from staking if they then have their head chopped off and both are burned separately. The only materials that can inflict harm on them (like in the form of a weapon) are wood and silver. In the game they also have 3 stages of vampire: Master, secondary and wild. The master makes a choice to become a vampire and is like a Dracula time of a vampire. The secondary is turned by a master or secondary vampire by the usual means and acts more or less like the typical vampire. The wild vampire is created the same as a secondary but is bestial and not capable of reasoning.

Another type of interesting vampire is the Chinese version. The Chinese vampire is closely tied to positive and negative chi.

[RebeccaR]

I read books by David Wellington, 13 Bullets, 99 Coffins and Vampire Zero. These vamps can only be killed by destroying the heart. If they've just fed, they're pretty much bullet proof, and they don't leave two neat little punctures on the neck, feeding is very messy. Crosses don't really work, but they do prefer coffins. When they stop feeding they just whither away to skin and bone and they can stay that way forever, like in stasis, but even a drop of blood on their bodies will revive them. And they can mind-control their own half-dead minions. I must re-read these books

[Casi]

Has anyone else ever read Peeps by Scott Westerfeld? It's a type of vampire book. It doesn't talk much (at all) about their feeding habits but I find it interesting that anything that has to do with their former life starts causing them pain when they see it or experience it again. Like real pain. One girl they were tracking had been a huge Elvis fan so they show up to catch her wearing Elvis shirts with CDs of his music to blast into the place.

(post 14)

[Tori]

Quite an old thread.

Hm.. there's House Of Night (Ick).

House of Night Vampires are sort of beautiful, have a moon on their forehead, do drink blood, do eat normal food, have a school just for them.. uh, a few more other things.

[Beck]

I've read House of Night, her vampires are quite odd Especially since she has the red vampires as well who are the ones that struggle to retain humanity.

[Ange]

I like the vampires in Vampire Academy. There are The Moroi, that are the mortal Vampires that can weild elemental magic. Strigoi are the fierce, and extremely dangerous immortal vampires that hunt and kill the Moroi. Then there is Dhampir, they are half human vampires that are pretty much enlisted as either bodyguards for the Moroi or they are blood whores. Moroi and Dhampirs can become Strigoi. The Bites are like a drug to humans and Dhampirs (who eat human food, but can also drink blood.).

[Beck]

I am not a fan of the vampires in Vampire Academy books. I don't mind the books though.