Let's discuss The Blackstone Vampires first. I have some eroticism in The House on Blackstone Moor, and I have a hell of a lot of sex scenes in Unholy Testament The Beginnings and Unholy Testament Full Circle.
The vampire orgies in those books prepare the reader for what is in The Fourth Bride as the novel is bursting with graphic sex (and violence). It's about Dracula after all and I don't see Dracula as courting any of his wives in the traditional way. I found Coppola's film extremely sexy and highly erotic. I've said this before and I'll say it again, that film inspired my fourth book.
Here's a question for you: why do we find, those of us who love vampire lit, vampires so sexy? In Bram Stoker's Dracula, let's face it, we all swooned at certain scenes. There is even an implied eroticism in the novel, Dracula. I mean how do we know what those brides of his get up to? Answer is plenty! There is nothing left to the imagination in The Fourth Bride nor in the fact that Dracula actively encourage his brides to feed off one another and love one another.
Let's face it, I think I can categorically state that no one really wants to crawl into bed with Nosferatu (either version), okay? I've had some great comments from women saying how very much they loved Christopher Lee's portrayal of Dracula but how they'd have preferred if it was sexed up a bit. I agree. And it is with Gary Oldman in the Coppola version.
I prefer my vampires to be dangerous and not sparkle, And hey! Dangerous can be damned sexy! DANGEROUS can be a very potent aphrodisiac.
My preference is for Anne Rice sorts of vampires, interesting beings with depth and a range of emotions, with histories and personalities. And because they are so vivid and real they are haunting. I don't think I will ever forget the child vampire, Claudia in Interview with the Vampire.
The vampires I read and enjoy writing about are as different from one another as we are from one another. Why should it be different for them?
What I think makes them sexual beings is the perception that the rules that govern us don't apply to them. They call the shots. They indulge in excess, perhaps acting out our own fantasies. I'd have loved to have asked Bram Stoker a question or two.
Here's a suggestion: the next time you're doing the laundry or seasoning a chicken promise me that when you finish you'll pick up a book about vampires and allow yourself to be drawn into their dark and dangerous world.
In books anything goes, we can assimilate into any world we like. Our dreams are our own and if we choose to dream of wildly sensual romps with vampires, so be it.
By the way, who dreams of zombies?
Call me crazy but I think I'll pass on Nosferatu as well. Vampires have an alluring quality about them that other species, like zombies, will never attain. I think that's why Angelus (From buffy the vampire slayer) had such a big following when I was a teen. An individual vamps history, who he sires, why, etc. pushes us to either love him or hate him and quite often by the end of the book the reader has done both. Twilight was just to big a deviation from the sexy bad boy for me to embrace the Cullens, sorry Steph. I have never dreamt of Zombies, but Dorian Grey well that is another story.
ReplyDeletethanks for that. I agree they do have an alluring quality that flesh eating, decomposing zombies just don't have!
ReplyDeleteInteresting reference to Dorian Grey--he is handsome and it seems he is that way forever. What a natural sort of chap to be vampiric!
As for Nosferatu, so agree! He's just not our type.
Great input!.