Vampires In Fiction - Where did it all begin?

Vampire novel are hot, let's face it Twilight helped knock them into the stratosphere. As a vampire novelist I know the criticism that other authors face regarding the similarities to Twilight. This is also similar for books about magic and Harry Potter. I thought it would be a great post to put some of these misunderstandings to rest. Although Twilight and even Vampire Diaries are great books as are the film/TV adaptations, they are not the first nor will they be the last vampires around. Now it is also common that vampires from various stories can use other things to decrease craving, some even use tomato juice. Here are a few facts and some similarities between various books, movies, TV, and myths.


Vampires that drink animal, synthetic or donated blood: 

• The Littlest Vampire (2003) Film - cows blood
• Underworld (2003) Film - artificial blood 
• Blade (1998) Film - Blade
• Twilight saga(2008) Film, (2005) Literature - The Cullan's
• Interview With A Vampire (1994) Film,  (1976) Literature - Louis
• Doctor Who (1963) TV - Nyssa Tried to create a synthetic blood
• True Blood (2008) TV, Sookie Stackhouse (2001) Literature - Drinks synthetic Blood
• Vampire Diaries (2009) TV, (1991) Literature - Stefan
• Forever Knight (1989) TV - Nick
• Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Angel (1997) TV, Literature (1992)
• Kindred the Embraced (1996) TV - Julian
• Hellsing (2006) - Seras drink blood bags
• Dark Shadows (1966) TV (1991) TV - Barabas
• The Embrace Series (2011) Literature - drinks a combination of animal and donated blood prepare like gourmet meals

I only posted some of the more known/popular credits, but as you can see there's many fictional vampire that drink blood other than directly from a human.Another thing I would like to point out as similarities is the methods to destroy vampires. Many fictional and mythical vampires can be destroyed by wooden stakes, decapitation, burning, the sun and so on. These are not new to only this generation of vampires, it goes back to the beginning.It is also common for vampire to live away from busy cities, choosing smaller cities and towns in order to hide from the masses. Most vampires want to remain unknown and the best way to do so is to seclude themselves. This is done in Twilight, Vampire Diaries, Immortal Embrace, My Blood Approves (their house is away from the city center and secluded) as well as many others. 

Now many complain the Edward (Twilight), Nathanial (Embrace Series) and even Stefan (Vampire Diaries) are far too romantic. My response is these along with others that are similar is simple, these are all romances. Romance books are there to take the reader into a fantasy world where the man is chivalrous and the woman has class.As a woman, we all want the romantic man, the one that does everything right and holds our feelings higher than any other....even if just for a day. We want to be spoiled and loved and yes respected. Now in books like this (even without a vampire) someone always has to stay away from someone else for one reason or another. If could be a disapproving family as in Romeo and Juliet or even a best friend's ex. The list can go on, but forbidden love is what makes it exciting. 

Years ago family crests and talismans were common, today they can still be found, but for the most part and old fashion.Would it not make sense that these vampire families, clans, covens would have something of this sort. It's something to tie their old life with their new life, giving them something to remind them of who they are or were. Some talismans were commonly blessed by witches. This could be for many reasons and still used in common pagan/wicca (among other) religions. Think about the rosary that Catholics use, it is a special item that is blessed and helps the carrier to feel secure, faith and hope.    

Definition:  A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual.There are alarm pheromones, food trail pheromones, sex pheromones, and many others that affect behavior or physiology. This is common with humans, our partner releases pheromones that appeal to us. So what does this have to do with vampires? Well it is also common that vampires are attracted to the blood other their mates, victims, food sources. This can also be explained to pheromones.

So when did vampires first appear in fiction? (Taken from Vampiric Studies)

 ~ 1819 ''The Vampyre'', a short story, written by John Polidori. It is believed to be the first vampire story in English literature. Polidori was Lord Byron's friend and physician. It is said that he wrote ''The Vampyre'' in response to Lord Byron's "We shall each write a ghost story.'' The same literary challenge that inspired Mary Shelley to create Frankenstein.

~ 1845 - 1847 ''Varney the Vampire'' or ''The Feast of Blood'' made its appearance. It was published as a series of stories called ''penny dreadfuls''. It was incredibly popular at the time and the series ran for a total of 220 chapters. Originally published anonymously, and in 1847 re-published in book form. The author is now believed to be Thomas Malcom Rymer. The original edition was an epic sized book of over 860 two columed pages.

Varney had a lasting impact on vampire fiction being the first to have many of the traits and abilities of today's fictional vampires. He had superhuman strength, fangs that left two puncture wounds on the neck, and he had the ability to hypnoticly control others. Also poor Varney was the first vampire to hate being a vampire. Another trait that has carried over into a lot of modern fiction.

~ 1872 ''Carmilla'' by J. Sheridan Le Fanu. ''Carmilla'' tells the story of Laura, a young woman who finds herself the object of Carmilla's attentions. Carmilla being, of course, a female vampire. The fact that Carmilla is a lesbian vampire is not difficult to figure out considering her intentions toward Laura aren't all for blood, it seems, and all of her victims are female. While Carmilla is noctunal, she can go about by day, she can change form into a huge black cat and pass through solid walls. Carmilla does sleep in a coffin.

Written some 25 years before Dracula, Carmilla had a strong influence on Bram Stoker's work. ''Carmilla'' was first published in the magazine ''The Dark Blue'', in three issues (January, February and March of 1872) and in the same year it was published in Le Fanu's collection of short stories ''In a Glass Darkly''

~ 1897 ''Dracula'' by Abraham ''Bram'' Stoker an Irish novelist and short story writer. ''Dracula'' has to be one of the most popular horror stories of all time. Since its publication, it has never been out of print! Only a very few books can boast that claim. Although Stoker appears to have taken much of his inspiration from ''Varney'' and ''Camilla'' he spent years researching the remote mountains of Transylvania as the setting for his tale. He studied the Eastern Eurpoean vampire legends and gypsy folktales as the basis for his Count even though he did not strictly adhere to those legends and tales in the creation of his charactor.

Since its publication, ''Dracula'' has inspired countless novels and stories, plays, and movies.

For some 57 years no vampire novel even came close to the popularity of Stoker's ''Dracula''. Vampire fans found the tales they loved as short stories in the pulp magazines such as ''Weird Tales'' which had become the home of many noted authors of vampire short fiction. Authors such as C. L. Moore, Manly Wade Wellman, Robert Bloch, August Derleth, Clark Ashton Smith, Seabury Quinn, Henry Kuttner, Robert E. Howard and a host of additional writers.

 I could go on for pages (okay, more pages) proving my point that many vampire myths and traditions have been around since the beginning and used by various writers, producers, directors and so on. I think I've made my point and hope you all enjoy my thoughts about vampire fiction and the similarities within it. Someone once told me "There is no new ideas only extensions of old ones." 

I found this great chart on Wikipedia that I had to share about vampires and powers. I also added the Embrace series for comparison . Thanks for joining me and I can't wait to hear your thoughts.

	Immortal	Unnatural strength	Unnatural senses	Unnatural speed	Unnatural healing	Flight	Shapeshifting	Mind Powers	Telekinesis	Pyrokinesis	Other
World of Darkness[power 2]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Vast number of potential Disciplines
Immortal Embrace	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Gifted	Gifted	Gifted	Various power are gifted or gained
Vampire Academy	No	Yes	Yes	No	Spirit users can heal.	No	Yes	Some, not all.	No	Vampires that are fire users.	All Moroi have an extra power: water, fire, earth, air, and sometimes spirit.
Underworld	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Only Markus in his winged creature form	Limited	Through drinking their blood	No	No	?
Twilight Saga	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Gifted	Gifted	Gifted	Gifted vampires can have a variety of different abilities.
True Blood	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Gifted	Uncommon	Can "Glamour" humans, erase memories and possibly bend their will	No	No	Can feel the emotions of whoever has drank blood from them, such as if they are in danger. They can also feel when their "maker" is in trouble, and a maker can feel the same thing for their progeny (vampire children).
The Vampire Diaries	Television Series: Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Dream Manipulation
The Vampire Diaries	Novels: Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Only in bird form	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	They can control the elements, animals and the weather
The Lost Boys	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	?
The Little Vampire	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Can climb any surface and may hang from the ceiling to sleep
North American folklore	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Nocturnal animals, fog	Yes	No	No	?
House of Night:Blue Vampires	Yes	Stronger than humans, but not unnaturally strong	Yes	Fast, but not unnaturally so	Depends on vampire affinity	No	No	No	Depends on vampire affinity	Depends on vampire affinity	Most are specially talented or have an affinity for one thing or skill
House of Night: Red Vampires	Yes	?	Yes	Faster than humans, but not unnaturally so	Depends on affinity	No	No	Yes	Depends on affinity	Depends on affinity	Most are specially talented or have an affinity for one thing or skill
Dracula (Van Helsing)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes, but it resembles teleporting	Yes	in winged creature form	Winged bat/demon-like creature	?	No	No	?
Dark Shadows(1966)	Yes	Yes	?	Either this or teleportation	Yes	Yes	Bat	Hypnosis	Yes	No	Time travel, necromancy,possibly teleportation
Buffy	Yes [27]	Yes [27][26]	Yes [27]	Yes	Yes [27][26]	No[power 1]	Only Dracula	Gifted	No	No	No
Bram Stoker	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Wolf, bat, dust, fog	The hunters track Dracula through his telepathic link with Mina	?	?	control of nocturnal animals - wolves and rats mentioned specifically
Blood Omen/Legacy of Kain	Yes	Yes	Mostly smell	Gifted. Kain gains mastery of time	Yes	Ancient Vampires were able to fly, Kain can levitate, Raziel can glide	Wolf, bat swarm, mist	Gifted	Gifted	Gifted	Corruptions caused some clans to gain abilities others did not. Some powers are also granted by the Reaver or by consuming the blood or the soul of some characters
Blade	Yes	Yes	Enhanced sense of smell	Yes	Yes	No	Only Dracula	No	No	No	?
Anne Rice	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Gifted	No	Gifted	Gifted	Gifted	Gifted vampires are able to walk on walls and ceilings.
Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes, but wounds from silver heal slowly. Holy water inhibits healing	Gifted	Rare	Telepathy is stronger after biting, can enthrall with eyes	Gifted	Gifted	Call animals, drain power from sired vampires, rot without damage(dependent on bloodline)
30 Days of Night(2002)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes