Why We Want Monsters In Our Bed, Not Under It

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As little girls we dread the dark and fear the monsters under our beds. Then we grow up and find ourselves wishing they were in them.

Today there are plenty of sexy shapeshifters, demons, and other dark antiheroes living on women's bookshelves and providing fodder for their fantasies. However, the dynamics that make these fringe creatures so attractive seem to be most clearly defined and celebrated by the biggest bad of them all—the vampire.

Modern creatures of the night may be rooted in class...