"Rules" in the paranormal universe...

[Annie]

So I'm a huge True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse fan...and question for you all.
Obviously with fiction, anyone can write / create anything they want - make any rules up...

True Blood has a Fairy turned Vampire - and I'm curious as to your all's take on that.

For the most part "rules" are basically followed (not always, I know...)

[Rachel Annie]

(view spoiler)[Benlow... (hide spoiler)] I really didn't they would go for it but they did. Is he really this season's big bad?? He's not very menacing IMO...

[Annie]

yeah - it'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

[Rachel Annie]

I'm okay with them breaking the typical vampire rules in his case, there's a good reason why he's not affected by the sun.

But I prefer vampires that can't be out in the sun very long (if at all) and have to drink blood. But you're exactly right, it's fiction and the author can do whatever they want. ☺

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Of course they can do whatever they want. Just as long as they stay within the rules of their own world.

And I'm sorry--but I can't buy a fairy vampire. I don't think that a vampire would be able to control themselves enough to actually CHANGE one in the Sookie-verse.

And, to remind everyone about "anything" can take place--need I remind you--sparkly vampires?

[Annie]

Lol @ "sparkly vampires"...yeah I cannot bring myself to read those books.

[S.K.]

I'm a bit traditional, so I've shied away from a lot of the vampire lit out at the moment. I'm sure it's a great read, but I'd take Interview With A Vampire as my preferred 'lore' any day.

The rules have changed because the relationship status has-vampires are no longer enemy of the protagonist, but their lovers.

I don't dig the 'sparkly' vampire thing but I do love the books. It's not so much about the love story (Team Edward firmly here so Jacob's sniffing her crotch irritates me) but I like the vampires themselves and Stephanie came up with a way to make sure Bella and Edward could be together in the day.I'd prefer they had some sort of enchanted ring, like Angel in Buffy, or built up a tolerance to it-or could even drink from some animal that made them tolerant to it (sort of like the fae thing in TB I guess, but with better results). The fact that no matter how happy they are, they'll be forced to stay in rainy places sort of bums me out. And the sparkly thing was hard to swallow. Couldn't their eyes have glowed or something that didn't talk down to the genre?

I loved the T.V show Buffy, but it always bugged me that their vampires were instantly evil and had freaky faces. I prefer it when their desire for blood and their ability to resist it defines their character.

The fairy vampire thing in TB annoys me to no end. My focus is mermaids, and though I'm sure my mers are different to other mer books and will probably irritate someone because they can walk on land or can only stay underwater for a certain period of time-I'd never dream of making it a mer-vampire, or mer-angel. It seems...greedy somehow, I guess. Like they're trying to please everyone and make their conflict too easy to work around. 'Oh you can't love me in the sun? Then fly me to the moon!' Lol

But I'm sure someone has done it well. If writer's didn't let their imaginations run wild, we'd never get the 'good' books. And these cross genres are certainly captivating people

[J.A.]

Personally I think the "rules" are meant to be broken. They have changed so much over time, from the original Dracula who could walk in daylight, change form, and had to rest in the soil of his home...to the fore mentioned sparkly vampires who only twinkled in the sunlight and had venom that kills or turns instantly.

We all have our favorite books, movies, and shows that have defined our view of what a vampire is.

But if it is well written, and internally consistent. Myth is fiction, and fiction can be whatever the author wants it to be...

[Paganalexandria]

I have to see where they are going with this, before judging. I don't really understand Warlow's motivation to have Sookie; if he's a fairy himself. Do you think being part fairy means he can still procreate? Maybe that's why he wants Sookie, since she's part fairy.

[Rachel Annie]

Paganalexandria wrote: "Do you think being part fairy means he can still procreate?"

I heard this theory, could definitely be it. But if he's such a bad guy why didn't he just do what he wanted from the get go? The actor that plays the character keeps insisting in interviews that people will root for him...

I just don't get it; he doesn't seem like a clear-cut villain.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer)]

I don't really think there are rules to be honest in the paranormal/fantasy world. Who decides what is acceptable or not? Really that is the fun part about reading different genres and author, anything is possible!

What bothers me is when the author breaks their own rules within a story (or in the case of True Blood)the tv series.

I don't like that a fairy was turned vamp. It just wouldn't of been possible according to the rules she set up in her books, there is no way a vampire would have been able to stop drinking the fairy's blood, it was too addictive and then went crazy around it.

There are so many things wrong with this series in the book and TV aspect that I can't even watch or read them anymore. I still have the last two books to read and I won't be doing it anytime soon, which is sad because I really loved this series at one point in time.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Now someone with a NICE set of rules that he is fairly careful to follow is Jim Butcher in his Dresden Files series.

I had like 3 other authors to use as examples of following their own rules and, thanks to a now throbbing migraine, can't remember ANY of them. How pathetic is that? Well, off to put my sleeping mask on and get out of all this bright, stabbing light.

(OOHHH, wonder if she was having a migraine when writing Twilight and that is why Meyer made them sparkly?)