Are There Too Many Vampire Books Out Today?

[Becca]

Well, the bad stuff just makes the good stuff look even better. :)

[ele]

Yeah, I guess so. It's just a waste of time to wade through it all.

I read the 1st Vampire Diaries book and I didn't like. Maybe it was too YA for me, I dunno. But I sortof like the TV show. You just never know with this genre.

[Becca]

Have you watched Moonlight? There were only 16 episodes, but it was a great show. The writer's strike killed it off, way before its time. :(

[ele]

Actually I did watch it, haha. I caught up on a lot of shows over the summer. It's an overdone concept, but they managed to make it interesting. It's similar to that other show New Amsterdam.

[Becca]

New Amsterdam? I don't think I've ever heard of that one...or maybe I have. My memory is so shot, I swear I'd forget my own name if I didn't hear it every day.

[Becca]

Okay, I just checked out New Amsterdam on IMDb and it doesn't really sound like it has that much in common with Moonlight. Except with the immortality bit, and barely at that. It reminds me more of Forever Knight, minus the vampire cop.

[Shomeret]

New Amsterdam was a little more like Highlander with a few key differences. But there were characters that were parallel to Highlander--just like Moonlight had characters that were parallel to Forever Knight.

[Erin]

Shomeret wrote: "Re agent blog post--Readers are getting fatigued by the same old in urban/paranormal fantasy too. At least this reader certainly is.

But I can't resist commenting in response to this blog post th..."

That is a mighty fine point...oops did it again!

[Lisa M]

I'm currently working on a UF novel, and I admit I worry about the market being too flooded. Granted, mine focuses more on werewolves, although there are vampires. I'm trying to keep plot unique (I don't remember reading anything like it) and the characters interesting.

Right now, I'm torn. I've heard several people on the forums and blogs say they want something new, a break from the stereotypical UF creatures. On the flip side, others say write what you love, what you're passionate about. I've toyed with ideas from various mythologies, but I love werewolves. Hopefully, the story is stong enough to get noticed amongst the other weres and vamps.

[Julia]

Ladiibug wrote: I love CQY's Count Saint Germain (the gentleman vampire)! Ten years ago when I was craving vampire reads (before the explosion in this genre) a friend recommended this series and an author named Laurell K. Hamilton *g*. I've never looked back (unless in fear of a vampire chasing me). I have Path of the Eclipse on my October reading list.

Count Saint Germain reads more like historical fiction imo. This vampire is so old ... each book takes place at a different point in world history. I love the historical details and wonderful writing!

I am a giant Chelsea Quinn Yarbro fan! I love that there is no particular order in which these books need to be read. Start with whatever book strikes your fantasy, or that you find first.

[Terri]

I Don't mind there being so many. Gives me more to choose from. But I would like to see some mroe EVIL vamps ones out there

[Miranda]

Terri wrote: "I Don't mind there being so many. Gives me more to choose from. But I would like to see some mroe EVIL vamps ones out there"

That's my general mindset too. I like vampire books so the more there are, the bigger the selection. Pretty simple. But lately there have been too many "neutered" vampires if you get the expression. I'd like to see more, maybe not EVIL, but certainly darker, more demonic vampires.

[Lisa M]

Miranda wrote: "Terri wrote: "I Don't mind there being so many. Gives me more to choose from. But I would like to see some mroe EVIL vamps ones out there"

That's my general mindset too. I like vampire books so ..."

Ditto. I like my vampires to have bite. :P Vampires should be noticeably evil and dark, not just humans that drink blood (or close enough).

[Becca]

I've always thought that vampires, werewolves, and other monsters were created as symbols, to represent just how evil humanity can be. Way back when, people couldn't believe that 'normal' people such as their neighbors, friends, relatives, could be monsters. Do things to their fellow man that...that shouldn't be done to any living creature. To realize and accept that another person did such terrible things, would be to acknowledge that sort of potential in themselves.
I think vamps are the perfect symbol for that; to look and act so human, and yet be this terrible predator that you don't see till it's too late. Just like a serial killer, in reality. So, in a way, and this is just the way I see things, their humanity (vamps) makes them even more monstrous. Well, if it's written right. Ya, know? Without sparkles... ;)
I apologize for getting all artsy-fartsy there, and hinting that there's anything wrong with the Twilight saga. I've read them and I liked them. However, I too, would like to see vamps in a lot harsher light. 'Real' light ;)

[Julia]

I just finished Pegasus where humans and pegasi live alongside each other, but the heroine comes to find in this high fantasy that the gorgeous and aloof pegasi are other.

I'm currently reading "Beginnings" in Tales of the Otherworld which is about how Clay and Elena meet. Clay isn't other like the pegasi, but he doesn't easily fit in our world.

In the time travel/ historical fiction novels Blackoutand All Clear by Connie Willis set in England during World War II the threat is imminent and constant, anyone can and does die. But the enemy is impersonal. (Willis wrote a novella named "Jack" with the same setting, about a vampire who is an air raid warden because he can smell the people buried in rubble.)

Chelsea Quinn Yarbo's Saint Germain doesn't sparkle, but he tries to be the best imitation of a human he can be. At 4,000 years old, an imitation is all he can approximate. He tries to be a good man, but he rarely has the opportunity. Wherever and whenever he is he is a foreigner and the world does not usually look well on foreigners.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

Nah, there aren't too many, it's good to have a variety so people can pick and choose from which sort of vamp story they want.

[Tasula]

Terri- you wanted evil vamps? The following authors write about evil vamps (or at least amoral, I'm hungry so why can't I kill that person? vamps), which is a refreshing change from the perfect body-sexy vamp who just needs the right girl to turn to mush. Although some have romance also.
Kim Newman- Anno Dracula (Dracula marries Queen Victoria)
Karen Taylor
Nancy Collins
Sherry Gottlieb (Love Bite)
Bite Club (good vs bad vamps in gay West Hollywood)
Patrica Cacek- Night Prayers (for weres, Canyons)
Poppy Z Brite (lost souls, love in vein)
Mick Farren (The Time of Feasting)

[CaliGirlRae]

Lisa MH wrote: "I'm currently working on a UF novel, and I admit I worry about the market being too flooded. Granted, mine focuses more on werewolves, although there are vampires. I'm trying to keep plot unique (I..."

I hope you go ahead and write it, Lisa. Even though you may have some similarities, it'll be your voice, your experiences and pov to the story which can give it some interesting twists!

I took a bit of a break from paranormal lately. I wrote a supernatural themed contemporary fantasy series (working on the third book) but it got too much. Now that I took a break, I'm eager to dive back into paranormal. I've been a fan since I was a kid, enjoying Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles when I was 13. Rereading them now (or listening to them I shall say!) has been an absolute joy. I still want to read CQY's St Germain series and knowing how much historical detail is in there, I'm even more eager!

Thanks to the person who suggested the Garrett P.I. files by Glen Cook. I haven't heard of this series but your descriptions sounds awesome! Going to check it out.

[Lisa M]

Rae wrote: "I hope you go ahead and write it, Lisa. Even though you may have some similarities, it'll be your voice, your experiences and pov to the story which can give it some interesting twists!..."

Thanks for the support! It's good to hear an encouraging word. Self-doubt can ruin a person. I am still working on it, altho its about as rough as can be. I keep plugging away at it. :)

[Talli]

Bring something new to the genre if you're going to write it. I feel like there are so many vampire books out today that have the "mortal girl, vampire boy, werewolf/shapeshifter boy" dynamic, and it's tired. At this point, I'd much rather read a book from a vampire's point of view (female or male, though female would be a refreshing change-up) than another human POV. And as much as I love SF/F romance, I want to read a book that either doesn't focus completely on that or doesn't contain it at all.

Basically, I'm not tired of vampire books, I'm tired of reading the same vampire book from different authors with only a few things changed.

[Cole]

There is too much vampire "everything". And they are all trying to have sex with me. I second every opinion that the romantic vampire (werewolf) is getting a little too much limelight from being trendy. Anyways, I think the flood inspires certain authors to differentiate themselves with something different and suprising.

I want to suggest reading "The Dragon Delasangre" and it's follow-ups. It's not recent enough to serve my point, but still.

[Tasula]

I thought Troop's Delasangre books were pretty good-and pretty cold blooded.

[♥Tricia♥]

Short answer: YES.

Don't get me wrong, I love me some vampires.. but the market is so saturated with them lately (thanks to a certain movie lol) that I started looking for other paranormal beasties to read about.

ATM I am loving the Rachel Morgan series by Kim Harrison.

I also love me some demons and angels and fae/sidhe.

Am not sure if you were looking for some suggestions but here are the ones I would suggest:

Eve Silver - PR
Sins of the Heart
Sins of the Soul
Sins of the Flesh

Faith Hunter - UF
Skinwalker
Blood Cross
Mercy Blade

Amanda Rose - PR
The Vessel

Nalini Singh - PR/UF
Angel's Blood
Archangel's Kiss
Archangel's Consort

These are just a few that are my favorites

[Miranda]

I love angels too. I think they're on their way to becoming the next vampires. Just like orange is supposedly the new black. I wish there were more books about angels (in the non-Biblical sense of course). Although I'm still not tired of vampires. I think the more books there are, the more choice you have.

[Julia]

Miranda,

Remy Chandler in A Kiss Before the Apocalypse is a Biblical angel and he's also not. He's not orange or black, he's blue! Or some other color that is nowhere near orange or black.

[Miranda]

Julia wrote: "Miranda,

Remy Chandler in A Kiss Before the Apocalypse is a Biblical angel and he's also not. He's not orange or black, he's blue! Or some other color that is nowhere near orange ..."

Oh yeah, I have that series on my to-read list. It looks really good. I meant non-Biblical in the strictest sense, like stories from or branching from the actual Bible. Obviously angels are religious creatures (originally) which is cool. I just don't want any more religious stories. I have nothing against them, they're just not my thing.

[new_user]

Personally, I think there are too many vampires, but I was never really smitten with them to begin with. I would rather see other creatures.

[Cathy]

I agree that there are too many vampires around. I love vampire stories and I still read them, but I get a little tired of the same old routine of girl getting bit/or not/or almost and hating the rakishly good looking and charming and darkly brooding master vampire that did it or rescued her or *insert plot bunny here*. I have recently deviated to werewolves and shapeshifters, although they do get a lot of mileage as well.

[Elizabeth]

I blame Stephanie Meyer*. I think there is a glut of not only vampire books but also movies and tv shows. When producers and publishers saw how popular the Twilight franchise could be, they jumped on the bandwagon in order to pump out their product as fast as possible. As a result, consumers have begun to reach their saturation point and are looking for something new. Hence the fact that many publishers are backing away from the same ol, same ol vampire stories.

P.S those of you who are writing vampire books, please, no more teen angst and/or werewolf-vampire feuds.

*To give the devil her due, as an English teacher I will commend Stephanie Meyer for creating a series that appeals to many girls who are not naturally avid readers and for opening the door so that they can explore other examples of paranormal/romantic fiction.

[Amber]

I love the idea of vampires being VAMPIRES and loving that lifestyle...anyone have any recommendations on a series like this? Are there any?

Just getting into the PNR genre, I don't think there can be too many vamps or were books, bring 'em on!;)

[Amber]

John wrote: "Well, my entry into the vampire genre is now available, so I'm sure that I've now tipped the balance in the "too many vampires" debate. I understand that we were teetering on the brink of too many ..."

John, I added this to my "To-Read" shelf, looks like a really great book:)

[Stormi (StormReads)]

I wouldn't mind reading more about more horror type vampires than romantic vampires..though I don't mind the romantic vamp if the story is good.

[♥Tricia♥]

That is a good point Amber, Vampire stories with vampires that LOVE their lifestyle. Now THAT I want to read about.

I am SO tired of the angst (teen or not) that comes with most of these vamp books and how they feel sorry for themselves and regret the decision to become a vampire (if they had one that is)

I want to read about vampires that are proud to be what they are.

[Miranda]

Agreed. It would be refreshing to have a vampire with a love of life. They don't have to be totally evil and kill people for fun (although that would also be interesting), but just appreciate their immortality and abilities (depending on the author). If you're going to live forever, you're incredibly attractive, and often very rich, then you really don't have much to complain about ;)

[Julia]

Not exactly on topic, but Miranda and other vampire readers here, have you caught the BBC tv series "Being Human?" I think you should. Season 2 starts next weekend. BBCA is showing season 1 a lot this week...
(Note: I didn't recommend the series of the same name on the SyFy channel, it's Canadian-made, ep #4 is on tonight, I'm watching it so far, but not loving it yet. It's got the same basic characters & plot, but without the same actors, writing and some of the wrinkles that make the British series so good.)

Miranda & Amber, check out Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Saint Germain series...

[ൠSinful]

OP-
I'm not a fan of the idea that a market can become saturated. That implies there isn't room for anymore at all...
For me I enjoy something new and different. A twist. A new take on things. But in the end it is about characters and emotion, and a fully fleshed out plot. If you can make me care about the characters and take me on a journey that is so entrancing I carry the book around, it doesn't matter if it was vamps or special ops soldiers, I am there for you.

[♥Tricia♥]

@Sinful - Even though I agree that the market is saturated with vamps.. I still love them! I just have to take a break and read other things for a while before I can go back :)

[Lisa M]

Amber wrote: "I love the idea of vampires being VAMPIRES and loving that lifestyle...anyone have any recommendations on a series like this? Are there any?

Just getting into the PNR genre, I don't think there ca..."

It's only two books (is that considered a series?), but Barbara Hambly has some excellent vampire books set in the Victorian era. I adore the vamps in those. They seemed very realistic for creatures that survive for centuries and have to deal with world changes. One of them, who used to be a doctor when he was alive, complains about not understanding current medicine and advances.

Not all the vamps are happy with thier "lives," but several are. I think it was very well done. The titles are Those Who Hunt the Night and Traveling with the Dead.

[ൠSinful]

♥Tricia♥ wrote: "@Sinful - Even though I agree that the market is saturated with vamps.. I still love them! I just have to take a break and read other things for a while before I can go back :)"

I agree. But that's true for me in all genres. I go on a cowboy kick.. and the next thing you know I am reading a BDSM romance! And frankly after an erotic romance or two I need a good UF with no HEA at the end.. Right now I am reading a romantic suspense novel. With IAD releasing, I've got some PNR on the horizon. :)

[Shomeret]

Miranda wrote: "Agreed. It would be refreshing to have a vampire with a love of life. They don't have to be totally evil and kill people for fun (although that would also be interesting), but just appreciate their..."

I think vampires who are evil and kill people are the opposite of interesting. The character is flat and stereotypical. The plot arc is bloody obvious. Yawn! Give me complex vampires. Yes, humans with fangs if you will, but vampires are made not born. They were originally human. It makes no sense to me if they suddenly morph into monsters with no thought but hunting down their next meal.

[Sidhe]

Well, the genre is certainly a bit glutted at the moment, but honestly, when it comes to literature, I think that the definition of "too many" could be argued to be somewhat dependant on the quality as well as the quantity. I suppose what I'm saying is that I wouldn't mind there being so many vampire books if so many of them weren't so terribly similar and if so many were not written by people who obviously have never studied vampire mythology at all. If there were a great number of good vampire books-- with intellegent backgrounds, unique plots, and excellent literary writing-- I probably wouldn't complain.

[TheThirdLie]

I like your take on this Sidhe. I find myself disliking most literature with vampires in it, but if I find something that's well written, I don't mind them. I think it really does come down to the quality of the vampire literature available.

[Sidhe]

Thanks, JK. I really do think that is the case for many... Personally I don't like Twilight or House of Night, but I loved The Historian and really enjoyed the first few books of the Merry Gentry series.

[VampireNovelFan]

I'm sure my username gives you an idea of where my head is at. IMO, there's always room for a great vampire story. My problem comes in where there's more quantity than quality.

I kinda want for the vampire craze to dwindle a bit. That way it'd hopefully weed out people that want to write it because it's the new fashion. I was just fine liking it before the Twilight explosion, and would love to quietly go back to liking it afterward though, no offense, honestly I don't accept the Twilight series as true vampire lore. Sorry, but no fangs and sparkles just don't cut it for me.

I am finding myself preferring series with a mix of the supernatural these days. So I like for there to be more going on than just vampires. The Rachel Morgan series is a perfect blend of that for me. And my fave ship for that one actually *doesn't* include a vamp!

[VampireNovelFan]

Becca wrote: "Have you watched Moonlight? There were only 16 episodes, but it was a great show. The writer's strike killed it off, way before its time. :("

Becca, I think Moonlight made it to a whole 22 eps. And I agree with you that it was well done. Much better than Twilight or Vampire Diaries, the latter of which I have officially sworn off. I liked the books when I was a teen, but the show is nowhere near as good. The writing's just lame and I can't deal anymore.

The new Being Human series (new to the US anyway, the UK version has 3 seasons) is actually a bit more interesting with a vamp, were, and ghost living together these days.

[Becca]

Were there unaired episodes of Moonlight, that didn't make it into the DVD set? I've got the set, but it only has 4 discs, with 4 episodes each.
I've never been interested in the Vampire Diaries books, but I thought the show was ok. It's on my netflix list, though I haven't seen all of the first season yet.
I've been watching Being Human for a little while, starting with the original UK version. While I think that the SyFy's version is okay, the UK version is way better. If SyFy were to stretch out and write totally different, original story lines for each episode, it would be much better.
When I tried to explain the series to my brother, it sounds like the set up to a joke: 'a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost...' Ya know? LOL

[Miranda]

I'm about to watch Moonlight. I just got the first disc on Netflix. I was really disappointed to hear how short of a run it had.

[VampireNovelFan]

Becca wrote: "Were there unaired episodes of Moonlight, that didn't make it into the DVD set? I've got the set, but it only has 4 discs, with 4 episodes each.
I've never been interested in the Vampire Diaries ..."

Forgive me. I'm wrong. I actually meant to confirm that with IMDB before I posted but got distracted (barreling through the Fever Books--4 in 3 days). I just remember watching it and there being a break between the episodes for a while, so I was thinking it got 22 like other shows. It is 16.

Yeah, I thnk if I'd seen the UK version the US version would go slow for me. I'm debating if I should catch up on the UK one lest it ruin the US one for me. The vamp in the UK version is hotter :P.

Vampire Diaries Season 1 wasn't that bad, but they just elongate the drama too much for me. It's more of a soap opera than a paranormal show. So far catching up on all of these new and engaging series (like Fever) just kills my interest in it.

[Shomeret]

Shomeret wrote: "Miranda wrote: "Agreed. It would be refreshing to have a vampire with a love of life. They don't have to be totally evil and kill people for fun (although that would also be interesting), but just ..."

I'm responding to my own post because I just started reading a vampire novel in which vampires are born, not made. They are an evolutionary offshoot from humanity. I've actually seen that before, but it's not a common approach. That approach involves vampires who reproduce sexually which makes them more like humans. In fact, the vampires in this particular series (the Lawson series) really are just humans who drink blood and live longer. They aren't stronger. They aren't faster. They don't have any special powers. I've seen complaints about it in the reviews. I actually like it, but not for the vampire aspect. The author writes terrific fight scenes. But I can't really recommend it to vampire fans.

[Roberta]

Shomeret wrote: "Shomeret wrote: "Miranda wrote: "Agreed. It would be refreshing to have a vampire with a love of life. They don't have to be totally evil and kill people for fun (although that would also be intere..."

I quite enjoyed the black dagger brotherhood in which vampires are born not made and they enjoying food, life, sex and love. Of course there is the killing and all that but i think the reason these books are so successful is J R Ward is fantastic at creating a universal we can all believe and love!

I do agree tho that there are far to many vampires books and i sometimes wonder if everyone is just trying to cash in on the whole twilight vampire success?