Vampires have been a big part of fiction literature in the world for more than 200 years. There's something about blood-sucking creatures that come out only at night... it fascinated us. They scare us, but also romance us. We're drawn to them for some odd reason. Secretly, we all want to be one? Here are the top-rated vampire novels of all time:
2 - Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler, one of the greatest writers of our time. She usually pens science fiction and this one is no exception. It is has a vampiric sci-fi slant. This unusual entry into the blood world should not be missed.
3 - I am Legend by Richard Matheson, a novel that inspired many books and films, including Last Man on Earth (1964). Over the years, it has been retold with the vampire-type creatures becoming zombies, but the original has vampires that sleep by day, hunt by night. Later, they became more zombie-fied, but still only come out at night.
4 - 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King. The big daddy of books himself wrote a vampire novel as his 2nd book published in the 70s, and it was darn good. Enjoy it, if you haven't already.
5 - Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu, written in 1872, this is one the first and earliest works of vampiric horror fiction (aside from the Vampyre, see #16).
6 - Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith. Historical fiction that imagines the former president as a hunter of vampires. This one was also made into a movie in 2012. Lots of historical research went in to this for all but the vampires. Definitely a good read.
7 - Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. The most famous female horror writer, this one set up a series of books to come.
8 - Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin. Miles away from Game of Thrones.
9 - The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. A re-imaginging of the Vlad Dracula tale, almost historical in nature, although fiction.
10 - Let the Right One in by John A. Linquist. This is an unusual entry, as it centers around a pre-teen boy and a child vampire.
11 - A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson. Set in Medieval times, sometimes verbose but worth a read.
12 - The Southern Book Club Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix. This author has never disappointed us.
13 - My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due, the first book the series called African Immortals.
14 - Sunshine by Robin McKinley. More fantasy than horror, with some magic in there.
15 - The Moth Diaries by Rachel Crane. Set in a girl's boarding school, this one tests the borders of acceptable teen behavior.
16 - The Vampyre by John William Polidori, published in 1819. The oldest on the list.
17 - The Passage by Justin Cronin. A bit long-winded, but worthy of a look.
- Also on Top2040, check out the Top 10 Horror Books that take place in Winter Snow
18 - Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore
19 - The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, a trilogy later turned into an FX series. The novels and series are pretty good.
20 - Already Dead by Charlie Huston. In modern-day Manhattan, Joe Pitt isn't happy about being a vampire.
And, no, none of the S. Meyers' Twilight books are real vampire / horror novels and certainly not well-written. These are pulp romance books meant for teen girls.
Honorable Mention: This Is My Blood by David Niall Wilson
There you have the best and bloodiest vampire novels to read on your horror book night. Granted many are fantasy, some of sci-fi, but all have vampires or some sort of night creatures in them. Turn the page carefully, don't get a papercut. Vamps can smell the blood.
No comments:
Post a Comment