Five Favorite Vampire Books by Author Liz Strange

Five Favorite Books is a special feature at the LA Books Examiner in which our favorite authors share and discuss their five favorite books within a category. In this edition, Liz Strange, author of The Dark Kiss trilogy, discusses her five favorite books about vampires. 

Five Favorite Vampire Books by author Liz Strange

1. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice (1973)
When this novel was published in 1973 it set a new precedent for the "vampire tale". The public was introduced to a romantic, sensual spin on a creature formally delegated to the lowest leagues of the literary world, a monster trotted out only to scare, admonish and warn. With Rice's breed of undead, we began an intimate relationship with creatures that not only drank our blood, but ones who shared similar feelings of loss, love, regret and shame. The vampire was no longer viewed in purely black and white, his place in our imaginations and within the literary world had blurred. Instead of the predictable feelings of fear and loathing always associated with the vampire, the reader now discovered a new feeling within pages of this revolutionary book: lust. This would pave the way for a whole new generation of writers, and begin the first steps toward the genre of paranormal romance. 

2. Blood Price, Tanya Huff (1991)
When I first read this novel it felt like a homecoming. Not only was this novel written by a woman (and a Canadian one to boot!), but the main character is one as well. Vicky "Victory" Nelson is a strong, independent, career-orientated police detective in Toronto, until Retinitis Pigmentosa sidelines her plans. Instead of retreating into despair, Vicky sets up her own detective agency and while working a case crosses paths with one Henry Fitzroy, bastard son of Henry VIII and vampire. Together they tackle all manner of supernatural cases, from demons, to ghosts, to shapeshifters, but unlike many similar pairing they do not take their relationship past the point of friendship and business associates. Equal parts fantasy and classic detective procedural, this novel sets itself apart from the pack.  

3.The Night Inside, Nancy Baker (1995)
Another Canadian novel, and a brilliant debut from author Nancy Baker. This is a gritty, stripped down tale, offering a glimpse into a "lifestyle" often portrayed as both glamorous and enviable. Here we discover a harsher interpretation; an immortal who is lonely, lost and completely beaten down by his long existence. He has in fact passed the better part of a century asleep inside the walls of an old building, only to awaken to another cruel twist of fate. He is discovered, captured and forced to "perform" for his abductors. When a human woman comes to occupy the cell beside him, an intense and surprising friendship develops, changing the course of both their lives. 

4. Lost Souls, Poppy Z. Brite (1993)
A strange, dreamy story about the overlapping lives of both human and immortals, beautifully capturing the unique flavour of life in the South. Again the vampires discovered here are neither completely monstrous or appealing, but a delicious blend of both. Brite has a quirky, vibrant style of storytelling that draws the reader into her settings and characters. Her vampires are set apart from traditional lore by having them exist as a separate species, rather than transformed or infected humans, which allows for many fantastic and sometimes horrifying situations to occur. 

5. The Hunger, Whitley Strieber
Before I read this book, Strieber was known to me only as the "alien abductee" guy. Once into the richly layered story of Miriam Blaylock and her millennia-long struggle to find a mate that will last, all of the writer's personal back-story easily slipped away. Again, a twist on a traditional vampire tale involving an ancient race, Progeria victims and the profound, driving desire to not be alone. 

Honourable Mention: Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist. This novel focuses on the relationship between 12-year-old Oskar and Eli, a centuries old vampire child. The darker side of humanity is touched on, including bullying, pedophilia, prostitution and murder, overlying the supernatural themes.

Fun reads:
Anita Blake – Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton
Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris
The Vampire Files by P. N. Elrod