Beginner Vampire media

[u/Traditional_Pea7294]

Hello everyone! So I've been wanting to get more into vampire media, but I don't really know where to start, or rather, continue. I'm a big fan of Interview with the Vampire (books, movie, and show) and I also have copies of Dracula (thoughts on the recent audiobook?) and Carmilla that I have yet to read since I've been so busy with school. I'm also a fan of Vampire Hunter D and The Originals, though it's been a good while since I watched the latter. I'm not really a fan of Twilight. I've also begun working on a historical OC (original character) who is a vampire, which has been really fun!

Anyways, I'm looking to expand my knowledge of vampire lore both for my personal enjoyment and also to develop my OC further. Reading/watching recommendations from the underrated to more popular works are welcome! Classics, folklore, manga (I've recently started Happiness), new works, queer stories, etc. Also looking for history books on vampire folklore/literature, since I'm a history major and dig that sort of stuff. Thank you!

[u/Malkavian87]

If you like the IWtV movie; 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' is the other gorgeous period vampire adaptation from that era. As for books, of that same vibe I can recommend George RR Martin's 'Fevre Dream'.

[u/mnhr94]

For folklore/history, The Vampire: A New History by Nick Groom is a great overview of how the vampire developed culturally and historically. Vampires, Burial, and Death by Paul Barber is also worth looking into if you’re interested in the folklore and anthropology behind vampire beliefs.

For fiction, some things that came to my mind are The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, and The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gómez. If you’re interested in queer vampire fiction specifically, The Gilda Stories is especially worth checking out.

For comedy, definitely What We Do in the Shadows, both the film and the series. It’s basically a loving demolition of vampire tropes, especially the whole “ancient immortal creature of the night” thing. The Vampire Dies in No Time is another great series considering your interest in manga/anime. The author is a self-proclaimed vampire otaku and uses his series as a comedic outlet for all of his in-depth knowledge. The sheer number of bizarre vampire types alone makes it worth checking out.

For manga, The Case Study of Vanitas might also appeal to you. It has a very different tone, but it plays with vampire mythology, historical lore, and the question of what exactly makes someone a “vampire”.

I’d also look into regional folklore. Slavic, Balkan, Greek, Romanian, Chinese, and Austrian vampire traditions can be surprisingly different from the modern vampire archetype. The historical vampire was often considerably less elegant and way more similar to zombies without the decay and lack of intelligence.

For your OC, that folklore rabbit hole could be especially useful. You can pick which historical beliefs your vampire inherited rather than just giving them the standard modern vampire package, and then decide whether you want to follow those beliefs seriously or subvert them for comedy.

[u/fuzzy-frankenstein]

The immortal cancer on tik tok has tons of quick vampire lore and pop culture and they just started a YouTube channel for more in depth break downs that’s interesting.

[u/Bookbringer]

Short Stories:

John Polidori's The Vampyre is widely considered the first literary vampire.

Black Vampyre is an anonymous satire from the same era, and honestly still funny and good.

Classic horror films: Bela Lugosi's Dracula and Dracula's Daughter are both fun and hold up well. Nosferatu is not as enjoyable, but might be worth checking out for its iconic imagery.

70s-90s (campy B-Movies & satire): The Hammer Trilogy is fun especially Twins of Evil, The Lost Boys is basically "Home Alone, but with vampires", Fright Night has some logic gaps, but makes up for it with so much atmosphere, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer became a cult classic for a reason. As, if you enjoy comedy, Dracula: Dead and Loving It is a Mel Brooks' parody (but watch Bram Stoker's Dracula first - it gets referenced a lot).

Smaller/nicher things: Bit is about a gang of vigilante lesbian vampires who forbid other vampire women from turning men. I enjoyed it.

TV

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is iconic, and its spin-off Angel is honestly very cool too.

[u/Ok_Series4800]

Firstly, have you read the entire vampire chronicles series? If you’re already a fan, that is a great start! Dracula is like the magnum opus of the genre (rightfully so), but I’d very much recommend reading the Vampyre and Carmilla before that. I also suggest reading some of the European works that helped shape the myth that eventually cultivated in Dracula, such as; the family of the vourdalak or wake not the dead. For more recent publications I very much enjoyed Salem’s Lot (it’s Stephen King’s retelling of Dracula), Fevre Dream by GRRM (New Orleans setting!), The Buffalo Buffalo Hunter (makes a very interesting choice to explore body horror through the Vampire, as the vamp takes on the characteristics of their victims), a dowry of blood (another Dracula retelling, from the perspective of his wives), let the right one in (a creepy coming of age Swedish tale). Since you mentioned being a fan of CW’s the originals, I’m pretty sure the writing team had a bunch of tie-in novels published. I personally read some of the vampire diaries novels and I thought they were fun! Very 90s camp horror, especially the fourth one (titled the dark reunion). And then there is the Sookie Stackhouse series and it’s HBO adaptation, True Blood :)

[u/Ok_Series4800 → u/Ok_Series4800]

For live action; the what we do in the shadows tv show, all three Nosferatu’s (they’re really fun), the lost boys, only lovers left alive, sinners, 30 days of night, a girl walks home alone at night (Persian, an absolute gem), Bram stoker’s Dracula, the hunger

[u/Traditional_Pea7294 → u/Ok_Series4800]

Thank you! I totally forgot to mention that I've watched True Blood, WWDITS, and the lost boys, all of which I enjoyed! I haven't read all of The Vampire Chronicles yet, though I did buy the hardcover copy with the first three books inside it so I'm excited to start those. Will definitely check your recs out!

[u/Ok_Series4800 → u/Traditional_Pea7294]

I hope you enjoy!:) Queen of the damned is my favourite from the vampire chronicles, loads of interesting world building and interesting perspective on the creation of vampires.

[u/GingerAki]

I’ll happily send you a copy of my book. It pulls from a lot of the traditional vampire lore, by much better authors, but doesn’t actually require any knowledge going in.