The 10 Best Vampire Books
Editor's Notes
January 29, 2020:
Vampire books can be as passionate as any romance novel, as suspenseful as a thriller, and gorier than a horror book, which is why they are so ridiculously appealing. This versatility also gives them the power to charm many audiences, from young adults thirsting for a love story to those who adore action and adventure. We did our best to select tomes to endear readers of all stripes.
For instance, history lovers will appreciate Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and The Historian, while Interview with the Vampire and Bram Stoker's "Dracula" are ideal for thoughtfully meditating on philosophy, symbolism, and mortality. If you're more interested in something lighthearted and fun that still has depth, the newly-added Dead Until Dark is a solid choice.
We decided to replace The Killing Dance with Dead Until Dark. As book six in the Anita Blake series, the plot and cast of characters in The Killing Dance can feel undeveloped to the unfamiliar. The wildly-popular, New York Times bestselling Sookie Stackhouse series, which begins with Dead Until Dark, is easy to jump into. These novels are a bit lighter than the Anita Blake books, infused with quirk and humor while still maintaining the eeriness, lust, and gore that fans of the genre have come to expect. Those who get into this entire series also have a television iteration to look forward to in True Blood.
Today we also added acclaimed fantasy writer George R. R. Martin's Fevre Dream, which replaced The Passage. Fevre Dream takes a unique perspective by creating a gritty, well-developed protagonist who is a foil to the main vampire character rather than a love interest, and despite being a mere mortal, finds strength and power in himself without requiring the supernatural. This book also gives a very interesting backstory to why and how vampires exist, something many other novels opt not to do.