Today I introduce you to Tracey Sinclair, author of fun and feisty paranormal and romantic fiction. She will share some of her favourite popular vampire stories. Take it away, Tracey!
Vampire stories
abound – some would argue too much, though as the author of a paranormal series
of course I wouldn’t agree! – but alongside the best-known tales here are some
gems you might have missed.
Near Dark
Although often
overlooked in favour of The Lost Boys’ shiny,
MTV take on vampires – which came out in the same year, 1987 – in its own way, Near Dark’s take on the genre was even
more revolutionary. A reimagining of the vampire movie by way of the Western,
made by future Oscar-winner Katheryn Bigelow and starring cult faves Lance
Henrikson, Jenette Goldstein and the much-missed Bill Paxton, it is worth
checking out.
Poppy Z Brite’s Lost Souls
In the same way
that films were revisiting cinematic vampire tropes in the 80s, Poppy Z Brite’s
1992 novel took the literary genre away from the swooning, romantic lushness of
Anne Rice that had become its default setting. Brite’s vampires would be quite
at home in Bigelow’s world, grounded as they are in life’s down-and-dirty
everyday existence, and Brite’s books remain landmarks of both the genre and of
LGBT fiction (Brite is the pen name of Billy Martin, a trans man).
Only Lovers Left Alive
This 2013 Jim
Jarmusch film is a low-key delight. Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton are the
titular vampire lovers, and the film makes much of what it is to be in love
when your relationship potentially lasts forever. Visually stunning – it makes
much use of its Detroit setting – the film is also funnier than you’d think, since
apparently being a vampire doesn’t save you from annoying family members or
day-to-day petty frustrations.
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
In some ways, this
2014 film by Iranian-American Ana Lily Amirpour is an ideal companion piece to Only Lovers, and is clearly influenced
by Jarmusch’s work. It’s a beautiful slow burn of a movie, littered with
gorgeous visuals and surprising moments of humour.
Daylight
– Elizabeth Knox
This isn’t the New
Zealand author’s masterpiece – that would be the incomparable angel-themed book
The Vintner’s Luck – but this is a
beguiling take on the vampire myth, cleverly tied in with the idea of artist’s
muse.
Want another fresh
take on the vampire novel? Check out my series Dark Dates, all three of which novels are on special offer for only
99p throughout October!
Tracey Sinclair is an author and freelance editor and writer. Her
books include the romcom The Bridesmaid Blues and the Dark Dates/Cassandra Bick
series, the latest of which, Angel Falls, is out now.
www.facebook.com/darkdates
