10 Vampire Novels That Deserve a Movie
I recently read that Blood Oath, a novel about a vampire secret agent who’s protected the U.S. presidents for the past 140 years, has been fast-tracked for the big screen. That got me to thinking about 10 vampire novels that deserve a movie, and so this list was born. The quality of writing varies wildly for the books listed below, but they all have one thing in common: a compelling plotline that offers a fresh take on the genre. Read on, and don’t be surprised if one of these vampiric tales plays at your local cinema in the near future.
Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin -When 19th-century river boat captain Abner Marsh enters into a partnership with idealistic vampire Joshua York, you just know the metaphysical sparks are going to fly. York wants to end his race’s dependence on blood, and he offers to buy Marsh the boat of his dreams in exchange for passage anywhere he desires. There’s loads of action, fascinating characters, and the story’s villain likes eating the hands of babies with a fork.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova – A complex tale that’s more of a historical study than actual horror, The Historian became the first debut novel to hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list during its first week. Told by an unnamed female narrator, the tale looks at the legendary Count Dracula and interweaves his life with that of the notorious warlord and prince, Vlad Tepes. The story also follows a professor and his young daughter (the narrator) as they search for the tomb of the 15th-century nobleman.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith – The author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies released this strange mix of history and bloodletting, focusing on President Abraham Lincoln’s lifelong vendetta against the creatures of the night (one killed his mother). Turns out that slavery is also run by the vampires to obtain human cattle, and ‘ol Abe is having none of that. I’m guessing that John Wilkes Booth must’ve been a vampire familiar at the very least.
Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly – At the dawn of the 20th century, someone is killing off the vampires of London. The eldest of the undead, Simon Ysidro, gains the assistance of Oxford professor James Asher and his lovely wife, Lydia, to solve the mystery. What follows is a whodunnit with plenty of twists and turns, and wait until our heroes journey to Paris to confront the oldest living vampire on the planet.
Anno Dracula by Kim Newman – In this alternate timeline, Count Dracula married Queen Victoria, and vampires slowly came to dominate the landscape in Britain. Meanwhile, Jack the Ripper is killing undead prostitutes, and it’s up to vampire Genevieve Dieudonne and investigator Charles Beauregard to stop him.
Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story by Christopher Moore – The first novel in a trilogy, it tells the story of red-headed Jody, a young San Francisco resident who’s turned into a vampire against her will. When a series of murders begin, she suspect it’s the same vampire who turned her, and she enlists the help of an eclectic crew–including a handsome writer named C. Thomas Flood–to solve the case.
Thirteen Bullets by David Wellington – Justinia Malvern is the only vampire left alive in the world, and she’s confined to a sanitarium. But when the undead horror begins to stir, it’s up to legendary monster hunter, Special Deputy Jameson Arkeley, and Pennsylvania State Trooper Laura Caxton to stop her fiendish plot. Caxton is the lead character, and horror readers looking for a strong female will be delighted. There a several other books in the series, and you can read an interview with author David Wellington by visiting the Eerie Books website.
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead – Lissa is a member of vampire royalty, but her kind are often hunted by the fierce bloodsuckers known as the Strigoi. Rose is a half-breed vampire known as a Dhampir, and she’s dedicated to protecting Lissa with her very life. When the two girls are forced to attend St. Vladimir’s Academy, an exclusive high school for vampires and their guardians, the two must contend with gossip, romance, and the ever-present danger of the Strigoi. This one should be popular with fans of Twilight.
Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 1) by Laurell K. Hamilton – The first in a long series of novels, Guilty Pleasures follows the adventures of professional vampire killer and animator of the dead, Anita Blake. In this world, vampires are protected by law, but that doesn’t stop someone from going on an undead killing spree in St. Louis. A pair of powerful local vampires call her in to help with the case, but Anita finds herself in just as much danger from her employers as the serial murderer. Blake is a no-nonsense heroine who doesn‘t mind spilling blood or enjoying the company of a hunky member of the opposite sex, so female readers should get a real kick out of this one.
The Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice – Tired of being immortal, the vampire Lestat agrees to make a trade with a sorcerer and con man named Raglan James for two days of mortality. When he realizes that he’s been tricked, Lestat must try to wrest his powers away from James, although he still finds time to enjoy his first glass of orange juice and romance with a nun. Queen of the Damned combined the second and third novels from Rice, so why not give the fourth book a shot at the big screen?
All these vampire novels that deserve a movie are available from Amazon, and I’ve included a link with each entry. If you click on it and make a purchase, Only Good Movies receives a small commission that goes to helping us pay for the site.
You’ll also want to check out the following horror-themed links:
This entry was posted on Thursday, May 27th, 2010 at 12:41 am and is filed under Thoughts on Film. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Mina
I must agree with the Anita Blake novels. i’ve read the entire series and they’re great reads. 🙂