rabiddoll.com: VAMPIRE AUTHORS DISCUSS GENRE’S ALLURE

Rabiddoll.com has an interesting article on the genre’s allure (originally from Entertainment Weekly):

Vampires are versatile tools to express are variety of viewpoints on society. From the Mormon values of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” novels to “True Blood” speaking in part for gays and, as Ball puts it, eight years of institutionalized demonization of pretty much any group that wasn’t on the bus with Mr. Bush.

Laurell K. Hamilton, author of the “Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter” books has her own thoughts on the “Twilight” phenomenon.

Stephenie Meyer has come and she’s taken the genre that I sort of pioneered,” Hamilton said. “Her original audience was 11- and 12-year-olds, so she  very rightly – sanitized the genre. She took out a lot of the sex and violence, especially for the first book.

“I ask people, why has this really captured you? What I heard from all ages is that it was very romantic that he was willing to wait for her and that there was no sex. They like the idea that [Bella] was like the fairy princess and [Edward is the handsome prince that rides in and saves her. The fact that women are so attracted to that idea – that they want to wait for Prince Charming rather than taking control of their own life – I find that frightening.

Anne Rice, author of “The Vampire Chronicles” series, also expressed her views on the genre’s appeal.

I think people are intrigued by what they would do if they were offered the opportunity to be a vampire,” Rice said. “Would they be willing to drink human blood in order to be immortal? Maybe they would.

Complete article here.

Stephenie Meyer did clean it up a bit for teens. I have to agree with that.

Do you agree with the opinions expressed in this article? Why or why not?