It’s October, so you know what that means…IT’S SPOOKY SEASON B*CTHES!!! To procrastinate doing school work celebrate, I thought it would be fun to compile a list of some of my favourite vampire-related media. Vampires are my favourite mythical/folkloric beings; they used to terrify me as a child, and they still do now, but I can’t help but be fascinated by them. I think that because of the surge of paranormal YA fiction in the 2010s they’ve sort of developed a bad rap, but the lore surrounding vampires is so much more than sparkly skin and pent-up teenage angst. Hopefully I can convince you so with some of these recommendations.
I won’t really be describing the plots of any of these books/shows/movies, I’ll more so be writing about why I like them, but I’ve added hyperlinks to each of their Goodreads/IMDb pages if you want to know more!
BOOKS
Okay, I can’t make a list about vampires and not include Dracula. Dracula is probably the most famous vampire in pop culture, an OG is you will. I originally read this book for English class in high school, and it was one of the few required readings that I genuinely enjoyed. I love the epistolary format; it adds so much richness to the narrative and really engages you as a reader. Simply put, it’s a classic for a reason.
If Dracula is the OG male vampire, Carmilla is the OG female vampire. I mean, you can argue she is the OG vampire, in general, because this was written before Dracula was and is even said to have inspired Stoker’s most seminal work. Carmilla is a beautifully written novella about a lonely maiden and a vampire hellbent on ravaging her, and it’s one of my favourite pieces of gothic fiction.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide To Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
I love Grady Hendrix and I love vampires, so of course, this is my favourite book of his. The Southern Book Club’s Guide To Slaying Vampires has a different take on the classic vampire, turning this eastern European blood-sucking fiend into your not-so-friendly neighbourhood serial killer. This was one of the few horror books that actually scared me; it was so bad I was terrified to leave my bed to go to the bathroom while reading it in the middle of the night. I won’t go into too much detail about why I love it so much since I already wrote a review of it.
Stephen King is hit-or-miss for me, but ‘Salem’s Lot was definitely a hit. There’s no particular reason why I like this book so much, I just had such an enjoyable experience reading it. Barlow is pure evil vampire, no ambiguity here. I love the motley crew that forms and the bleakness of the entire situation, and I can’t believe how well-paced this book is considering it was only King’s second novel.
TV SHOWS
Castlevania (Created by Warren Ellis)
Castlevania is hands down my favourite thing on Netflix. I love this show so much, everything about it is amazing. The animation is spectacular, the characters are multi-dimensional, the plot is exciting, it’s difficult to find flaws with this show. I know everyone loves Trevor, and I do, too, but Alucard is my favourite. It’s impossible to resist his luscious locks and deadpan humour.
What We Do in the Shadows (Created by Jemaine Clement)
Don’t get me wrong, I love dark portrayals of vampires, but this show is impossible not to love. This mockumentary comedy-horror is based on the 2014 movie of the same name directed by Taika Waititi. It’s hilarious and goofy, and the lack of self-awareness of these centuries-old characters only adds to their charm and makes them that much more loveable as they try to navigate the modern world.
Midnight Mass (Created by Mike Flanagan)
I was conflicted about whether or not to include this show on this list. They never refer to that thing as a vampire, but, come on, that’s basically what it is. I had this show marked on my calendar and binged it in a single day (definitely not responsible nor healthy) because it was that good. I love the combination of horror with the spiritual and supernatural. Mike Flanagan, please never stop making shows for Netflix.
MOVIES
Daybreakers (Directed by The Spierig Brothers)
Okay, this is not supposed to be a comedy, but it’s hilarious, which I absolutely LOVE. It’s super campy and ridiculous, and it maybe takes itself a little too seriously at times, but you are guaranteed a fun time when you watch this (Willem Dafoe being flung out of his car while he’s on fire is one of the funniest things I have ever seen). It’s definitely not one of Ethan Hawke’s best movies, but it’s one of my favourites, for sure.
Thirst (Directed by Park Chan-wook)
Thirst is everything Stephenie Meyer wanted Twilight to be. It’s the only movie directed by Park Chan-Wook that I’ve seen (swhich needs to change ASAP), but I can clearly see why he is considered to be such a great filmmaker. It’s sensual, it’s lush, and it’s seriously f*cked up. It explores morality and identity in such a taboo way and adds something unique to the vampire genre.
BONUS
Super Scary Haunted Home School (Created by Grady Hendrix)
If you want to learn more about vampire lore, this is the place to start. This podcast is essentially a summary of all the research Grady Hendrix did while writing The Southern Book Club’s Guide To Slaying Vampires. There is so much interesting history within these 7 episodes, and I loved learning about the origins of some popular vampire myths. This podcast is wonderfully produced, complete with classic Grady Hendrix theatrics and witty humour; I could not recommend it enough.
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