Poll: Who wrote the coolest vampires?

[high_castle]

Stoker was great, but he wasn't my favorite. I chose other because it's a toss up between a few authors, none of whom were on your list:

Charlie Huston. Just debuted recently. First book in the series is Already Dead. The books feature Joe Pitt, a vampire in New York City. Huston's vampires are brutal, violent, and divided into clans. These clans aren't openly at war with each other, but relations are tough, and Pitt goes unaffiliated, making himself a nuisance to pretty much everyone around. The vamps survive by tapping junkies for blood, then storing it for later so they don't starve. They get rapid cancer in the sunlight, rather than bursting into flames (or sparkling), but other than that they're pretty much like regular humans. Albeit regular humans who will live forever and have no qualms killing people in order to increase their power and standing. Great, bloody, and mature books.

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. I read her books when I was in high school and really fell in love with them. Probably because the vampires are actually powerful and threatening, unlike in the Meyers books (can you tell I hate Twilight?). Her vampires can read minds, teleport, shape-shift, and move objects with their mind. They're basically gods, and the fact that humans are significantly out-matched is a fact noted several times. They are efficient predators, capable of hiding their society from us through sheer force of will. The villains are as captivating as the heroes, and there are several vampires who are downright evil. But most are nuanced, with their motivations and some object of desire in their lives. They just don't have a problem killing to get what they want.

 

[Ivellios25]

I put Bram. Not only because of how he made the vampires though, but because of how well the book itself was written. In the style of journal entries and such, and how Dracula wasn't really a main character. He didn't really show up a lot, he was a menacing figure made even more menacing by the imagination of both the reader and the characters. Vampires these days are flaunted in front of the screen as beautiful men and women, who are almost always tragic heroes in some way. Disrespectful.
I am, of course, a hypocrite, because I love Angel. And True Blood. And Buffy. (Twilight can go die in a fire, though.)

 

[Treblaine]

whoever wrote the ORIGINAL I Am Legend.
if you've read it, you'll know why.

The Last Man on Earth, I think it was.

No, the original novel was called "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson.

In his story the title "I am Legend" actually made sense... but not till the very last paragraph.

It was a bloody great book for it's one human character and was way ahead of its time (the 50's) in vampire lore and was really clever about it.

Absolute required reading for any self respecting Horror or Sci-fi fan. This is the prototype "last man on earth" scenario and I am inclined to say in half a century I know no one that has bested that narrative.

 

[Madshaw]

Everyone vote for Stephanie Meyer, for the lulz.

wow 4 people joined your noble cause,

personally i prefer to mix them in my own head, but where ever the guys who wrote the penultimate edition of the warhammer counts army book are my favourates

 

[Dapper Ninja]

I am, of course, a hypocrite, because I love Angel. And True Blood. And Buffy. (Twilight can go die in a fire, though.)

You forget that despite Buffy and Angel having prominent heroic vampires (of the non-sucking (no pun intended) variety, of course), the "Big Bads" of the series only made occasional, significant appearances, much like Dracula.

Also, I've heard that Twilight actually can't die in a fire, for the cleansing flames simply reject the horrid monstrosity. 'Tis terribly disappointing.

 

[Dok Zombie]

Has anybody mentioned Cassidy from Preacher yet? I can't be arsed to slog through 4 pages to find out.

 

[BladesofReason]

I am a fan of Bram Stoker's work but I think my favorite vampires are the World of Darkness vampires.

 

[Bat Vader]

Have to either be Bram Stoker or Kouta Hirano for his Hellsing series.

 

[letsnoobtehpwns]

I voted Stephanie Meyer just because I'm a fucking asshole.

 

[The Warejackal]

My vote goes to the guy who made the Dresden Files.

Like come ON Sex Vampires? Awsome.

Hear, Hear.

 

[Ray De Ation]

Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. Beautiful, immortal, bloodsucking noblewoman with lesbian tendancies. And quite a well-written short novel as well.

 

[RaNDM G]

It began with Dracula. It ended with Dracula.

That's all you need to know.

 

[Arkzism]

of course stoker is popular... Dracula is the greatest vampire story ever.. and vampires do not sparkle

 

[CrysisMcGee]

I would say whatever series was used as a basis for Vampire:The Masquerade Bloodlines.

Seriously, that game is awesome.

Also is the way they treat vampires is very cool. Having them still be pretty much the same after they turn vampire, and not have them go all evil and shit. They retain their humanity.

I believe the short-lived TV series Kindred was based on the same thing.

 

[(whitty name here)]

Vegetarian: Eater of fruits and grains and nuts; someone who eats no meat or fish or (often) any animal products.
Last time I checked, plants don't bleed. Therefore NO FUCKING SUCH THING AS VEGETARIAN VAMPIRES. It would be very messy when you cut your lawn though if it actually was possible.

 

[Hazy]

whoever wrote the ORIGINAL I Am Legend.
if you've read it, you'll know why.

After reading the literature: I hated that movie even more.

OT: Stoker, all the way.

 

[T3h Merc]

Morrowind/Oblivion with proper mods of course!

 

[Hotfoottfox]

I'd say Bram Stoker. However, although I say that I'm actually using certain elements (the acceptable ones) of Twilight vampires (no sparkling) and elements of Anne Rice vampires and more modern ones (such as the ones in the True Blood series and so on) for my own vampire novel. I prefer the modern vampire ideas that come up so much in popular literature, but Bram Stoker is pretty much the overall king of vampire fiction.

That said, the Hellsing vampires are cool too, which is why I use elements of them in my own fiction as well...

I'm basically the same way. One of my vampire characters has really stupid hair (he can't see his reflection, after all) and is an alcoholic. The other one is a phychotic and kills people for the lulz.

 

[tsb247]

Bram Stoker and Anne Rice (in that order).

Stoker engrained the Vampire in the mass consciousness, and Anne Rice made them cool/sexy.

Why is Stephanie Meyer even up there?!