Looking for a good vampire book!

[GreyLancaster]

Can anyone recommend a good vampire novel to me?

I'm looking something along the line of the Blade movies i.e. one badass vampire slayer against a crap load of vampires

Any help is appreciated :)

[Chevan]

Do you prefer regular books to graphic novels, or does it not matter to you?

If it doesn't bother you, I'd suggest the Hellsing books, as they seem to be what you're looking for.

[Legato]

Check out the Vampire Hunter D Books. Good read.

[GreyLancaster]

Do you prefer regular books to graphic novels, or does it not matter to you?

If it doesn't bother you, I'd suggest the Hellsing books, as they seem to be what you're looking for.

It doesn't matter whether it is a comic book or a novel, as long as it is good.

Already read Hellsing, great manga, but it's kind of been discontinued, right?

[xgeek52]

the vampire hunter series is the perfect choice for what you want but for a change of pace you might want to try the vampire memoirs and the vampire chornicles...both book were written by traci briery and published by pinncle books...they may be out of print but try www.kensingtonbooks.com...the may be able to help out

if not second hand shops might have them and more -- including (dare i say it) original novels of buffy the vampire slayer...

hey don't knock it...some of them are pretty good... :cool:

[GreyLancaster]

Check out the Vampire Hunter D Books. Good read.

EH? I thought Vampire Hunter D was an anime, who wrote the books?

[Chevan]

It doesn't matter whether it is a comic book or a novel, as long as it is good.

Already read Hellsing, great manga, but it's kind of been discontinued, right?

Not discontinued, just on a really, really slow schedule. The magazine it's published in is a monthly one, not weekly, so it takes 6-8 months to get enough material for a book, plus some lag in getting it over to the states.

There was actually a new volume that came out just recently.

[Chevan]

EH? I thought Vampire Hunter D was an anime, who wrote the books?

I'm not sure who wrote the books, but I've seen a couple of them in Borders/Suncoast. Here's the Anime News Network article (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=4883).

Edit: Crap, I thought I hit the Edit button, not the new post. Sorry.

[Tadhg]

The anime was based off the novel series. There's 12 novels and Dark Horse is finally releasing translated versions with the third novel coming out in December with 2 more novels coming out in 2006. I read the first one and it was a pretty entertaining read.

As far as novels go, I'd suggest Anno Dracula by Kim Newman

I am Legend by Richard Matheson

and Necroscope by Brian Lumley.

Also Vampire$ by John Steakley

[Donald M.]

Although they aren't quite what you're asking for, I'd highly reccomend both They Thirst by Robert McCammon, which is about L.A. being completely wiped out by vampires, and Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore, which in addition to being a good vampire novel is also very funny.

[Jay]

I would recommned (although not exactly fitting your description) Dan SImmons' Carrion Comfort.

[GreyLancaster]

Thanks for all the suggestion, guys!

I'll try and get those books you guys recommended

I'm especially interested in the They Thirst book

[CaptMagellan]

Brian Lumley's "Necroscope" series is good in a really different sort of way. (X-Files meets Dracula by way of Lovecraft).

And although there aren't any kick ass hunters, "The Light at the End" by Skipp and Spector is great.

[howyadoin]

They Thirst by Robert McCammon, which is about L.A. being completely wiped out by vampiresOn a related note, McCammon also edited a short story collection called Under the Fang, whose premise is that vampires have won.

Pretty topnotch stuff.

[Kirayoshi]

I'd nominate Christopher Golden's Vampire Oddysey trilogy: Of Saints and Shadows, Angel Souls and Devil Hearts and Of Masques and Martyrs. More 'good vamps vs evil vamps' but still heavy on action, romance and character development. Golden has also written some of the better Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels.

Two of the odder vamp books I've read(but still fun) are Keeper of the King and His Father's Son, by Nigel Bennett and P. N. Elrod. The idea here is that Lancelot(of Camelot fame) was himself a vamp, turned by the Lady of the Lake in order to better protect Arthur. In present day Toronto, he continues to fight the good fight while dealing with his own growing bloodlust. Elrod himself is an old hand a vampire books, while Bennett is better known for having portrayed a vampire, LaCroix, in the cult hit series "Forever Knight".

[Inkthinker]

Laurell K. Hamilton's "Anita Blake" series was pretty good. I've not read the last few, but they seemed to become overly focused on the sex scenes... of course, that might work for some readers.

:D

[GreyLancaster]

I actually heard a lot of bad things about Anita Blake's books (her later books to be exact) in this forum

So, are you saying that the earlier books are good read?

[Tadhg]

So, are you saying that the earlier books are good read?

The first three were pretty good from what I recall, they were good enough for me to continue with the series anyway. The early ones were a little too sexy for my taste, but it's much more restrained than it is in the later novels.

[BcAugust]

Anita Blake was good for the first few books... and Obsidian Butterfly was pretty darn good, but they aren't really "vampire" books after the first one. And the porn angle has gotten way out of hand.

An interesting one, is Dhampir. Barbara Henderson or such. Three books, actually decent vampires with some fasinating twists. A little D&Dish at the start, but it gets better and far wierder. I'm so getting the fourth book the day it comes out.

[CaptMagellan]

I actually heard a lot of bad things about Anita Blake's books (her later books to be exact) in this forum

So, are you saying that the earlier books are good read?

I tried reading the first few in the series and I just found it not to my taste. I thought they read like light romance/mystery novels. And, they were very very SAFE. No bite, no horror, not from the most blatant shock effect to 'gee I feel disturbed by what this is hinting at' effect.

Disposable popcorn entertainment that may not have the right topping to be enjoyable unless you like the romance angle.

[GreyLancaster]

Based on your descriptions, I don't think Anita Blake's book is the kind of book I want to read.

What about Ann Rice?

[Bakema NL]

Necroscope was mentioned............I can only second that, go get it.

[Tadhg]

Based on your descriptions, I don't think Anita Blake's book is the kind of book I want to read.

What about Ann Rice?

Anne Rice Vampires are tragic and angsty lacking all the monsteriffic qualities that I personally prefer my vampires to have.

Because of this thread, I just sat down and reread Vampire$ by John Steakly. It really is a good fun book. Hard living, hard fighting, hard drinking Vampire hunters fighting terrible monsters and getting killed regularly. The prose is good, funny, and fairly fast paced. The characters are typical but enjoyable and the book deftly switches between humor and horror without any tongue-in-cheekiness.

[bert]

ummm. . .

did I miss it? or did no one recommend the classic:

Richard Matheson's "I am Legend"



basically the story of the last human on an earth overrun by vampires.

[ghostrider666]

I've always liked "Live Girls" by Ray Garton. No doubt its been out of print for over 15 yrs though. :(

[Solaris]

I haven't read these yet, but Hubby read a trilogy by Kim Harrison that he really loved: Dead Witch Walking, Any Which Way But Dead, and The Good, The Bad, and the Undead. Main character is a witch who lives with a living vampire, and has a pixie friend, and all three of them run Vampiric Charms---a bounty-hunter kind of organization. (That's a direct quote from him, btw; sorry if there's any spoilers in that.) He said "die hard Anne Rice vampire fans will NOT like it. There's a difference between living and dead vampires; there's also some really funny stuff in it."

[CaptMagellan]

Because of this thread, I just sat down and reread Vampire$ by John Steakly. It really is a good fun book. Hard living, hard fighting, hard drinking Vampire hunters fighting terrible monsters and getting killed regularly. The prose is good, funny, and fairly fast paced. The characters are typical but enjoyable and the book deftly switches between humor and horror without any tongue-in-cheekiness.

That's a damn fine book.

[Rabid Trekkie]

ummm. . .

did I miss it? or did no one recommend the classic:

Richard Matheson's "I am Legend"



basically the story of the last human on an earth overrun by vampires.

I keep checking my local B&N for it, if they don't get it in stock or I don't get it for my birthday I think I might buy it online.

[bert]

I keep checking my local B&N for it, if they don't get it in stock or I don't get it for my birthday I think I might buy it online.


I just picked up the IDW trade that came out a couple of weeks ago ($20).

not a bad adaptation by Niles.

the artwork is a bit "sketchy". .but there are entire passages from the book in there. Really, it's like reading an illustrated version of the book on many pages, rather than an adaptation.

If you've never read it, Trekkie. . just to "warn" you -- "I am Legend" is really more of a novella than a novel. The newer edtions package it w/ several of Matheson's other short stories. There should be plenty of editions out there (I have a paperback version that I got for $7 at Barnes and Noble)

[Rabid Trekkie]

I just picked up the IDW trade that came out a couple of weeks ago ($20).

not a bad adaptation by Niles.

the artwork is a bit "sketchy". .but there are entire passages from the book in there. Really, it's like reading an illustrated version of the book on many pages, rather than an adaptation.

If you've never read it, Trekkie. . just to "warn" you -- "I am Legend" is really more of a novella than a novel. The newer edtions package it w/ several of Matheson's other short stories. There should be plenty of editions out there (I have a paperback version that I got for $7 at Barnes and Noble)

Maybe that's why I can't find it, the title sticks in my head but I can never remember the author so I'm probably always walking right by a copy.

[GreyLancaster]

ummm. . .

did I miss it? or did no one recommend the classic:

Richard Matheson's "I am Legend"



basically the story of the last human on an earth overrun by vampires.

I've actually read this story, I think; this is a graphic novel, correct?

[GreenHornet]

What a great lots of books and different stories? Try the "Necroscope" by Brian Lumley once you read the 1st book you can't stop and years ago Malibu put out a comic about the 1st 2 books so that will give you something to collect and hunt down aswell

[Tadhg]

I've actually read this story, I think; this is a graphic novel, correct?

There is a graphic novel adaptation that bert mentioned, but no it's not a graphic novel.

[VCreed32]

Christopher Pike's 'The Last Vampire' series wasn't bad.
(the title is misleading of course)

[Solaris]

Christopher Pike's 'The Last Vampire' series wasn't bad.
(the title is misleading of course)

There's also one by L J Smith, I think??? "The Vampire Diaries"---it's in teen reading, it's a quartet, but it's pretty good. Sort of crosses a romance novel with some typical vampire stuff, but it's still rather neat.

[Ottmeister X]

An interesting one, is Dhampir. Barbara Henderson or such. Three books, actually decent vampires with some fasinating twists. A little D&Dish at the start, but it gets better and far wierder. I'm so getting the fourth book the day it comes out.

Barb and JC Hendee, husband/wife writers. Dhampir, Thief Of Lives, and Sister Of The Dead are available. Traitor To The Blood comes out in early January. Website: Noble Dead (http://www.nobledead.com/). Quick and fun reads.

[BcAugust]

Barb and JC Hendee, husband/wife writers. Dhampir, Thief Of Lives, and Sister Of The Dead are available. Traitor To The Blood comes out in early January. Website: Noble Dead (http://www.nobledead.com/). Quick and fun reads.

Very cool, thanks. I tend to just notice where things are on the shelves(I could walk through my old library blindfolded and still know where all my favorite books are). I take it you enjoyed them as well? Which was a... surprise for me. I've truly disliked a great deal of modern vampire stuff, but this was a nice change.

[Corrina]

How about "Dragon Waiting" by John Ford.

It's set in the time of Richard III, with vampires as the bad guys who try to infect the princes being held in the tower.

Not exactly a badass vampire slayer book but it's damn scary, in an atmospheric way.