Vampires have haunted and hunted us on the pages of literature for as long as we can remember. Sometimes they take the form of sparkly vampires, other times of a count roaming the diseased, dark corridor of an old world castle. They are elusive figures, forever evading human categorization. In this expansive body of work, there exists a subset detailing the lives of vampires through a vampiric lens. These books help us see into the inner world so cleverly hidden by Dracula and even its predecessor, Carmilla. Vampiric memoirs help us peer past the veil and into a world that is both alluring and terrifying.
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
The mother of vampire erotica, Anne Rice, begins her Vampire Chronicles in Interview with the Vampire. In a darkened room, a man sits across from another “man” promising to tell the most macabre story he will ever hear in his young life. This man is the vampire Louis, and the man across from him is a journalist named Daniel. The story is confessional, hypnotic, shocking, erotic, and committed to detail the life of a full-fledged vampire.
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
Following the novel that defined and continues to define vampire literature, we have its sequel: The Vampire Lestat. Working to tell his side of the story, Rice takes us on the journey through the life of Lestat, the titular vampire and the one that was painted in such a harsh light in its predecessor. Through Lestat’s voice, we are taken to the French countryside then along the cluttered streets of Paris and into a dangerous theater troupe. Lestat argues his case and asks that the reader merely listen to his side of the story.
The Dracula Tape by Fred Saberhagen
Count Dracula tells his version of his fateful journey to England in 1893, presenting a revision of the tale that will shock and delight. He presents the events through a new lens, including his encounter with Van Helsing and the tragic relationship with the lovely Mina. A vampire more bloodthirsty than Lestat, The Dracula Tape is not one you want to miss.
Fledgling by Octavia Butler
A young, amnesiac girl discovers something shocking: she is indeed a genetically modified 53-year-old vampire. Forced to uncover what she can about her former life, she must also learn who wanted and still wants to destroy her. This is a captivating novel about the limits of “otherness” and what it truly means to be human.
Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin
When a struggling riverboat captain receives an offer for a partnership from a wealthy aristocrat, he suspects that something is amiss. When he meets pale, steely-eyed Joshua York, he is certain. He doesn’t care that the icy winter of 1857 has wiped out Marsh’s entire fleet; York has his own reasons for wanting to traverse the Mississippi. Intertwining the life of a vampire and the human he employs, George R.R. Martin takes an interesting approach to vampire mythology.
The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez
Seen as one of the most influential queer books, The Gilda Stories tells of a girl escaping slavery and being turned into a vampire by two women in a brothel. Gilda spends the next two-hundred years searching for a place to call home, taking her as far as into the dystopian future of 2050. Exploring and expanding on the vampire, Jewelle Gomez’s novel is one that you won’t want to miss. An unapologetic portrayal of Black identity and queerness, Gilda sees right into the heart of the vampire and its eager audience.
The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood & Boyfriends by Jamie D’Amato
A college sophomore must juggle becoming a vampire and navigating her feelings for the cute boy that discovers his secret in this tooth-achingly sweet romcom. It’s only natural that Brennan’s life be upended by something as stupid as becoming a vampire. It’s also only natural that the experience be complicated by Cole, the super cute librarian everyone on campus seems to have a crush on, when he saw Brennan stumbling across him drinking from a blood bag. On the trials and tribulations of new adulthood and its terrible feelings, this book promises to take you through the life of a newly born vampire, who is really quite bad at being a vampire.
Diary of a Wimpy Vampire by Tim Collins
Like Edward Cullen in Twilight, Nigel was transformed into a vampire as a teenager. Unfortunately, he became a vampire at the awkward age of fifteen and will be dealing with acne, a breaking voice, and girls for all of his immortal life. In this funny coming of age, Nigel chronicles his attempt at love, frustration, and the mortification caused by his vampire parents.
The Vampire Memoirs by Traci Briery
Mara is a former tomboy turned mercery who becomes a vampire against her will. The story follows her, as she escapes her captor and navigates the treacherous road of immortality. Mara takes us from birth in a fourth-century small British town to her present-day life in Los Angeles. Like Lestat, our narrator guides us through her existence as a creature of the night and all its many trials.
The Count of Amaranth Moor by Faun V. Hartley
In the summer of 1822, a tenacious young adult was abruptly let go from his hard-earned position. Avery Bedford then travels to his new place of employment: an old manor perched on the edge of a moor. It isn’t long before Avery is swept into a dangerous mystery and forced through a catastrophic transformation. He is faced with only two options: to learn the history and motives of the thing that did this to him or to kill him and end things once and for all.
Vampires are often very elusive figures. They lurk on the edge of literature, alluring and often incapable of feeling anything for the humans around them. Vampiric memoirs offer us a way to contemplate the humanity of our favorite literary monsters, as well as our own. Be sure to check these books out and add them to your TBR. Happy reading!
Interested in more books to add to that ever-expanding TBR? Check out some more recommendations here.
Find these titles and more on our Vampire and Werewolf Books to Sink Your Teeth Into shelf.
