It was in 1047 AD where the word "Vampire" is first documented. After the
first documented account of the word, almost 800 years will pass before the first vampire
books ever written would be published.
It is 1819 and the beginning of our love of vampire novels. Vampire books first started
with the success of John Polidori's "The Vampyre" in 1819. This book established
the charismatic and sophisticated vampire of fiction. It is arguably the most influential
vampire book of the early 19th century. "The Vampyre" inspired such books as
"Varney the Vampire" and finally and the well known "Dracula".
Push the timeline forward to 1897 and we see a major change in the acceptance of vampire
books. Bram Stoker's Dracula created frenzy with his vampire novel in 1897. It single
handedly provided the starting point of modern vampire fiction. It is still known to this
day as one of the greatest works ever written on vampires.
Mr. Gustave Le Rouger published "Le prisonnier de la plante Mars (1908)" and
its sequel "La guerre des vampires (1909)", both were based on a native race of
bat-winged, blood-drinking humanoids which were found residing on Mars. This was one of
the first attempts to being a series focused on just vampires.
The year 1954 brought us "I Am Legend" by author Richard Matheson. It is about
one man's survival of a pandemic that causes vampirism. He must fight to survive attacks
from the creatures of the night, discover the secrets of their biology, and develop
effective serum to cure them.
 
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The age of gothic fashion in 1966 through 1971 took the world by storm. This set the
trend for seeing vampires as poetic tragic heroes rather than as the traditional evil
beings placed on the earth to suck the blood of humans. The 1976 Vampire Chronicles series
of novels by Anne Rice went deep into understanding the vampire's wants, needs and love.
Then in 1981 a new twist on vampires showed us the biology of vampires as explained in
"The Hunger". It suggested their special abilities were the result of a physical
part of their blood. The book debated that not all vampires were undead humans, but some
were a separate species that had evolved alongside the human race. Fast forward to
2009-2010 and you find yourself in the world of teenage vampires. Twilight taught us that
vampires could love; they had feelings, wants and needs. They were the embodiment of
realism on a different level than what we were accustomed.
It was these strange facts that brought about the largest focus on vampires to date. A new
era of vampire lovers, followers and like was descending on bookstores by the thousand to
scope up the Twilight Series. At times the stores were basically empty and could not keep
up with the mad rush to find out what would happen next in this new and exciting vampire
saga.
To conclude, vampire, myths and legends have continued to change over time. It would not
surprise me if within 10 to 15 years we see a whole new era start all over again. For now
teenage vampires are in and the old scary vampire is out. Yet I am certain the scary
vampires will be return again to immerse us in a world of the undead.
