Ever since the Twilight novels exploded onto the scene, the world has become just a tad bit obsessed with vampires.
But what if you find the world of Twilight a little bit too…glittery and tame? What if you’re getting bored of reading about Edward Cullen and his various pouty facial expressions?
Sometimes we forget that the cult of the vampire novel didn’t begin with Stephanie Meyer. Oh no. It had been knocking around for centuries before Edward Cullen introduced us all to a new type of sensitive blood-sucker.
If you’ve developed a bit of a literary crush on these dark, mysterious creatures, here’s our pick of the five best vampire novels (pre-Twilight).
Are you ready to sink your teeth in?
5. The Moth Diaries by: Rachel Klein
Originally published back in 2002, The Moth Diaries was Rachel Klein’s debut novel. It’s set in an exclusive girls’ boarding school, and centres on the diary entries written by a sixteen year old girl. As the novel progresses, the girl becomes more and more obsessed with her roommate’s new friend – the mysterious and strange Ernessa.
This book is full of twists and you’re constantly asking the question – is it Ernessa who is disturbed, or is it the narrator? At present, the movie version of The Moth Diaries is being filmed. We imagine it’ll translate just as well onto the big screen.
4. Lost Souls by: Poppy Z Brite
Poppy Z Brite is an author who is not for the faint-hearted, but over the past few years she has managed to completely change the game when it comes to horror fiction. Lost Souls is her attempt at flipping the vampire genre on its head, and she definitely succeeds.
The story follows the adventures of Nothing, an adopted young man who has always felt out of place. He runs away from home and decides that he will track down his real parents. Enter Zillah, Molochai and Twig, a group of anti-heroes who pick him up and bring him to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. The climax of this book is unexpected, disturbing and completely insane. Expect the unexpected.
3. Guilty Pleasures by: Laurell K Hamilton
Before Bella Swan and Sookie Stackhouse, there was Anita Blake – one of the best heroines ever in terms of vampire fiction. Why? Well, because unlike Bella and Sookie, Anita Blake knows how to kick some serious backside.
She’s trained in all kinds of combat, she raises the dead for a living (to help settle disputes over inheritances, naturally) and she’s known as the Executioner in vampire circles. What happens when she’s blackmailed into investigating a string of vampire murders? You’ll never guess…
Guilty Pleasures is the first book of twenty-one in the Antia Blake: Vampire Hunter series.
2. Dracula by: Bram Stoker
Okay, so it was written in the early twentieth century, but don’t let the ‘classic’ status of this book put you off. It’s just as relevant today as it ever was, and once you get absorbed into it, you won’t be able to put it down. Trust us.
This is considered the original vampire novel, if that doesn’t make it worth a read, we’re not sure what else will.
1. Interview with the Vampire by: Anne Rice
Once you’ve read one of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicle novels, you will never touch a Twilight book again. Fact. Bram Stoker may have invented the vampire fiction trend, but Anne Rice perfected it.
Interview with the Vampire centres on the character of Louis de Pointe du Lac, a vampire who has agreed to give a young journalist an interview about his life. Louis then recounts his experiences – how he was made a vampire and his strange relationship with the vampire who made him – Lestat de Lioncourt.
This is one of those books that you will not be able to put down, and even if you’ve seen the film (which starred Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise), we’d still highly recommend getting your hands on the book. You’ll be hooked.
