Must a Vampire Be Sexy?

by jocelynndrake on Jul.29, 2010, under Jocelynn Drake and Jeaniene Frost

Somehow Jeaniene has conspired to leave me to kick off one of the hard questions that we discussed and I have not noticed it until now. Yes, she’s a sneaky one, so be wary. Of course, the idea was mine so I guess it is only fitting that I kick this one off. I guess I have no one to blame but myself, but I will try blaming Jeaniene anyway.

So, now that I’m done rambling, let’s get down to business. The question that I raised weeks ago when Jeaniene and I were talking was whether you would write a vampire story without a romance. And in truth I think that answer has become a double-edged sword. My first inclination is to say “Yes, you can.” You can very easily make a vampire the villain of the story, wiping away all hopes of the vampire becoming a romantic lead. In fact, you can very easily take the vampires back to their earliest roots of making them a monstrous creature that is a decaying undead that no one wants to date. It’s hard to make someone sexy when they are rotting all over you.

However, I started to think, what if the vampire wasn’t the villain? The predominant view of the vampire in this generation is that he/she is sexy and enticing and oh-so-alluring. In the case of my vampires in the Dark Days series, that sexy allure is masking a monster that will rip your throat out just for the fun of it, but they are still very sexy. Regardless of whether there is a monster lurking under the skin or not, in many books (I know there are some exceptions) the expectation is that the vampire will not only be sexy but will be involved in some kind of romantic interlude, regardless of whether it is a brief fling or true love. As readers of vampire novels, I have to wonder if you are disappointed if a vampire isn’t sexy or involved in some romantic way when they appear in a novel?

The other thought that is rattling around in my head is: what if the vampire is the main character? If I am writing a series, I have to admit that I treat the character the same whether vampire, werewolf, or pixie. The reader is seeing them through a period of their life and it is natural for them to have some kind of romantic side to their life. So in this case, it almost feels necessary for the vampire to have some kind of romance.

To sum up, my answer is “No, you don’t have to have a romance” and “Yes, you do in some cases”. I’m so glad that I settled that. What do you think?

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11 Comments for this entry

Hillsy
July 29th, 2010 on 8:53 am
Following on from that, another question would be: In genre fiction, does ANY MC have to be romantically alluring/attractive, even if they don’t partake in any romantic activity? (Literary experiments - such as having a squid as an MC - and serious antiheroes aside, of course)

Back to vampires. Depends I suppose on which Vampire Tropes you want to include. I mean the Necroscope books jump to mind, where the Vampires there (Wampiri?) are not necessariy engaging in romantic activity, but neither are they horrific monsters. I’m trying desperately to think of where I saw the vampire seduction trope explained as basic mind control rather than some kind of pleasure trigger (Night Watch???).

There’s a ton of ways to circumvent the stereotype of a vampire as this outwardly raw, hedonistic figure - the question then becomes one that only readers answer and writers have very little say in the matter.
kris
July 29th, 2010 on 12:33 pm
I think that most people think of vampires as romantic characters because they’re thought as medieval characters. Dracula was a romantic that needed a restraining order. However as a fan of vampires I’m torn with whether they should be romantic or not. I guess it depends on the genre you read them as. Maybe? Such as I love 30 days of night, which the vampires were terrifying. There was nothing really romantic with the vampire part of them. But I’m also a fan of Anne Rice, Lynsay Sands, Kerrelyn Sparks, Kimberly Rave, Charlaine Harris and Jeanine Frost. Most of their vampires are in the Paranormal Romance section. And each of they’re version of vampires differ from one another. Which is the draw for me. I like to see what powers and strengths are given to the vamps in different series. The fact that they get the girl or the guy in the end is just a bonus. It’s how they get there that keeps me reading. And the thing that I love about these books is that the characters are beautiful or sexy to one another. Your seeing the story through their eyes. So it shows the bit of humanity they have for that person. Well I don’t know if I agreed or disagreed with the fact that vampires have to be sexy or romantic. But this is what I think.
Crystal
July 29th, 2010 on 2:56 pm
No, but I prefer it.
Terry
July 29th, 2010 on 4:48 pm
If my vampires are going to be sexy, I prefer it to be a tool to lure unsuspecting victims. You know, charm them into a secluded location and then WHAM let the bloodsucking begin. I really do prefer the deadly, dangerous, violent vampires - pretty not required. Not sure what that says about me, but there it is.
jjdebenedictis
July 29th, 2010 on 4:53 pm
Wouldn’t it make an interesting book if you had a vampire as protagonist, and s/he resented having to maintain the facade of romantic predator and continually struggled with self-loathing because s/he identified hirself as being like a sex trade worker?
Sharon
July 29th, 2010 on 5:03 pm
well, if you are writing a PNR then yes, the lead character has a relationship. Do they have to be sexy. Not really. I think Zhadist from JR Ward series isn’t suppose to be that good looking, but he got his own book. In UF, you can look at the vampires in the Kate Daniels series. Not attractive! Funny how in UF the fey can be either beautiful or more often hideous.
Julie Rafail
July 29th, 2010 on 9:26 pm
Sexy? Yes, I have no real life romance…soooo give me an Oh Hell Yeah, Sexy!!!!
Steven Gatlin
July 29th, 2010 on 10:09 pm
It seems to me that it all depends on your target audience. I know it may sound like artistic heresy, but a writer really does need to consider who they’re writing for. Gotta pay those bills!

I admit that I’ve never read Anne Rice’s books, but from the movies it seems that the dominant theme in her stories is power and control and that romance takes a back seat. From her success I think it’s safe to say that there is an audience for stories with that theme.

Personally, I prefer a balance. Vampires are, of course, about power and control, but it’s nice to see that spark of Humanity struggling to survive amidst all that blood and destruction.
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