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Vampires are a trendy group in our cinematic and literary fiction. Vampires take hold of our imagination, allure us, and make us believe in creatures outside of our normal lives. The vampire has transformed from an often hated and feared, always maligned, always undesirable being into a loved creature that represents superhuman power and eternal life. In the middle ages, vampires were oftentimes spirits. They were the embodiment of a soul that could not rest. Oftentimes a vampire would attack or haunt its former family members. To halt these haunting, townspeople would dig up the vampire remains, drive a stake into the heart, and decapitate it. Sometimes the body was also burned. By staking the body it was thought a vampire could be pinned in its coffin and it couldn't rise again. Cutting off the head was a means to separate the body from the brain. In the worst cases, fire was used to destroy a vampire body. Vampires were only spotted at night, so it was naturally thought that vampires feared the daylight. Additionally, darkness is equated with evil things whereas sun, and the light, represent good things. Vampires were not observed haunting their former family members in daylight so the belief of sunlight aversion was born. Bram Stoker released Dracula in 1897 the now revered, iconic, and timeless vampire tale. Bram Stoker redefined the meaning of what the vampire was. The creature took on personality, charm, and charisma. They were no longer senseless apparitions bent on destroying their former families. Vampires represented power and eternal life. Bram Stoker planted seeds that would grow into an enthrallment with all things vampire. Today there are countless books about vampires. Vampire television shows such as The Hunger, Forever Knight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Angel found widespread success. Showing that vampire television shows aren't dead, new shows such as HBO's True Blood are finding new audiences. Vampire movies are also common productions by Hollywood. In the last few years we've seen the release of 30 Days of Night, the Evolution trilogy, I Am Legend, Twilight, and many more. Vampire groupies, fans, fanatics just can't get enough of vampire movies and Hollywood is quite willing to provide several new vampire films each year. We love vampires. Until the creature is everlastingly redefined again, it is unlikely that vampire popularity will diminish. We can't help but become enthralled with idea of immortality, strength, power, and eternal life. Vampires represent these characteristics. Vampires will always be a popular form of fiction. Gen Wright is a contributor to the online community Vampire Rave, a social network for real vampires. He also contributes to Power Punks, a community for superhero fans.
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