Vampires....Fantasy-Lite?

"Ugh, another vampire novel?"  This is the response I got when telling someone about the book that I'm currently reading.  My first reaction was to defend myself and the book that I had chosen out of thousands of other books.  My second thought was better, however.  You could respond this way to any book.  "Ugh, another romance (science fiction, crime thriller, mystery, serial killer) book?"  The list could go on forever.

People write books because they have a story to tell.  Yes, the main character in this book is a vampire, yes, vampires are "teh new hottness" but that is because they work.  People like them.  I chimed in on a discussion in a forum about why people love vampires.  Here is what I had to say:

I think that vampires became popular, so everyone with a story wrote it and it worked for them, so viola, more vampires.

I think readers became so interested in vampires because they are so human-like, that the characters in stories can pretend to be human and interact with the human world without the author having to necessarily drawn in "weird" or "strange" creatures that would require descriptions that may turn some readers off. It would also be difficult to create romance between humans and a non-human like group, so again, vampires work better here as well.

I also think that vampires are a good fantasy story for those of us who aren't usually fantasy novel readers. I admit that I've read a fair share of vampire books. I'm reading one right now, as a matter of fact. Think of vampires as Fantasy-Lite.

If I were to be asked, "Do you like fantasy novels?"  I would reply with a simple no.  I suppose this isn't the truth though.  Vampires are fantasy, but because in novels they tend to live in the human world and act human I just don't seem to classify them with fantasy.  I think they add a dimension of danger to a story that couldn't be incorporated otherwise.  People, including myself, like that danger.

Here is what I don't like in a fantasy novel.  Far away lands where the inhabitants of the world are certainly not human, strange creatures, foreign (not of this world) languages, and descriptions that I am unable to picture because the world exists only the the creator's mind.  I guess you could call those things alternate realities, but that doesn't seem to fully express what I mean.

This is why vampires are great for non-fantasy readers.  They are here, in our world, doing things that we do so that we are able to relate to them.  On the other side, vampires are great for authors because they can turn their vampires into anything that they want.  Some shape change, burn in the sun, have superhuman powers and heightened senses.  Some kill humans with a single bite while other drink just a little, some sustain themselves on fake blood and others on animal blood while still others can buy blood from butcher shops or blood banks.  The list is endless, and new authors are creating new stories and spins constantly.

My philosophy is this:  If you enjoy writing it, then write it.  If you enjoy reading it, the read it.  

eFiction Magazine

This month's eFiction magazine is now officially available on the Kindle store.  I know what you're saying...I don't have a Kindle...well, neither do I.  But I do sport an Android tablet and phone and there is a Kindle app for Android...and iphone, ipad, PC and Mac.  So, if you are sitting in front of a computer reading this, you are now out of excuses for not checking out this magazine.  Click on the link to the right and it will take you to the eFiction page at Amazon.

There is also no need for a special device or app at this point.  You can check out the website here.  Of course, make sure to bookmark the site since an issue is released monthly.  You can also check out their facebook page.

There are a number of great short stories in the magazine each month, and beginning in this month there are book reviews, two of which are written by yours truly.  The reviews have been published on my blog, but they have been touched up and added to, so you haven't actually seen them at their best (I hate admitting that).

eFiction "prints" stories from all types of writers in all stages of their writing ability, so if writing is something that you are into, check out the submit a story section of the website.  If you like writing book reviews, submit a review to the editor (on a side note, he is a really great guy, nothing to be scared of!  I'll admit, I was terrified submitting my first review, and second...third and fourth, but I shouldn't have been).  If you just want to have something available as a collection of quick reads, it honestly doesn't get better than this, you get a ten or so stories each month PLUS reviews on what novels to read (or not read).

I know it sounds like I'm selling, and that isn't like me, but this is something that I have found that is truly worthwhile.  There are a lot of excellent authors out there, and eFiction is giving them a voice, now all we have to do is listen.