meow85 said:

I'm sayin, do we know for sure she doesn't have cute lil' lite-up fangs?

Imago said:

Anne Rice rocked till after The Witching Hour, after that she sucks.

meow85 said:

totally agree. if you like the vampire genre at all, try chelsea quinn yarbrough's books, the St. Germaine series. MUCH better than twilight

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[Edited 8/10/09 19:44pm]

Mach said:

What exactly is this whole "sparkling" vampire stuff from Twilight? Is it just some new stupid lore ideology? Like instead of having no reflections their bodies are sparkly colours?

endymion said:

If I weren't so sentimentally attached to most of them, I'd wonder the same thing.

kcwm said:

they can walk in sunlight, but they sparkle.
i love anne rice vampire chronicles and have just recently read the first two twilight books. i have to say that i enjoyed the books, they were very easy to read, great for just not having to think about it.i prefer anne rice though.

i haven't read the 'true blood' books, just seen a little of the first series, but could anyone who has read them tell me if they are worth reading? also are they as similar as they seem to twilight?

XxAxX said:

I don't think I've ever heard of those. Care to give me a rundown on them?

angelcat said:

They are not similar to the Twilight books other than there are vampires and other supernatural beings in them.

The Sookie Stackhouse books have been around for years, before Twilight. The 9th book came out in May 09.

I really enjoy them. They are adult books not young adult reading, so there's sex and violence in them, but they are also really funny. They are light reading, much moreso than the Anne Rice books. HBO has really whored up the books. The books are PG 17/R whereas True Blood is a solid R and then some

Hope that helps.

thekidsgirl said:

OMG IM EATING LUNCH!!

meow85 said:

the twilight series pisses me off because bella's character is so helpless.
she can hardly walk down the street without falling and bumping her head.
moreover, she seems hopelessly co-dependent.
i am undendingly surprised by how many women relate to this character, and even feel her relationship with edward is 'erotic'. scuse me but

mind you, i'm not saying yarbro's books are masterpieces, but they are far more adult and feminist in tone and content, making them much more interesting, imo

sorry! spelled her name wrong chelsea quinn yarbro.

http://www.chelseaquinnya...rmain.html

quoting: "The books of the Saint-Germain Cycle combine historic fiction, romance, and horror and feature the heroic vampire first introduced in Hôtel Transylvania as Le Comte de Saint-Germain. In this initial novel, the character -- cultured, well-traveled, articulate, elegant, and mysterious -- appears in the court of France's King Louis XV. In order to convince the naive but intelligent Madelaine de Montalia that she is in danger, Saint-Germain reveals he is thousands of years old and drinks the Elixir of Life, blood. He also introduces her to the sensual pleasures of his vampiric embrace.

Yarbro intentionally sought to get as far away as possible from the traditional vampire trope "and still have a recognizable vampire," to use the "vampire as a metaphor for humanism," and establish the vampire's erotic appeal as a shared, mutual intimacy. Yarbro was the first writer to revise the stereotype so completely and mesh it so fully with romance. She also filtered it through a feminist perspective that both the giving of sustenance and its taking were of equal erotic potency. Although romantic and historical fiction, Hôtel Transylvania and consequent novels also belong firmly within the canon of modern horror: the mortal inhabitants of the natural world are the forces of darkness and the supernatural "monster" is the defender of sanity and morality. As the author has noted, "history is horror." "

Nothinbutjoy said:

it does, thanks. i've only seen one or two episodes. i might stick with it & hunt out the books.

the twilight series pisses me off because bella's character is so helpless.


to be honest, bella does kind of annoy me. the second book was far better than the first and i have just got the third to read so hopefully that should be better again.

XxAxX said:

Cool.

I will definitely make an effort to track those down.

I find Edward and Bella's relationship horribly creepy and controlling. I can't help but see it as anything but an ode to the helpless girl and her protector/owner, and I'm convinced that, if Edward were a real person and not a fictional vampire, he'd be an abusive partner. My Twilight-obsessive roomie sees their relationship as romantic. She even used the adjectives "dreamy", and "loving" when talking about it.

meow85 said:

there is def something a little uncomfortable about the possessiveness. the i can't live without you thing isn't very modern.

angelcat said:

I just can't conceive of how or why behaviour that in a real male would be vilified (and rightly so) is idealized and romanticized for young girls in a fictional one.

meow85 said:

i do too. and bella's own clumsiness bugs the crap out of me. it's not cool to be so helpless you constantly need rescuing. she should learn to look out for herself. in fact, if she did, if her character could grow up and out of this imo childish phase that might kind of make the books more interesting.


so by the end of the series, bella is strong and capable enough to walk out of edward's life, like rhett said, to scarlet,
frankly my dear, i don't give a damn

For me, I love these books not because of vampires..or the fact Edward "sparkles" I just really enjoy the "love" story behind them. I guess I am hokie...but that is why I enjoy reading them so much.

XxAxX said:

See, THAT would be a cool ending. I would have a bit of respect for the author if she took that route. Even issues with this story aside, but just strictly as a piece of fiction. Love stories are too safe, too easy, too predictable. Have the heroine turn the guy down at the end instead because she's realized she doesn't need a relationship to be a whole person. The standard of having a boyfriend signalling happily-ever-after is tired.

MoniGram said:

But....and forgive me if I'm treading on your toes here...if Edward were real his behaviour wouldn't be acceptable or considered romantic

meow85 said:

you would run a mile from a real edward. i do enjoy the books though. can't put my finger on why?

meow85 said:

What behavior are you speaking of? I find it romantic that he can't be without her. I also love the fact that his "family" was so quick to protect her. I guess I am just a sappy girl.

You either like these books or you don't. I would never force anyone to read them, and I normally just ignore Twilight bashers...to each their own.

meow85 said:

It goes along with the "Cinderella Syndrome"

In modern times, is it acceptable or romantic for a woman to wait around for "Prince Charming" to come sweep her off her feet so her life can begin?

Stephanie Meyers is heavy handed on how controlling Edward is in his and Bella's relationship. It is not a perfect story and the relationship is not a candidate for healthiest relationship in the history of literature, but it's damn fun reading!

If my daughters ever became involved IRL with someone as controlling as Edward, God help him. While she was reading the books she would point out what are considered the most "stalker-ish" points and say, "STALKER!!!! I'd not put up with that mom." LOL

Not every teenage girl will have that insight, but many are more savvy than given credit for.

MoniGram said:

sorry! there are a lot of good things about the books too. they are passionate and colorful and set in an unusual world. better than anything i'd have done.

XxAxX said:

Nothinbutjoy said:

Stalker? Really? I guess I don't see it that way...but I am an odd little duck!!

MoniGram said:

i wouldn't call him a stalker, (and this comes from someone who has been stalked!). i suppose they are both just obsessed with each other. in any 'real' relationship this would not be considered a healthy relationship, but it is FICTION and therefore a form of escapism.

MoniGram said:

I see it as more obsessive, but now-a-days "STALKER!!!" And yeah, he's controlling. He's seen as the "older, wiser" being in the relationship as he's been alive for what 89 years? But he always gets to dictate what's going to happen in their relationship.

I was a "stalker" at that age. When I was crushing on a boy, I'd watch his house hoping to get a glimpse of him.

Hell, I'm a "stalker" now! My favorite scene in "My Fair Lady" is when Eliza's suitor sings about feeling best when he's "On the Street Where You Live" and Heaven knows, if I didn't have a family and a job and a life, I'd probably be a stalkeratzzi, stalking Alexander Skarsgaard and/or Prince

CarrieMpls said:

Brilliant.