The Ravenous Bibliophage: The Southern Vampire Series - Charlaine Harris
HBO's new series True Blood is up and running: a campy, raunchy, unexpectedly hilarious look at vampires in rural Louisiana. I'm not an HBO series watcher in general, but when I found out this particular show was based on the Southern Vampire novels by Charlaine Harris, I became curious. So in preparation, I decided to have a look at the written series first, the better to point out flaws such as bad casting and altered storylines (one of my snobbier traits, born out of Book versus Adaptation elitism) when the show actually went to air. My conclusion: the show is indeed lacking. But the books are wonderfully addictive in all the best ways.
Alternately referred to as the Sookie Stackhouse novels, Harris's homey, supernatural world centers on a young cocktail waitress with the aggravating ability to read minds (sounds like fun until she has listen in on the horny drunks she serves every night) and her relationship with vampire Bill Compton, one of many vampires worldwide who are trying to 'mainstream' - to coexist peacefully with the humans. The Japanese have perfected a formula for synthetic blood, originally intended to be used for hospitals, but a worldwide side effect of this breakthrough is that vampires have 'come out of the coffin' so to speak and, since they no longer need humans to feed, want to rub shoulders with the regular folks and have a shot at being proper citizens.
One of the things I find bothersome about vampire fiction is the tendency to portray vamps as beautiful and physically perfect in every way. Anne Rice is guilty of this too, as much fun as she is otherwise. In Harris's world, there are a few vampires who follow the classic 'tall, dark and handsome' motif, but most of them are refreshingly unique. One is a Texas cowboy, complete with the ten-gallon hat and string necktie; another is a Civil War veteran with a pronounced Deep South accent and old-fashioned mannerisms to match; there's even a self-declared geek sporting pinstripes, thick-rimmed glasses and oxford shirts.
I can't tell you how refreshing it is to see the vampire myth brought out of the realm of Victorian Gothic romanticism and into the realm of homespun realism. Although it might not be enough to attract readers who aren't into vampire lore to begin with, it is a fabulously entertaining take on what might actually happen in the real world if vampires existed, and how the general populace would react to their presence. In addition to being a supernatural adventure with tons of humor and romance mixed in, Harris's books are a commentary on racism, homophobia, gender roles, and other civil rights issues that we do actually deal with on a daily basis. Vampires are just another group perceived as something other than 'normal,' comprised of beings who have good and bad qualities just like everyone else.
