Interview with the Vampire

Of the many “monsters” literature has created through the centuries, vampires have undergone the most dramatic transformation of them all. Vampires begun as misshaped, animal-like creatures (even in their humanoid form), and have now been elevated to a state of immortal, physical perfection. Somewhere along the years, vampires have turned from the somewhat tragic antagonists to the downright heroes of the story. This switch perhaps started in the early 80’s with Anne Rice’s debut vampire novel Interview with the Vampire.

Although far from the sparkling god among men we’ve seen in recent years, Rice’s protagonist is more of a haunted individual than an outright monster (at least, from the beginning of the story). Louis (the lead), and the numerous other vampires in the story are often described as being physically beautiful, intelligent and reserved. From the beginning, Rice created an alternative to the vampire who lurks in solitary confinement atop a castle in a corner of Europe. In contrast, Louis and his companions embrace their lives (eventually). They seek out companions, entertainment and fulfillment. This change in overall attitude has shaped the modern vampiric character.

With the embrace of their supernatural nature, Rice opens up the story to what the effects of immortality can be. She depicted vampires as being human in their convictions and in their quest for meaning, but she certainly played up the supernatural and monstrous tendencies as well. For every human feeling or twinge of emotion, there were also macabre killings and the burden of immortality weighing heavy over their heads. By mixing emotions and character traits from classic stories, Rice created a hybrid, a more dimensional character capable of carrying a story.

A prime example of this “hybrid” is the near-angelic Claudia. A child vampire, Claudia has all the intelligence of an educated adult combined with the animal instinct of the beast she has become. She is a calculated killer contained in a child’s body, doomed to wander eternity in a frozen physical form. However, until the last bit of “life” leaves her, she has an understanding of herself and lacks remorse. Claudia is the perfect example of the new vampire: educated and physically perfect, with vampiric instincts and a bad temper.

After Rice’s vampire came a large quantity of vampires who could be considered a romantic lead. Vampire lore began to bend and shift to make way for the new adjustments to the species, resulting in creatures not so much monsters as instead superbeings. The need for blood is often still an integral part of the role, but there are now loopholes created in an effort to make the readership more sympathetic. The modern vampire is now far from being a creature of darkness used as a cautionary tale.

Monster Island

“Monster Island” is a fresh take on the zombie mythos. Not only is it a novel (an unusual media choice for zombie-related tales), but it was originally published online as a series of blog posts.

Of course, one of the main appeals to fans of the zombie genre (myself included) is the all-important “twist”. You can’t have just a classic ‘dead-walking-the-earth” scenario anymore, as that slot has been filled a hundred times over since the late 60’s. In recent years, zombies have evolved past voodoo, instead having been created through viruses, failed military experiments, technology, etc. We’ve even seen them develop enough to have primitive use of tools, run faster than the average human, even jump over fences and buildings. So what does “Monster Island” bring to the ever-growing collection of undead lore?

Organized zombies. A hierarchy of zombies. Zombies left with a basic sense of self (even if it is compromised by their increased survival instincts). A whole new aspect of zombies is explored in this book, and there are so many interesting ideas which can branch from it. Would every dead person come back, even bog mummies and pharaohs? Would human survivors become inferior to what is essentially a devolved reflection of themselves? When does instinct take over and humanity fall by the wayside?

Gary, the character in the novel who finds a way to preserve his brain through the “zombification”, undergoes more than just the obvious transformation. In the beginning of the book, he is terrified of his new state, even his own kind. He is timid and frightened by other zombies, even with the knowledge they will not eat/attack their own kind. When he finds humans, he latches onto their group in order to identify himself as still having a grasp on what he was before. However, when Gary lets his new instincts take over and he is forcibly expelled from the group, his second transformation begins.

Now an outcast, Gary knows he can no longer consider himself human. To make up for this­ social ostracism, Gary chooses to embrace his new being. He throws himself into the new world, indulging his cravings and accepting his role as a leader of the new world order.

“Monster Island” is interesting because of the exploration of the pros and cons of civilization. The rules it imposes, the way it would break down, and how we would respond to its absence.

Frankenstein

Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is one of the defining titles of the Gothic Horror genre. Possessing many elements of a classic horror novel, it was one of the pioneering works that opened the gates for more iconic characters to come, and rightfully so. Shelley explores dark, brooding themes such as lost love, the insatiable thirst for power and the destruction of life.

Starting off as letters from an explorer journeying to the North Pole to his sister back home, the story takes a turn when Walton (the explorer) pick up a mysterious man they find in the vast emptiness. After a number of days, during which the stranger and the explorer develop a bond, the stranger identifies himself as Victor Frankenstein and begins to tell his tragic tale.

He was once a young student, born of high-class, loving parents in Geneva and sent abroad to study science at the age of 17. Once there, under the tutorage of his inspiring professors Victor begins to uncover what he believes to be the key to reanimating corpses. He works at his project, locked away in secrecy for weeks until one night he is successful in his creation of an eight-foot giant. He flees and is remorseful, but the ‘monster’ follows him everywhere, even when he returns home at the beckoning of his lover Elizabeth. He finds at home that his youngest brother has been murdered, and when he sees the monster around the grave, he assumes he is to blame. His guilt and thoughts of being called insane prevents him from telling anyone, and everything breaks loose from there. Through a spiraling course of events, Victor loses everyone near to him, even Elizabeth. He winds up in the North Pole, having chased the monster there to seek revenge for his lost way of life. After telling the story to Walton, Victor dies a few days later. Walton finds the monster in the room with Victor’s body, weeping.

Shelley delves deep into the nature of creation and pride in her tale, and how one can drive the other to unspeakable lengths. Through creating life, Frankenstein in turn destroys his own completely and shatters any hope for redemption. Even a new life is out of the question, as he cannot shake his hatred for what he thinks to be the cause of his misery.

Elements of Horror

Some common elements of horror:

- Set in the past (a 'romantic era')
- Old locations, such as a castle, with a history behind it
- candle light, or dimly lit locations
- Lightning/bad weather
- Skulls/dead bodies
- Sudden, loud noises
- Mysterious or disembodied sounds (like music)
- Cemeteries
- Digging up graves
- Foreign countries/ new locations unfamiliar to protagonist
- Laboratories
- An inherited scenario or reputation
- Notoriety
- Mountains, secluded areas
- Secret passages
- Secret locations (labs, rooms)
- Playing God, scientific mishaps
- Trios of characters (protagonist, girlfriend/boyfriend, comic relief)
- Black and white footage (or high contrast)
- Phantoms
- Full-moon nights