Charlaine Harris "Southern Vampire" series. And "True Blood" which is not bad

[alexandral]

Charlaine Harris' "Southern Vampire" series consists of 8 books so far, starting with "Dead Until Dark". If you like your books well-written, please give this one a miss. I thought the herouine could have been Mary Sue to the extreme, but to be fair at least the books had a slightly contrived explanation for why every person of every gender falls in love with her (she is a supernatural being herself). The thing I liked the least was the very poor quality of writing. The worst book of the series for me was "Dead as a Doornail" because I had to read it in atrocious translation onto Russian which made even Harris' dialogue look supper-intelligent.
However I galloped through the books in two long nights because I loved the character of Eric who is their redeeming feature (and such a good one too!). ERIC ERIC ERIC ERIC ERIC ERIC ERIC. Sometimes I fall in love with a character in a book which I don't even like and this can change my perception of the book in some instances...

The vampire genre seems to bring the worst out of the writers. I am a huge fan of it but there are only few books about vampires (or containing vampires) that I thought were good (in no order, I feel there must be more but I can't rememebr any):

1. Dresden Files Series. This is not about vampires only, but about all things supernatural and the main hero is a wizard residing in Chicago. I would recommend these books for the many characteristics of good serial fiction : strong world building, humour, numerous characters you will care for (including vampires). Jim Butcher has a way with words and writes great fun: wars between wizards and vampires, fairy queens , fallen angels, demons, named swords... everything.

2. Vampire Knight. This is series of Japanese manga (graphic novels) and anime. Very much young-adult oriented series but your inner teen may like it too. The main herouine Yuuki is lovely. For one thing, I understand why the two main guys are in love with her: she is brave, loyal and ready to do anything for her friends. The series is a well-done gothic take on teenage sexuality.

3.Aleksey Tolstoy, "Upir". Upir is the old Slavonic word for a vampire. This is series of short stories which was the beginning of my interest to vampires. It is a great one for the lovers of folklore and extremely scary.



True Blood : The pilot episode of this HBO series based on Charlaine Harris "Southern Vampire" series could be found in some places. Somehow, though the events seem to be the same as in "Dead Until Dark", the TV episode gave me a totally different feel. I liked the pilot of "True Blood" (considering this is the worst title of all times) and I thought it was more of "my thing" than the books.

But it seems that quite a big part of the dialogue has been changed (for the best!) and Anne Paguin plays a much deeper character than Sookie-of-the-book is. I am looking forward to the continuation of the series in September.

But - OH HORROR! I looked and looked in the character lists but I could not find Eric. Why???? He is not there? He is not among mains characters in the first book but he is quite essential even there! ** rants **

Comments

[bambinainnero.livejournal.com]

Vampire Knight is great indeed. I just finished the anime and I'm halfway through the manga, and I loved it!
Talking about the heroine.. her voice in the anime is SO ANNOYING, ugh ._.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am so glad there is another "Vampire Knight" van in my friends list!!

Talking about the heroine.. her voice in the anime is SO ANNOYING, ugh ._.

I didn't notice. But it is compensated by Zero's voice. Very low and gives me goose-bumps. (Tell me please that you like Zero :D)

[bambinainnero.livejournal.com]

Oh yesss I like Zero very much xD <3 and I've got a friend with a pretty insane obsession with him lol.
and yes, his voice was perfect *___*

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

** sigh of relief **

You may count me in the "insane" category. How far are you in the manga? His character gathers depth as it goes (and others too). The vampire and the hunters hierarchy and lore becomes very complex and interesting!

[bambinainnero.livejournal.com]

In the manga I got to the point where Kaname killed the pureblood woman that had killed Zero's parents(I suck with names -.-), and the anime ends more or less there (I hadn't read about Zero biting Kaname yet).
About the characters depth, I think it's the same for Kaname; though I didn't like him much in the manga nor in the anime, I think the manga character was done a lot better (more depthful, stronger personality, etc). Dunno, in the anime he seemed pretty much dull most of the time :/

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

and the anime ends more or less there (I hadn't read about Zero biting Kaname yet).

They changed this bit in anime (may be they wanted to end a season on an interesting note?). In the manga Zero drinks Kaname's blood much later and under different circumstances.

About the characters depth, I think it's the same for Kaname; though I didn't like him much in the manga nor in the anime, I think the manga character was done a lot better (more depthful, stronger personality, etc). Dunno, in the anime he seemed pretty much dull most of the time :/

I like him even less in manga because of the some things that become revealed later. But as you, I learned to at least like him at the end as he is exceptionally devoted to Yukki.

[elec3nity.livejournal.com]

Your top of the books looks a lil' bit strange to me, because I'm a great fan of the classical vampire novels of Bram Stoker, Ann Rice and Baron Olshevri (I don't know whether the last one had been translated into English). ^_^

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I am taking some recs. :D

I liked Bram Stoker, but in "this is classic" way, I found it on a boring side for this age and time.

Re: Anne Rice: I picked a couple of her novels in the library and was not impressed at all. But which one would you recommend to try? I might try it again , may be they are good?

I haven't heard of Baron Olshevri yet, I 'll try to find it. Any good?

[elec3nity.livejournal.com]

But which one would you recommend to try? I might try it again , may be they are good?

The first 3 novels ("Interview with the Vampire", "The Vampire Lestat" and "Queen of the Damned") are my favourites (imho :). I've read them in Russian and I think it's not bad it all.

I haven't heard of Baron Olshevri yet, I 'll try to find it. Any good?

Well... It's a kind of Slavonic (and much better) version of Bram Stoker's story about Dracula and all that jazz. )) If you wish, you may download it here:
http://old.gothic.ru/literature/classic/prose/olshevri/vampires.zip

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Well... It's a kind of Slavonic (and much better) version of Bram Stoker's story about Dracula and all that jazz. )) If you wish, you may download it here:
http://old.gothic.ru/literature/classic/prose/olshevri/vampires.zip

Oh, thank you so so much for this! I very much enjoy Slavonic takes on the vampire myth. I don't know why but it all seems somehow .. different. I remember the film I liked back in Russia (may be I am the only person who still remembers this film? It was called "Upir" and I think it had Alexei Serebryakov in it.

[xiaobellsa.livejournal.com]

I'm on the Eric band-wagon too, I don't get Bill- he's so boring.
Glad to hear the pilot of True Blood was good! I was afraid they were going to trash it:) I think I read somewhere Eric isn't going to be in it for a while :(

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I'm on the Eric band-wagon too, I don't get Bill- he's so boring.

I have found the book-Bill to be always too possessive. "MY WOMAN" , he kept saying, as if she is a thing. No, Eric has his issues but for some reason he always came across different.

Glad to hear the pilot of True Blood was good! I was afraid they were going to trash it:) I think I read somewhere Eric isn't going to be in it for a while :(

The pilot is good. Yep, Eric is not there until the ep.4, but I just found how he looks like. OMPH!!!!!!!! So great!

[mnemo-syne.livejournal.com]

Boy, Kaname looks so not amused in your icon! Hee.

Have you read "Sunshine" by Robin McKinley? Absolutely fab vampire book, I love it. Too bad it's not a series.

I don't have HBO but I want to see True Blood.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Have you read "Sunshine" by Robin McKinley? Absolutely fab vampire book, I love it. Too bad it's not a series.

No! But now you mentioned it I remember someone else talking about this book. Thank you for the rec - I'll sure find it!

[the-grynne.livejournal.com]

What gets me about most of those supernatural-romance series is how it starts to become too crowded with supernatural beings (like an author is going through a list in her head: were-whatevers? check. fairies? check) and those different races start getting used in short-hand ways to represent different segments of society/cultures, playing up their stereotypes rather than individuating them as persons. To me, that just feels lazy.

Eric, you'll be glad to know, is definitely going to be in True Blood. Alexander Skarsgard (son of Stellan) is playing him, and I think the role is a recurring regular. He's easily my favourite character in the series, as well.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

What gets me about most of those supernatural-romance series is how it starts to become too crowded with supernatural beings (like an author is going through a list in her head: were-whatevers? check. fairies? check) and those different races start getting used in short-hand ways to represent different segments of society/cultures, playing up their stereotypes rather than individuating them as persons. To me, that just feels lazy.

Stereotypes abound, I agree. I don't mind different races of supernatural used when it makes sense. Like in "Dresden files" (which is not romantic series as such, though it has some romance) where the main premise is to show the big world of supernatural completely unnoticed by humans. This is not a new premise, but I don't mind.

But in "Southern Vampires" series by the time fairies appeared the place was already too crowded with the different species.

I also don't particular like the way C.Harris insists on jamming the parallel between vampire/human relationship and relationships between different human races down our throats. It just doesn't seem to be right somehow. In my personal opinion the ugliest and unfairest and most difficult to irradicate side of racism is when someone is trying to prove that people from different races are different.
But vampires in "Southern Vampires" are different from humans and there is no doubt about this, so the parallel is not logically fair at all. Hmm, I hope I expressed it all correctly. :D

Eric, you'll be glad to know, is definitely going to be in True Blood. Alexander Skarsgard (son of Stellan) is playing him, and I think the role is a recurring regular. He's easily my favourite character in the series, as well.

Fabulous! I just found out how Alexander Skarsgard looks like. I ABSOLUTELY APPROVE.

[the-grynne.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Not to mention the "pure-blood" fixation of the weres.

Like the Harry Potter books, I have a feeling that the way these various authors deal with their myriad supernatural species is going to be a very interesting subject for cultural historians in the near future.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I think I am the only person on the whole planet who hasn't read Harry Porter books. I tried a couple of times (my colleague at work lent some to me) but it didn't click with me.

But truly enough, in the past the supernatural books tended to be about one thing at the time: vampires or were-things or fairies , not all at once.

[the-grynne.livejournal.com]

Oh no! Sookie has gotten used to the vampires, better introduce some other strange thing for her to whinge about!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

It certainly seemed this way. I don't remember correctly but it seemed that the latest books were entirely populated by supernatural folks. Where have all the humans go?

And I am very much holding Sookie's coldness towards Eric against her! :D

[arathisiewen.livejournal.com]

*pouts*

I so want to see True Blood.... but taking a chance on another vamp show right now is disheartening...

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I so want to see True Blood.... but taking a chance on another vamp show right now is disheartening...

I think you could like this one - you liked "Blood ties", right?

[arathisiewen.livejournal.com]

See, this is the problem - I DID like it. I also like "Moonlight" and CBS killed it. Stake straight to the heart and left in the sun for morning. So right now, as much I want to love it and get attached... it's hard.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I share your pain! Especially about "Moonlight". But I have good hopes for HBO - they seem to be more kind to their shows!

[arathisiewen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and I can always get from iTunes - and I know, they don't jsut have tons of shows, they have quality!!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Oh, definitely! Many of my absolute favourites: "The Wire", "Rome", "Dexter", "Deadwood" are HBO shows. They don't usually have so many episodes which is a plus with me.

[arathisiewen.livejournal.com]

Hehe! Cable shows supposedly have shorter seasons, so that's good.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Yes, sometimes too much is not too good.

[arathisiewen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but with things like... let's say Supernatural, they do really well at not having it drag on and on and on.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Supernatural is more of a "procedural" show and I mostly watch it for the good looks of the brothers. So, yes. :D

[arathisiewen.livejournal.com]

Well yes, but I like how there's always a back storyline. We got you jipped this past season, they packed far too many teasers into the end of season 2, even if they had a full season I think things would have fallen to the side.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Yes, I like this too. There are enough interesting single episodes, but the main arch is good too!

[arathisiewen.livejournal.com]

What I like is even when an episode DOESN'T work (some people didn't like "Ghostfacers!" after the strike), it still usually has something that furthers the main arch, even ever so slightly.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

"Ghostbusters" was my least favourite episode!

[arathisiewen.livejournal.com]

See, I enjoy the guy who was... I think ti was Ed... he's adorable!!!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I am mainly in "Supernatural" for brother's sake and the episode didn't have much of them AT ALL.

[arathisiewen.livejournal.com]

No, but for me it was a good one - even with less boy focus.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Yep, it is different for everyone.

[arathisiewen.livejournal.com]

*nod*

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

Once again I'm sad that Upir seems to be unavailable in English.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

It is such a pity! The writing on your icon is funny! I am not sure if you read "Southern Vampires" but the first thing I thought about the series was that it is "Twilight" all over again, only WORSE. And containing some "adult material". :D

[endlessdeep.livejournal.com]

Eric shows up in the 4th episode of True Blood. Played by Alexander Skarsgard. He's my favorite character in the books as well.

I suppose they picked True Blood for the name of the series because it's the name of the synthetic blood the vampires drink in the book series. Not very inventive, but recognizable I suppose.

I have to agree that the dialog in the TV series is much better than in the books. Although I found Sookie to be a little too perky in the first episode. I am really looking forward to the show. :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Eric shows up in the 4th episode of True Blood. Played by Alexander Skarsgard. He's my favorite character in the books as well.

I completely forgot the post you did with his picture! Funny enough, this realisation came to me in a dream , even before I read your comment. I ENTIRELY APPROVE of the choice!

I have to agree that the dialog in the TV series is much better than in the books. Although I found Sookie to be a little too perky in the first episode. I am really looking forward to the show. :)

She is a bit on a high-strung side. But I liked it, it was a part of her "Crazy Sookie" personality. I can't grasp Sookie-in-the-books at all. In the first two books she is this absolutely spineless young lady, after that she seems to devlop some spine. That is all?

Update:
Re: Fangs. I didn't think they were too bad. Also, wasn't it not the real pilot but some not-quite-done version? Because my version didn't have proper titles? I hope they straighten all issues for September!

[endlessdeep.livejournal.com]

Sookie definitely gets tougher as the books go along. I think she's very afraid of some of the vampires at first, till she realizes they want to keep her alive. Plus after all the stuff she goes through, I guess she has to grow a spine.

I like Sookie in the books just fine. I do think she is a bit MarySue-ish though. Her constant references to neatness kind of get on my nerves. As if people who are obsessively neat(OCD) and clean are better than other people. lol.

Eric and Pam are my favorite characters in the books. I get kind of bored with the other characters.

Let's face it, the Sookie Stackhouse books are fluff and fun. I'm really surprised that Alan Ball decided to turn them into a TV show. But hey, I'm all for it. :)

Re: Fangs. I didn't think they were too bad. Also, wasn't it not the real pilot but some not-quite-done version? Because my version didn't have proper titles? I hope they straighten all issues for September!

I hope so too. The fangs are very hokey. Hopefully they will clean up the special effects before they air the first episode. I can live with the fangs where they are, but if they continue to flip out like a snake, I will be very disappointed. I saw the stripped down version as well, with some of the scenes missing.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I like Sookie in the books just fine. I do think she is a bit MarySue-ish though. Her constant references to neatness kind of get on my nerves. As if people who are obsessively neat(OCD) and clean are better than other people. lol.

** nods ** The most annoying thing for me (especially because I read the books in one gulp) was that the author kept repeating herself WORD FOR WORD, again and again. For example, what a good kisser Eric is. I understand that in serial fiction the author need to repeat some of the pre-sotry in each book. BUT MY! Why do you have to use exactly the same phrase?

Eric and Pam are my favorite characters in the books. I get kind of bored with the other characters.

YaY! Mine too!

[endlessdeep.livejournal.com]

** nods ** The most annoying thing for me (especially because I read the books in one gulp) was that the author kept repeating herself WORD FOR WORD, again and again. For example, what a good kisser Eric is. I understand that in serial fiction the author need to repeat some of the pre-sotry in each book. BUT MY! Why do you have to use exatly the same phrase?

Yes, I noticed this too. Her editor needs to say something to her about that. lol.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

So true!

[aprisea.livejournal.com]

I really like Vampire Knight manga^^ I haven't seen anime yet.Next month I will watch it (holidays!).

I can't wait to watch True Blood in september.I like the pilot it's different from books, but I don't really like Anna Paquin as Sookie ._. It's weird XD
I want to see Eric *__*

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I really like Vampire Knight manga^^ I haven't seen anime yet.Next month I will watch it (holidays!).

The anime is most-excellent. It kept the manga's gothic feel. The characters are beautifully fleshed out in colour and the voices are AMAZING (especially Zero and other guys)

Here is what the actor playing Eric looks like: http://alexandral.livejournal.com/203817.html#cutid1

OMPH!!!!!!!