Everyone and their sparkly niece seem to be in love with the Twilight series. It's a series of books about teen love and yes, it has vampires in it, somewhere. I say somewhere since these fanged folk do not actually adhere to the commonly held beliefs about these blood-suckers. Some die-hard vampire fans are understandably disturbed by such deviations as is evident from this amusing critique. Don't get me wrong, I myself am not going to embark on a lenghty criticism of the much-loved series. As is the case of any book, the plot, character development and narrative style speak for themselves and need no external defense. My point is that there were numerous, well-written novels about vampires prior to the outbreak of the sparkling ones. From this list, I will mention three of my favorites:

1. When taunting wasn't limited to just flashes of glitter

Most of us know this as “That movie with Will Smith and a dead dog”. It was actually a great movie which, in turn, was inspired by a classic horror novel penned by Richard Matheson.

All hardcore zombie/vampire fans will remember this novel from the 1950s. This was the father of all stories that embrace the “Undead will take over the world” plot line. There might have been other stories in this regard but none had as big an influence as did this creepy story by Matheson.

2. When being a henchmen meant something

If you are seeking a modern version of a vampire world domination, this is the one for you. It had all the elements of an action-packed novel, that is, a power-crazy vampire king and blood thirsty horde of minions eager to take over a city. In other words, this dates back to a time when joining forces with a fang-baring, mind-controlling vampire upped your street credentials amongst all other would-be evil doers.

They Thirst was written by Robert R. McCammon and dates back to the 1980s. In true McCammon style, readers will come across imperfect characters performing heroic acts. He fleshes out each character with quirky traits and conflicted emotions which makes them all the more human. Then he pits them against a vampire lord who is evil-personified. Mayhem ensues.

3. When acne meets fangs meant hours of fun

For the record, there were quite a few interesting young adult stories about vampires. Case in point would be The Vampire Diaries by L. J. Smith. If your must-have elements include a) high school romances, b) love triangles, and c) powerful vampires running amok (think Sunnydale), then be sure to add this to your wishlist.

All in all, this story is not a bad recommendation for younger readers. It might have been a concerted effort to avoid being a cliché but the author certainly takes pains to add a darker tone to the overall series. I admit, it's not for everyone especially if you can't stand the melodrama and worries that underlies teen angst. The character development is interesting; all the important character have more depth than is typical for a romance novel. At first glance, the plot line of the series seems rather predictable in a “Girl loves two vampires but must overcome all to save world” sort of way. In the end, it is Smith's narrative style that makes the series a thrilling read.

So, what are your favorite vampire novels?