Decoding our vampire obsession

Strong believes that there is a backlash against Twilight because Meyer is “allowing her vampires to walk in the sun and to be good”. It is true that in the first Twilight books Meyer is preaching abstinence. Edward actively avoids sex with his human consort Bella, making him less about sex and evil and more about following the rules. So besides the long established link between vampires and sex, what else is drawing us to vampire literature in droves?

Meyer’s vampires and Charlaine Harris’s Bill Compton do have something in common that makes them extremely attractive to readers. Both authors present men who have the manners and values of bygone eras. Old fashioned virtues like patience and chivalry abound in both Compton and Edward Cullen. Both men are fiercely protective of their female counterparts, setting the scene for many daring rescues of their human girlfriends who live in our violent and modern world.

Of course, there is always the promise of immortality which is offered by these vampire beaus. Heroines who are typically young and beautiful are given the chance to preserve their looks forever. In a world where new plastic surgery procedures are important enough to make the nightly news, this promise of eternal youth and beauty is enough to beguile most female readers.

Meyer even goes one step further than this. In her persuasive literary dream the heroine is not only destined to be beautiful forever, she isn’t forced to give up any major part of her human world. She keeps her human relationships largely intact and even manages to have a child. Even better, the author presents a world where the ravages of childbirth on her body are miraculously obliterated, the toddler years are effectively bypassed and the years of responsibility and childrearing become a mere moment in the scope of Bella’s existence. This is a very persuasive fantasy and the extraordinary sales of the books and movies speak to the fact that many women find the whole concept enticing.

With protagonists who represent sex and sexuality, who offer old fashioned manners and the gifts of beauty and immortality, the lure of vampire fiction is tremendous. You can expect that many readers won’t start clamouring for more realistic heroes or storylines in the near future.