Unicorns Are in the World Again: Vampires Never Die

The vampire subgenre isn't going anywhere anytime soon as far as I can tell. Eventually, like all fad genres, I think it will slow down, just like Viking romances and Medieval romances have slowed down for now. But I do think that the genre is well-liked enough that it won't completely disappear.

Right now, however, we are definitely at the pinnacle of the success of the theme. It seems like a new author starts a new vampire series every month, and there are multiple vampire series running into four, six, and even more than ten books. And they're all still in print.

Here are some of the upcoming vampire books that have caught my eye:

High Stakes by Erin McCarthy

Berkley, 1 August 2006

I think this is McCarthy's first paranormal novel. Didn't she win one of Lori Foster's publishing contests?

Overall, I like this cover. The bright colors will draw attention to it among its friends, and green is an uncommon color for a romance/chick lit book so it will stand out. The bats and the title pun make it pretty apparent that this is a humorous vampire book. The only thing I don't like it the cyclops girl. I know they're going for the trendy-hairstyle look, but it turns out looking weird.

The Hunter's Prey by Diane Whiteside

Berkley, 7 February 2006

Diane Whiteside started out as an ebook author of paranormal romance/fiction, but her traditionally-published romances to date have all been realistic romances (I'm pretty sure). This is her first collection of vampire stories. I don't realy like this cover -- I'd feel like I was reading porn if I read this in public, and for the cover alone, I'd be surprised if the public library I work at bought it, but I would like to read it because I enjoyed one of Whiteside's ebooks I read a couple years ago.

The Vampire's Seduction by Raven Hart

Ballantine, 28 March 2006

This one isn't romance, it's listed as horror on the Random House website. The info I've been able to find on it is that it's about a vampire named William who finds out that his sire is coming after him to kill him and everything he loves. You can read short comments about the book at Romance Reader at Heart.

Tall, Dark & Dead by Tate Hallaway

Berkley, 2 May 2006

Okay, here's another one from Berkley (they've got a thing for vampires I guess) and another one that is not a romance. It sounds similar to Charlaine Harris' books, including that fact that the guy that the heroine (a witch) meets just happens to be a vampire. Interestingly, all of the blurbs at the author's website are from romance authors.

30 Days of Night: Rumors of the Undead by Steve Niles and Jeff Mariotte

Pocket, 28 February 2006

Also not a romance, I'm really looking forward to this one. It's an original novel set in the world of the 30 Days of Night comics. The fact that Steve Niles, the writer of the comics, is listed on the book cover makes me hopeful that the book will be true to the comics, which were excellent, but I will miss the fascinating art of the comics.