I wouldn't say I'm necessarily a fan of vampire fiction, but I am a fan of many things that lie within the vampire genre. In this weeks class, we discussed the different classic elements of vampirism and the rules that are generally accepted in vampire fiction. As a big Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan (TV series only, I haven't had the chance to read the comics yet), I'm most familiar with the "Buffy Rules":
- Vampires are immortal unless killed by the following: Stake through the heart, Fire, Decapitation, Direct Sunlight
- Vampires do not have souls, they are demons that have taken over the souls/memories of the host body
- Their faces can turn bumpy
- Turning someone into a vampire requires the one being turned to drink the blood of the host vampire
- And many more rules
It was interesting to realize these "established rules" that I had etched in my mind were actually pretty different from the rules that are traditionally associated with vampires...such as turning into bats, or using their lustful gazes to entrance unsuspecting women. I started thinking about the way Buffy kick-started the post-modern take on vampires to add a romantic element. There are vampires, but they have souls and love the one person meant to kill vampires! (Spike and Angel) And with that, the lion fell in love with the lamb and the Twilight series became a hit (not a fan, if you couldn't tell.)
With all of those elements in mind, I chose read I am Legend by Richard Matheson, comparing the elements of vampirism and storytelling to the perceptions of vampires. I had seen the movie "I am Legend" starring Will Smith--although I will admit I was too scared and left the theater because there was a lot of loud startling noises, and I'm just really not a fan of "scary" movies. I liked the scientific take on the vampire notion in comparison to traditional vampire stories that incorporate more supernatural elements. In this story, the idea of an epidemic with a cure fuels the plot, which reminds me more of a "zombie" horror story.
When we look at the "vampire" or monster in vampire fiction, we normally see them as the main antagonist to the very capable protagonist. Often the protagonist's journey is an involuntary one, but a duty nonetheless. Robert Neville had to deal with the pain and loss of his wife and daughter to this disease, losing the life he loved to fight vampires and survive in a new world. And in every generation, a Slayer is born...sometimes that slayer is a cheerleader who has to give up her life she loves to fight vampires and keep the world the same...
But Buffy Summers legacy as the Slayer is very different from Robert Neville's journey into becoming a "Legend". Whereas vampires are normally seen as a very black/white interpretation of good and evil, we realize Neville's story actually puts him on the evil side of a new society. Overall, I found I am Legend a novel take on an idea that's rehashed time and time again, and that's really what I like about vampire fiction.
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