With the swelling popularity of television shows such as True Blood and Being Human, and the literary mega franchise Twilight, it was only a matter of time before the vampire fetish crawled from the back ally club scene into mainstream society. The bloodsuckers of old horror films have shed their soulless past and emerged with a hot sexy vibe that has everyone begging to be bitten.

From clothing to views on sexuality,  Vampires have assimilated into almost every facet of our day-to-day lives, as such, their shock value is virtually lost. Many argue this acceptance of vampires is due in large part to our better understanding of the biological process of death and our own morality. Rubbish, its Brad Pitts’s fault. Plastering his shirtless body on any product is equivalent to writing a blank check on the soul of humanity.

“Mommy, miming farm animals can’t be an abomination. Shirtless Brad Pitt said so. See?”

There was a time when average people frowned upon anyone taking part in subculture antics and we labeled them basement dwellers. But with the immense success of role-playing games such as Vampire: The Masquerade, an average Joe can slay a virgin in the woods and pop back in his Ford Focus without the neighbors batting an eye.

A large percentage of the Vampires swelling fame can be attributed contemporary writers. They’re doing today what Anne Rice did for vampires in the 70’s. Vampires have always been dark and alluring, but modern artists have repackaged, revamped (no pun intended), and sexed up the vampire image something fierce!! Really, the fangy crowd should bow and kiss our shiny boots—were it not for writers and filmmakers, they’d be laid out with Aunt Bee’s table leg protruding from their chest. I mean it vampires, bow down!
 



In my humble opinion, the vampire fetish differs very little from other fetish. As long as the participants adhere to the ground rules, it’s all good. It goes without saying that some people use the vampire fetish as a liberating conduit. You can’t be blamed for having a screaming orgasm or stepping outside of convention if you were under the control of a swarthy vein-drainer. Two points here: First, regardless of what thumpers tell you, orgasms are our divine human right. Second, see paragraph number three. No one cares!

Whether we understand it or not, the vampire fetish and the vampire allure are here to stay. Below you’ll find my recommended vampire documentaries (click name to view) and vamp based books. Enjoy!



Documentaries:
 
Smithsonian Channel
The Vampire Princess

BBC
A History of the Vampire 

History Channel
Decoding the Past: Vampire Secrets



Books:

The Bitten by L.A. Banks

Thirteenth Vampire by L.A. Banks 

Red's Robin: Vampire Memoirs by Nicola Ormerod