The Dawn Is Coming
So, the movie of Breaking Dawn is out this Friday, which inspires me to offer a few thoughts on the topic: Why are vampires so sexy?
They’re not.
I realize I’m in the minority here, although how much of a minority, I’m not sure. I do know that I tend to introduce the topic of Mercy to people by saying, “I have a new book out; it’s a vampire story; it’s not a romance,” (with that last part spoken very quickly). I see my listeners’ eyes glaze over but then brighten as they process the fact that my vampires do not sparkle, stalk teenage girls, or moon over their human love interests/meals. Now, I’ve got nothing against a good paranormal romance if that’s your thing, but lately it seems like everyone assumes anybody with fangs must be Mr. Darcy in disguise.
It’s Bram Stoker’s fault. Nobody thought vampires were sexy or even handsome before Dracula. All that repressed Victorian sexuality came boiling over (even more rabidly in the movies than the books, although it’s there in the book, too, right under the surface), and biting virginal young woman became a metaphor for deflowering them. All well and good, it made for a great story, but–
–BUT–
–it was fiction.
There was a time when people did not see vampires as fiction. They saw them as fact. Rare, odd, not something to be spoken of openly, but real. The vampires of folklore, the vampires that people truly believed in–vampires like Mercy Brown–were not seductive, alluring, or wickedly attractive. People did not want to have sex with them. They wanted to kill them, many times over if possible. They wanted to destroy them. They were scared to death of them.
That was the vampire tradition I wanted to get in touch with when I was writing Mercy.
I respect Bram Stoker, I like Dracula, but I think it’s time to shake off his deathgrip (as it were) on the vampire theme. Vampires, after all, are about death much more than they are about sex. The central vampire question isn’t “Are you dying to have sex with me?” It’s “How scared are you of dying? What would you do to live forever?”
Read MoreMercy Is Famous!
If you’re in Trumbull, CT, on Tuesday, Nov. 15th, drop by the Trumbull Library to hear a discussion of the New England vampire tradition in general and Mercy Brown in particular. The Smoking Gun Research Agency will be giving a presentation on the homegrown vampires of the Northeast.
The Smoking Gun Folks are researchers into the paranormal, the spooky, and the strange. Should be a chilling evening! I have to give them credit for what sounds like an informed look at the New England vampire tradition. You can believe or not believe in the actual undead–me, I’m entirely on the skeptical side. But the history of the belief, and the questions of why our ancestors believed the things they did, are always fascinating to hear about–which is, of course, why Mercy came to be.
Look here for a bit more information on the event.
Read MoreForeword Review
Foreword, an online review service, lavishes praise on Mercy.
“Thomson creates a spectacularly creepy and suspenseful mood for the book. With so many vampire/paranormal books available, comparison to everything from Twilight to Goosebumps could be made, but Thomson avoids becoming hackneyed or trite by simply being authentic in her paranormal elements and her characters. The accomplished, award-winning Thomson has another title that will strongly entice readers.”
Read MoreBangor Daily News and Mercy
The Bangor Daily News has written a sparkling review of Mercy, with a spooky photo from our launch event at the Eastern Cemetery!
“Thomson’s bone-chilling tale is just that — a refreshingly spooky mystery, complete with a gloomy graveyard and haunted house, free of undead romance and teen superpowers.”
“The whole theme of the vampire legend is essentially the fear of death, the fear or dying,” said Thomson. “The question is: What would you do to live forever? How many things would you sacrifice? Would you sacrifice the people you love best?”
Read MoreSarah L. Thomson
A children’s book author publishing award-winning nonfiction, poetry, picture books and novels including…
“Readers will treasure the blossoming friendship between opposites in this whimsically illustrated tale. Short chapters and plenty of action make for an accessible and appealing reading experience. . . . Touching and inspiring.”
—Kirkus Reviews