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The Vampire Chronicles <span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span> The Vampire Chronicles is a series of novels written by Anne Rice. The main character of the series is Lestat de Lioncourt a precocious and charismatic French nobleman who became a vampire in the 18th century. Created by a vampire who leaves him few clues as to what he is and how they came to be, Lestat embarks on a search to discover the complete nature of what he has become. While the first five novels in the series featured Lestat as a main character, later plots were devoted to secondary characters that appeared in the first half of the series as well as new characters some of whom appeared in Rice's witch series, The Mayfair Witches. The Vampire Chronicles created a complex world and a history, documenting the origin of vampires into the current age. It sparked a new interest in vampires and, although it continues their evolution into romantic and erotic characters -- as opposed to the evil demons they had oft been presented in other incarnations -- Bram Stoker's Dracula was the first novel to popularize this view. Rice's characters try to balance the humanity they still retain with the predatory nature of what they've become. This difficult balance was particularly notable in the case of Louis de Pointe du Lac, a French nobleman living in Louisiana who is made a vampire by Lestat. Louis' struggle is documented in the first novel in the series, Interview with the Vampire Rice's vampires differ from the traditional in other ways as well. They do not fear and are not harmed by crosses or other religious symbols. They suffer no ill effects from garlic, nor do they die as a result of a stake through the heart. Like traditional vampires however, they are creatures of the night who drink human blood, though their need decreases with age. They can be killed by fire and sunlight, though the ability to survive these deadly events, as with all abilities they possess, also increases with age. Their other gifts include the ability to move quickly, leap great distances and read minds. All their senses are significantly stronger than a human’s. Very old vampires, typically those older than a thousand years, have telekinetic abilities, are able to fly long distances, and are able to set things on fire with the power of their mind. These powers, and knowledge, can be transferred from one vampire to another by sharing blood. The world of the Vampire Chronicles is also connected to the world of The Mayfair Witches. In the first few books of the series the connection is minimal, namely through the shared characters connected to the order of The Talamasca, a secret society that documents the paranormal. Towards the end of the series the two worlds join, merging two of Rice's most popular series. Many fans believe the last few books of the series lost much of what made the first few novels great. As Anne Rice has moved on to new stories and genres, the current consensus is that the chronicles are complete. As a testament to the success of the Vampire Chronicles, two movies were made based on the books Interview with the Vampire and Queen of the Damned.
The Chronicles
The New Tales of The Vampires
External Links
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