#new tales of the vampires

[monstersinthecosmos]

Some Marius/Pandora content from the Pandora draft at Tulane:

He set me down in the middle of this library, amid its couches and racks of scrolls. He stared at me. Beautiful Marius. I realized he was looking right at my nipples, at how pink they were, and then shamelessly he let his eyes wander over my entire form. I didn't realize yet that all wrinkles of age had been smoothed away. I knew only that I intoxicated with my new vision and that he desired me so much his heart was quivering in him. I reached over and pulled at his tunic. I pulled at the buckle he wore on his shoulder. "What are you doing." "I want to see you as well," I said. "I want to see this marvelous Osirian phallus, that is now no more than an ornament." He rebuckled his tunic. "Why do you cause me pain like this? Why?" "Because you treat me badly," I said. He stepped forward and clasped my face. He meant to kiss me. I wouldn't have it. "Look, master magician. Conjure up a tunic for me. It's not my habit to launch into religious debates while stark naked." He was poisoned by my words. It broke my heart to see how I had hurt him. I did not want to see the blood film rise in his eyes. But I knew his pain as if it had tentacles and they could surround me and draw me deeper and deeper to the core.

I fucking can't get over the concept of Marius as a fledgling trying to make sense of desire and thirst and sexuality. Pandora is so much more open about wanting to poke at it and figure it out and yet he's so burdened and traumatized already, so unable to be vulnerable. I wish we got more canon about this time phase of vampirism from other characters aside from David in the beginning of Merrick, it's really so underexplored!

[cuntyvampires]

Pandora, recalling her father’s admonitions about a twenty five year old Marius after he asked for her hand when she was ten.  - Pandora

[dark-but-just-a-game]

ANNE RICE // VITTORIO THE VAMPIRE // 1999

[bornitereads]

Vittorio the Vampire - Anne Rice

New Tales of the Vampires

Reread: Oct 2022

This was a really fun read. I like that Rice wanted to write a vampire story that wasn't really connected to her other ones. It's a big world so of course there must be vampires who aren't connected or related (directly I mean, every vampire in this universe is related to the Queen of the Damned obviously) to the Coven of the Articulate (Lestat and Co.). Although I do wonder how they survived the events of the book The Queen of the Damned, but, again it is a big world Akasha couldn't have had time to get every vampire right? Although it certainly seemed so reading it. Anyways I've veered right into in depth lore discussions haha.

This book is a big of a Renaissance adventure story. Italian noble on a quest of sorts, confronted by the forces of "evil" and "good". Evil here being a huge coven of vampires. My god there are so many I was shocked. And Good being literal angels, like from the Bible. That aspect I had a hard time with. I have a hard time with all the times Rice wrote in parts of her faith to be part of her world. I was raised Catholic so I think it's my "ew yuck" reaction to Christianity that fuels my feelings about it. So I had a bit of struggle remaining suspended in the story when the literal guardian angels showed up. But still, they added to the story and I just have personal problems with it. Vittorio, the main character, is seeking revenge and enlists angelic help to get it. Which is quite interesting truly. It makes me wonder if the angels know about how vampires were created. Raises a whole bunch of questions honestly haha. But I love picking at world building details.

The story here is fun and enjoyable. There's slaughter and revenge and love and so much discussion of art and literal angels, including the angel who did for Sodom and Gomora. And despite the whole thing that vampires don't do sex human style, the vampire woman totally fucks Vittorio. Tfw a 200 year old cougar pounces on your dick in your hotel room.

Info: Ballantine Books, 1999.

[lightoflioncourt]

“Dress code is casual”

Literally Armand at any given chance:

He got that sh!t on tho!!

[singwith-love-at-our-throats]

first attempt at book binding is a success!!

Got the Jumpverse by OffYourBird all bound!! I stuck part 2 and 4 at the end of each book, since both those parts are too short to bind on their own.

They turned out so beautiful!!

[xivymoonartx]

first draft of a new oc 🎃

[monstersinthecosmos]

In the Pandora draft she’s not sure she wants to tell David her story until she realizes it’ll piss Marius off 🥹

[cuntyvampires]

Flavius repeatedly trying to reason with Pandora and failing. - Pandora

[doriandistortion]

About me

  ‿̩͙‿ ༺ ♰ ༻ ‿̩͙‿

╔ ╗

My poetry: 🖤

My photography: 🩶

Rambling n stuff 🤍

╚ ╝

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Dorian || INTP || Ambidextrous || I don’t rlly like labels but I’m def ace || This is mainly my poetry account || I play the piano, bass, guitar, and I sing on occasion

˗ˏˋ Shitty people safe space ˊˎ˗

I’m chill with anyone interacting + I’m not mean I promise! I just look that way lol

DMs are always open

Dog bless

Fandoms I dabble most in:

Tales from the gas station, creepypasta, The Vampire Chronicles, villains duology by V.E. Schwab

Things I’m into:

Old web graphics, Vampires, Pretty knives, Explore With Us yt channel vids, Psychology, Sad gray aesthetics, 90s emo, 90s anything, atwwd + wine and crime, The Magnus Archives, Tales from the gas station, creepypasta, audiobooks, analog horror

Fave movies:

The Talented Mr. Ripley, Interview With The Vampire, Parasite, Withnail & I, Rope, Nope (lmao), scream

Fave bands:

Slint, Sunny Day Real Estate, Million Dead, 12 RODS, Knocked Loose, Nirvana, Dismemberment Plan, Reuben, My Chemical Romance, Far, Mineral, Joy Division, Leonard Cohen, The Decemberists, Scarling, Dresden Dolls, Manic Street Preachers, HIM, Bright Eyes, Acid Bath, Panuccis Pizza, KMFDM, Silverchair, Cursive, The Dear Hunter, Set to Stun, Modest Mouse, Nine Inch Nails, Dumb As Rocks, El Creepo, Jack Conte, The Paper Chase, The Devil Makes Three, Braid, The Requiem, Mad Kelly, Blue October, any emo band ever new or old

Follow me on Spotify

0:00 ───|────── 4:25

[bornitereads]

Pandora - Anne Rice

New Tales of the Vampires

Reread: Apr - May 2022

So Rice started a side series from the Vampire Chronicles series called New Tales of the Vampires. Pretty sure she only wrote two though. This one is about the titular vampire character, Pandora. The way this book is written I feel like it is basically still a Vampire Chronicles book. It references events from the previous book of the VC, The Vampire Armand, and thus fits into a neat place in the fictional chronology. The character is a character in the series as well, a secondary one, but Pandora is there. Unlike the other Tales book, which has characters only referenced in that book alone (I think anyways).

Anywho like all of Rice's vampire stuff, I'm in love. It's just so interesting and rich. And Pandora is old as hell, she was a patrician class Roman when she was human. She it makes for interesting character history. Of course living such a long life means only parts of it are told. To tell all would require multiple books. So Rice focuses on Pandora's human life, her turning, and her fledgling years. All very interesting of course. Who doesn't love vampire stories and not love the "how they became a vampire" story as well? But there are also tantalizing glimpses into the dark unknown of the between then and the VC books. Which of course just leaves me craving more haha.

I always liked Pandora as a character. She always comes across so mysterious and powerful. This view into the character in this book was very exciting and fun.

Info: Ballantine Books, 1998

[lightoflioncourt]

OMG!!! I have been grinning from ear to ear for the past 15 minutes. One of my best friends just dropped off these, and I am actually awestruck!

💕💕

The 1994 itwv was my first introduction to the Vampire Chronicles, and now, I have basically read all of the books. So, this is like an ode to my beginnings 😭

[redversaillesrose]

Honestly the worst thing about vampires is how disgustingly rich they are. Generational wealth on steroids. Yada yada metaphors you are thirsting over a landlord, Carolina.

[volixia669]

Vampire Chronicles Basics

Okay, with the new Interview with the Vampire show coming out, there’s probably going to be some folks who might be curious about the books and wondering why there’s so much disrespect towards the author. This probably isn’t the ONLY primer, but like, whatever.

Note: I never got around to reading all of her books, and some of this is drawing from memory though wikipedia is helpful.

Contextual History Lesson Time!

As a media criticism type person, I find it important to not examine media in a vacuum, and take into account what was happening at the time it was created.

The timing of the first three books is notable. Interview with a Vampire was released in 1976, The Vampire Lestat was released in 1985, and Queen of the Damned was released in 1988.

So we have one book with gay subtext released post free love movement but prior to gay folks becoming more known in society, then two more released during the aids crisis with the queer subtext/text still going strong. This? This is huge. Reportedly, there were people sending Anne Rice letters about how amazing it was to see themselves in the characters. Some these days might roll their eyes at how subtext might be revolutionary, but please understand. During the aids crisis, the queer community, particularly gay men, were being blamed and discriminated against to horrifying levels to the point gay men still can’t give blood.

So for a book series to have not only the metaphor of penetration and being an outbut but also have these characters seem very gay? It’s huge! It’s like a weight being lifted off, even just temporairly, while you go, “Someone sees me and my situation.”

The Vampire Lestat even had Lestat’s mother questioning her gender and deciding to dress and act more masculine. Sure, these days we’d call it “problematic” trans rep for many reasons, but back in 1985? Except for certain more indie films, trans people weren’t even talked about.

Which is a huge reason the series got big among the queer community, others caught wind, and eventually that movie with Brad Pitt was made.

And now we’re in the 90s with a few things happening. One of which being Anne Rice uh...Firing her editor? Not bothering with an editor? Whatever happened, the quality of writing goes downhill.

Additionally, Anne Rice was going through...a lot, and it shows in her writing. She started as one sect of Christianity, left it after a family member died, was athiest/agnostic for awhile, then went to a different sect of Christianity when another family member died, then eventually was in her own thing of believing in God & Jesus but not following any particular sect. Then she died.

This is relevant, as we see Lestat go from prissy rockstar to literally meeting Jesus. So. There’s that.

Another thing that happened in the 90s was the internet becoming bigger, resulting in things like forums, chatgroups, livejournal, and essentially online fandom. People in the Vampire Chronicles fandom began sharing their fanfiction.

Anne Rice hated that. It was her world, her property, her Gary-Stu, and therefore only she could write Vampire Chronicles. She began suing anyone who was writing fanfiction, yes, even the broke teenagers.

She wasn’t the only one doing this of course, but she was certainly adamant about it. Additionally, there’s an emotional element too. Because her work was one of the few popular media where queers could see themselves in, it was like a betrayal to have her say, “No, I hate anyone who loves this world so much they’d write fic.” (not a real quote btw just how it felt)

This is why many fanfic writers in the 2000s, early 2010s, and a few even today write disclaimers at the top of their fic. Because a “I do not own this property. This property belongs to blah blah blah” was one of the few defenses (however flimsy) fanfic writers had. It’s also why, as of the last time I checked ff.net, Anne Rice’s works are not allowed on that site.

That said, from this backlash against fandom, Archive of Our Own and its lawyers were born. The volunteers of OT3 are why y’all will be able to write Lestat fucking Louis into next week and post it there without worrying about Anne Rice’s estate hounding you.

The Books Themselves

So! With that lengthy history done, what about the books? To start off with, while the movie, and this new show are called “Interview with the Vampire”, that’s just the first book. The series as a whole are The Vampire Chronicles.

So we’ve got:

Interview with the Vampire (1976)

The Vampire Lestat (1985)

The Queen of the Damned (1988)

The Tale of the Body Thief (1992)

Memnoch the Devil (1995, the one where Lestat meets Jesus, a lot of people hate it, I think its hilarious with some interesting theological points)

New Tales of the Vampires-Pandora (1998, prequel about an older Roman vampire) New Tales of the Vampires-Vittorio the Vampire (1999, another prequel, about a 15th century Italian Nobleman vampire)

The Vampire Armand (1998, it’s Armand’s story and also I maintain the first 60 pages reads like an M-rated fanfic on ff.net, which is objectively hilarious imho)

Merrick (2000, crossover with another her series called the Mayfair Witches)

Blood and Gold (2001, now the ancient vampire Marius gets his own origin story.)

Blackwood Farm (2002, more Mayfair Witches crossover)

Blood Canticle (2003, EVEN MORE CROSSOVER also was originally gonna be a conclusion buuuuuuuuuuut)

Prince Lestat (2014, Lestat is back and is facing pressure to lead the vampires because I guess all the ones with enough of a brain cell to go that would be a TERRIBLE idea are dead)

Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantic (2016, I guess we’re now in Atlantis?)

Blood Communion (2018)

As you can see there’s a lot of books and content. Especially because Vampire Chronicles wasn’t her only series. On top of her erotic romance series that even my “sure you can watch Criminal Minds while 9 years old” mom was like, “Do not touch that,” she had her Tales of the Mayfair Witches series, which AMC incidentally also has the rights for. So...Lots of books, one world with vampires and witches and Jesus.

However, because of the drop in quality as well as the level of batshittery (no I’m still not over Lestat going to fucking Atlantis), last I checked the main reads are the first three, with Vampire Armand also being thrown in because I mean, after you see Antonio Banderas as Armand you want to know more about him.

Of course by all means! Read more of the books! Maybe you’ll get a laugh like I did! Maybe the quality doesn’t seem so bad to you! Maybe you enjoy batshittery! 

And if you don’t want to give the Anne Rice estate more money because she was a bad person, there’s plenty of libraries that have the books! Trust me. They do. Some might even have them in ebook version, so you can use apps like overdrive or libby to check them out without even leaving your house!

Appropriation in Vampire Chronicles

This is gonna be short since I’m sure there’s whole pieces about this and I don’t have the books in front of me nor am I part of any of these cultures, but I do want to run over that yes, there’s certainly some cultural appropriation in this series, particularly of Egyptian Culture, but also of voodoo and creole culture.

I want to warn of this, so it doesn’t catch anyone off guard, especially since “Merrick” and “Queen of the Damned” in particular are uh. Full of this. I also have no idea if the more recent books are any better in this regard.

That said, I’m curious about how the AMC tackles these aspects, as its already quite clear they’re not following the books 1:1, which is actually going to make for a better story.

Hopefully all that is helpful!

[emotionallychargedtowel]

Have you ever run across a bit of media—could be any kind of media—that is so tailored to your interests and/or aesthetic preferences that it feels like it was manifested into being by your subconscious? That’s what the photos from this magazine shoot did to me. It would be hard to go wrong in my book with anything involving these two compelling actors/massive hotties. But Kim Beom in a ruffly shirt and a dangly earring looking like an adorably bratty punk rock vampire? Kim Yong Ji in some kind of Marlon Brando hat looking like a soft butch gothic Lolita? Alternate-outfit Beom in go-go boots and a goddamn pussybow blouse?

I believe Barney Gumble said it best.

[inexplicablepeas]

Pandora Thoughts

So I finally read Pandora for the first time (first new to me book in the series since I started re-reading). I'm just gonna ignore that whole "New Tales of the Vampires" thing as it fully just seems like one of the Vampire Chronicles.

Thoughts below the cut!

From the off I liked Pandora's voice, she's sardonic and playful as well as having a commanding and in control presence. She's a good character to spend some time with and I was veeery interested to get her perspective on things. She's quite romantic and poetic like Armand but she doesn't take herself quite so seriously and there's some humor and light moments to enjoy as well, which was kind of a surprise, with her only previous POV chapter being her searching for Marius in QOTD at Azim's temple and fairly serious and angsty, given the circumstances.

One thing I noticed is that she seems a lot less vain that a lot of Anne Rice's other POV vampires, she seems to be quite happy to give us unflattering details, like when she has to dress herself without any help as a Roman upper-class woman for the first time in Antioch and she picks clothes that are awkward and unintentionally revealing and makes a total mess of her hair and makeup. She could have just as easily left that out but she'd rather poke fun at herself. You get the feeling that she'd be fun to hang out with (when she's not catatonic)!

Her early life is interesting and entertainingly told. We zoom through her account of her childhood through two divorces (she has nothing to say about her mortal husbands lol), by her 30s she's living as kind of a weird spinster with her beloved old dad. In the early sections there's few little moments of Marius here and there (and they're great, pretending to be bear like a total dork etc.) but nothing substantial until we get to the real action in the second half of the book, after her father's death and her fleeing Rome for Antioch where she finds Marius again. Even though I'm always dying to get-to-the-vampires-already in these life-story style chronicles the details of her early life do add a lot to her characterization. You get the impression of a sharp and passionate young woman who chafes under the patriarchal Roman social strictures but who tries her best to live up to cultural expectations for her dad's sake. After her dad dies, despite her considerable grief, she knows freedom for the first time in her life and she's just coming to fully embrace that when vampires happen.

When we do get into the proper plot of the book (her being lured by Akasha into a perilous situation that will culminate in Marius turning her to prevent her death) it does feel a little rushed. When we finally get to the bit we're interested in (her life as a vampire with Marius for 200 years and what she did after he left) there's only 3 chapters left, and it's a short book, so these are short chapters! I did absolutely love getting more details on her life with Marius, chapter 10 in particular gets into the nitty-gritty of how they both came to terms with and understood her turning and as well as being juicy in those terms it's also quite a love letter to Marius at times. It's good to get the details that Marius will never tell you and to get her perspective on what went wrong in their relationship, which is a bit more in depth and revealing than the version we get in Blood and Gold (well I did read them out of order so I suppose you're meant to have those details already). We get a bit more specific on things that Marius only hints at in his account (how extreme Marius' fear of emotion was, how overbearing and insulting he was to Pandora and the role that fundamentally different perspectives on religion played in their disagreements) and things that he omits entirely (like Flavius' existence and turning).

There are things I had hoped would be covered but that we get little to no new details on, I'm realizing that expecting something in particular when you start an Anne Rice novel is a fools game. In this case I was really curious to learn more about her relationship with Arjun, it seems to be very complicated in Blood and Gold, and well… OK, so in one of the last chapters (I think the last one) Pandora does briefly address their relationship. She doesn't refer to him by name (only as 'the Asian' =/, yeah, it's gross) and simply says she never cared about him. A bit disappointing, I suppose Anne likely had character-based reasons for this (maybe they had a nasty break up) but I would have liked to have known more about how they met and that period they spent traveling around Europe in a Disney villain ostentatious black carriage that carried their sleeping forms by day. I'm kinda curious! I'm also suspicious of her account of their relationship, that he almost held her captive, because she's an extremely strong and (as we come to know in her account) willful vampire and I wonder if she's giving the version of their relationship that she's knows Marius would prefer, with her as a damsel in distress. On the other hand I also wonder if being abandoned by Marius all those years ago had a lasting effect of making her less willing to assert herself in romantic relationships, feeling that her assertiveness was the quality she was abandoned for… I want answers damnit!

Anyway, getting back to the point, the ending did feel a little rushed for me, and guys, I can't help but roll my eyes when we get "I must go to Lestat" - practically mandatory for a non-Lestat POV character to end their narrative with something like that, right? 😅 I like Lestat but not half as much as Anne Rice or her vampires. I'd like to see them ignore what he's up to and just get on with their own lives sometimes. Behind her plan to go to Lestat though is her desire to reunite with Marius, evidently in recalling past events she's become nostalgic for what they had and wants to give it another go maybe! I guess they have a lot of arguing to do about the nature of Lestat's religious experiences! So it does tie in with her narrative but I can't help but have that "give me a break" reaction when she says that. Overall it's a great, zippy little read (could be longer!) that fleshes out Pandora's character and gives some great insight on Marius and their relationship.

I've got Tale of the Body Thief next (because I will insist in reading these books in a stupid order) which is also new for me! Exciting!