Since I love vampire books, it makes sense that I do, in fact, enjoy some of the vampire tropes out there. If I didn’t, I probably wouldn’t be a fan. And some of my absolute favorite books are about pretty typical gorgeous, brooding vampires. So I’m not complaining that books with the tropes exist. But all tropes all the time can get repetitive and boring. That’s why I also happen to love when authors ignore the tropes, or turn the stereotypes on their head, or do something unique and different. So let’s talk about it!
Why I Want More Books about Vampires without the Tropes & Cliches
As I said, it just keeps things different and interesting! And it can also make things a lot funnier, relatable, or believable.
The Current Tropes & Cliches
– Vampires are gorgeous, as though no one unattractive ever gets turned.
– Vampires are filthy rich, despite seemingly not having jobs.
– The 2000-year-old vampire falling in love with the teenage girl.
– Said teenage girl is the vampire’s reincarnated love.
– Vampires always grew up in some notable place during some notable time in the past and are history experts.
– Vampire biting is sexy and pleasurable.
– Vampires are brooding and angsty.
– Main character vampires almost always had a terrible sire who abused or abandoned him/her.
– Main character vampires, or the sire of the main characters, are almost always super old and powerful.
I’m sure there are others I can’t think of right now, but these are the ones that seem to have become the most trope-ish in my experiences.
Potential Ideas
Ok none of the things in my little bulleted list are new or unique ideas, they’re just things I want more of:
– Baby vampires who have just been turned and don’t know how to vampire. (Seriously, I love this!)
– Sires who stick with and teach and are good to their vampire children.
– Vampires with jobs.
– Vampires who aren’t perfect and graceful and gorgeous.
– Modern vampires who are just like you and me, except with a new dietary restriction and aversion to sunlight.
– Vampires who don’t date teenagers.
And here are some other fantastic and hilarious ideas I’ve come across on Tumblr and Pinterest that you can read if you want a laugh or something to think about:
Books That Already Exist about Vampires that Defy the Tropes
Ok, all of these don’t completely defy every trope that there is, but each one defies at least one or two tropes or is unique as a vampire book in some way. I’ll link to my reviews below so you can get more info on the books if you want to 🙂
[Letters for Lucardo Vol. 1 Review]
[Real Vampires Don’t Sparkle Review]
[Teeth: The First Bite Review]
[The Human Cure Review]
[Fred, The Vampire Accountant Review]
I was under the impression that being turned made you beautiful, not that you were necessarily good looking to start with, so that throws a monkey wrench in my plan to become beautiful. *laughing* I agree, baby vamps could be really fun.
Hahaha, I’m sorry I ruined your plans. I think being turned does make someone more attractive because it makes their skin flawless and stuff like that, I imagine that only helps to an extent LOL.
I love these ideas! My WIP that I’ve been planning for a long time (but still haven’t started writing yet oops) is about a baby vampire who is learning how to vampire from his experienced vampire girlfriend, and I’m so conscious to every cliche that I’ve seen that I’m either trying to twist them in some way or just completely avoid them.
And I really, really hate seeing reincarnated lovers in any kind of book, but it really gets under my skin when it’s the older male vampire with a teenage girl kind. Yuck.
I know that feel. I’ve been planning many things but not yet writing them lol. Your WIP sounds great! I do love baby vamps learning how to vampire.
Yeah, the old male vampire with teenage girl trope is not a great one.
I always viewed vampires being able to sustain themselves on the blood of animals as an easy way out. My view is that drinking human blood is the price for being immortal and having super human abilities.
That’s a great point! I’ve never been a big fan of “vegetarian” vampires either. There ought to be some prices to pay for the benefits of vampirism.
Agreed. For my vamps, it’s “fresh and human.”
Gotta love that fresh blood ;-P
I’ve read a few that defy the tropes but the one that almost always pops up is that of being gorgeous.
That’s a book thing in general though. Especially if romance is involved at all. I guess no one thinks we’re interested in regular looking people lol
I haven’t read nay vampire books in years. I tend to binge then abandon, then come back to it years later.
P.S. I LOVE that adorable vampire pic!
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
I don’t think we’re ever gonna lose the gorgeous vampire trope lol. And it’s definitely a romance thing in general.
I;m loving your list! They sound like they’d have to deal with the same issues we humans do.
Thanks! And yeah, I guess they would. They do still need to pay rent 😛
I’ve been in the mood for a vampire book since the fad went out and that’s usually when I start getting interested in fads. LOL.. I always want what I can’t have I guess. I just started reading THE BEAUTIFUL by Renée Ahdieh and it’s definitely tropey. And a little too romantic for my liking– but I’m going to finish it and see what happens.
Also, that dude-bro vampire idea is cracking me up right now. “I want to suck your blood. No homo.” 😂😂
Lol I’m usually late to fads in general in life, but vampire books were the one fad I was early to.
I love some of those tumblr/pinterest ideas, haha.
Baby vamps! Yes I’ve never read anything like that. It’s kinda chilling too, to think about. Although I have this image in my head of a cute little vamp baby and I have no idea why.
I love the idea of vampires fighting Nazis or whatever. Surprise assholes lol.
I’d kinda like to see some nonhuman vampires? Like maybe fae that have turned or could there even be werewolf/ vampire hybrids? How about a vampiric kraken? Apparently I’ve been watching too many gaming streams…
Lmao. I wonder if a vampire baby would be creepy or just cute?
That would make an awesome story.
Oh! Yes! I love supernatural hybrids, and vampires are ideal for that since you can just be turned, so then it’d be a full whatever creature and a full vampire. Extra powerful.
I think a fae vampire would be terrifying, especially if they kept their fae powers?
And right! For some reason I’m thinking cute for the baby vamp- maybe?- I’m imagining this little baby with cute little fangs lolol.
Wouldn’t they also be sparkly? 🙂
I’d read about sparkly fae vampires XD
Definitely terrifying to have the power of two different supernaturals! Lol, babies with fangs XD
I literally JUST finished draft one of a new vampire novel and saw this post. I love it! As someone who cut their teeth on Anne Rice back in the day, I totally get it. There are the tropes we love, but they get played out again and again.
Admittedly, there are still some tropes I hit with my upcoming tale, but many I break too. Main vamp is attractive but actually quite a dork and hardly always perfect and graceful. He is rich, but has no real idea how to handle his finances and needs help. He’s actually quite sunny and happy and enjoys what he is, and despite his occasional goofiness, can be quite brutal. Love interest is post-college age, thank you, no teenagers for the thousand year old.
It’s so fun and helpful seeing this list though while all this is on my brain to make something a little off the beaten path. Always a joy to read your musings. ^_^
Nice! There’s definitely nothing wrong with including tropes in stories about vampires, it just can be fun to see them twisted. Your vampire sounds awesome! I like him already lol.
Thanks 🙂
Congratulations. Good luck to you! (I just finished re-reading Vampire Lestat).
I just reread the first few books in the past year or so too!
I thought Interview with the Vampire was better than Lestat, but I intend to re-read Queen of the Damned.
If I recall correctly, The Vampire Lestat had a lot more rambling and detours from the story.
A long backstory. Flashbacks within flashbacks, but told well, with lush detail.
The flashbacks within flashbacks just kill me lol.
Quote: “Vampires are gorgeous, as though no one unattractive ever gets turned.”
LOL, maybe getting vamped turns their beauty and sexiness up a notch…😉
And I’m SO on board about vampires not dating teenagers. GROSS.
While it uses a few of those tropes, I still think that the Thirst series by Christopher Pike is rich and layered and shouldn’t be missed (also, he practically invented the modern vampire novel back when the series started – to the best of my knowledge, such a thing didn’t even exist in the ’90s). But if you want to read about a baby vampire, you should try the Vampire Innocent series – the main lead is eighteen and just turned, and her family is involved in her predicament, with hilarious results!
https://www.goodreads.com/series/227317-vampire-innocent
I think it does turn it up a notch, since it gives them flawless skin and shiny hair and whatnot, but that’s only gonna help so much lol. Yeah, I enjoy many vampire tropes, but old vamps really need to stop dating teens.
I will have to look into it, and the Vampire Innocent series sounds really fun!
Hah, I love this! And yes, what is it about those abusive sires? We need more decent vampire parents. Vampiric attachment parenting kinda thing. With lots of cuddles and support.
Seriously, bring on the nice sires!
I don’t read a lot of vampire books but I did just buy myself this one:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/576834.Drachenfels
I don’t know if it fits any of the things you want to read about but it’s not YA so that might help some of the tropes lol.
Thanks, I’ll check it out!
So much YES PLEASE for vamps without tropes!
Some of my favourites I just have to rec here are
The Generation V series by ML Brennan, which are ridiculous amounts of fun with a very unique spin on vampires (and a few other creatures)
The James Asher series by Barbara Hambly. This series is more about embracing the older vampire mythos, which makes it really stand out amidst all the more modernised vampires in urban fantasy right now. It’s set pre WW1 and the vampires in it are properly non-human and alien and unnerving in a way I really appreciate. So a complete 180 from Generation V!
Ooh these recommendations sound great, and I will definitely check them out! Thanks!
You know I love vampires in books and I am always for more vampire stories in general. But vampires do get very cliched quickly, and very tropey. I am loving some of your new ideas and I hope that they will appear in books soon 😀
It would be awesome if they did!
YES YES YES! I would love to see stories based on your ideas!! The old tropes can certainly get tiring…
New ideas would definitely freshen things up!