Okay, I think it’s been long enough that nearly everybody who wants to see Ryan Coogler’s new vampire film Sinners has, by now, and I can talk about it here. (Beware, minor spoilers ahead for the film’s overall themes and its depiction of vampires.) If you didn’t catch this spectacular film while it was in theaters, it is now available to stream. I highly recommend all vampire-lovers check it out, as well as any music-lovers—as long as you can handle a bit of gore. Sinners uses an action-packed tale of a fight against vampires in the Jim Crow South to explore questions of identity, agency, and racial equality. Continue reading Sinners—Vampires and the Jim Crow South
Tag: anne rice
Interview with Christopher Rice—On Ramses the Damned and Anne Rice’s Legacy
Earlier this month, I reviewed Ramses the Damned: The Reign of Osiris, a recent release from the mother-son writing duo of Anne and Christopher Rice. While Anne remains one of the most influential figures in the paranormal fantasy genre, her son is building quite the literary career for himself, as well. Christopher Rice has written over two dozen novels including erotic romance, suspense novels, and a series of supernatural thrillers. But of course, I know him best for the collaborations he’s done with Anne—the most recent of which just came out shortly after Anne’s death. While I am crushed to have missed the chance to interview mother and son together, I am honored that Christopher took a few moments during this difficult time to answer some questions about The Reign of Osiris and his mother’s legacy: Continue reading Interview with Christopher Rice—On Ramses the Damned and Anne Rice’s Legacy
Ramses the Damned: The Reign of Osiris Review
What has the power to terrify an immortal? Only a god…. An ancient Egyptian king comes face to face with his one great fear in this latest installment of the Ramses the Damned series. Back in 2017, I reviewed The Passion of Cleopatra, Anne Rice’s first co-writing project with her son Christopher and an unexpected sequel to her 1989 novel The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned. Anne and Christopher Rice teamed up again for a third book in the series, The Reign of Osiris, which came out last week. Notably, The Reign of Osiris is also the first posthumous book to be published after Anne Rice passed away in December. Continue reading Ramses the Damned: The Reign of Osiris Review
A Tribute to Anne Rice
Gentleman Death has come in silk and lace to put out the candle of one of our most beloved writers. Anne Rice’s son Christopher announced to her fans via Facebook late Saturday night that the Vampire Chronicles author has passed away due to complications from a stroke. But much like her creations, Anne Rice is truly immortal—in the sense that her literary impact will continue to affect writers and readers for generations to come. Continue reading A Tribute to Anne Rice
Interview with the Vampire’s Assistant: Becket on Writing the Vampire Chronicles Alphabettery
Last week, I reviewed Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles: An Alphabettery. This brand-new A to Z compendium tells you everything you could want to know about any person, place, or thing mentioned in Rice’s popular vampire series. But who took the time to painstakingly compile all this information, and how did they become such an expert on Rice’s extensive fictional world? The Alphabettery was written by Becket, a close friend of Anne Rice who served as her personal assistant from 2005 to 2017. I reached out to Becket and he was kind enough to send back some detailed and thoughtful replies about what it was like working with his idol and writing the definitive guide to her most prominent series. Read on for our interview. Also, be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post and enter the giveaway to win your own copy of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles: An Alphabettery!
Review of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles: An Alphabettery
Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles have been around for over four decades now, and with the recent release of Blood Communion, the series is up to thirteen books (fifteen if you count the New Tales of the Vampires). That’s a lot to keep track of, even for the most dedicated of fans. But never fear, the ultimate Anne Rice reference book is finally here! Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles: An Alphabettery, compiled by her personal assistant Becket and with an introduction by Rice herself, comes out tomorrow, October 23. Here’s what you need to know about the hefty reference guide: Continue reading Review of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles: An Alphabettery
The Vampire Armand Review: Returning to Anne Rice
Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles changed the world of vampire fiction and are responsible for so much of the way the genre is today. You can see Rice’s influence in everything from Twilight to True Blood to The Vampire Diaries. Knowing this, I picked up Rice’s books quite early, reading Interview with the Vampire during my initial bloodsucker craze when I was probably about thirteen. Taken together, the first three books—Interview, The Vampire Lestat, and The Queen of the Damned—have been canonized as timeless classics that are essential reading for anyone who loves these creatures of the night. But as many fans would agree, after Queen of the Damned the books begin to get … weird. I pushed through for a couple more books, but after Lestat embarked on a Dantesque voyage through heaven and hell and back in time to witness the Crucifixion during Memnoch the Devil, I decided I was done and abandoned the series for half a decade. This year, however, I decided to try picking back up where I left off with The Vampire Armand. Continue reading The Vampire Armand Review: Returning to Anne Rice
Review of The Wolf Gift—Anne Rice’s Werewolves
Is there a supernatural creature Anne Rice hasn’t written about? Though she’s best known as the queen of the vampire genre, Anne Rice has written novels about witches, mummies, angels, and now werewolves. The Wolf Gift is the first book in one of Rice’s relatively newer series, having come out back in 2012. Somehow, I’d never heard of this series until I stumbled upon it in the library, but I decided to give her werewolves a shot.
Reuben Golding is an up-and-coming journalist who’s been assigned to do a story on a grand mansion in California that’s being put up for sale. When he visits with the mansion’s owner, Marchent Nideck, and tours the house, Reuben falls in love with the place, wishing he could buy it for himself. But the house has some dark secrets: Marchent’s uncle, the original owner, went missing many years ago, leaving behind strange manuscripts and ancient artifacts from his research. After Reuben survives a brutal attack, he discovers that he’s inherited not just the house, but a mysterious Gift, as well. By night, Reuben transforms into a wolf-like creature and feels compelled to hunt down evil-doers. Could this gift be related to the disappearance of Marchent’s uncle? Will he find answers about what he has become at the Nideck estate? Continue reading Review of The Wolf Gift—Anne Rice’s Werewolves
Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra Review
Move over, vampires—it’s time for mummies to take the spotlight! This week, Anne Rice is back with the long-awaited sequel to her 1989 book The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned. Twenty-eight years is a long time to wait for a sequel, but was it worth it? I can’t speak to how the new book lives up to any expectations set up by the original, but as my first foray into mummy romance, I quite enjoyed it. Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra was co-written with her son, Christopher Rice, and comes out tomorrow, November 21. Continue reading Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra Review
Irish Writers of Gothic Literature
St. Patrick’s Day is this week, and that means it’s time to celebrate all things Irish—like me! But your favorite gothic librarian aside, there are actually a whole bunch of Irish writers who have contributed significantly to the gothic genre. In fact, without Irish writers, we wouldn’t have Dracula, Carmilla, or Lestat. So you can thank the Irish for pretty much the entire vampire genre. Read on to find out more about how the Irish have impacted gothic literature!