Vampires, Vampires, Vampires

'Salem's Lot by Stephen King

Vampires keep coming back around. It doesn't matter how much garlic you hang at your windows or if you wear a crucifix upon your person. There is Dracula, Twilight, Let The Right One In, the Hammer Horror films, Buffy the Vampire Slayer etc. etc. etc.

And they keep on a-comin'!

Stephen King's second novel, 'Salem's Lot, poses the question, what might happen if an ancient vampire came to a sleepy little town in America? How would that go?

Well, as it turns out, vampires could probably thrive pretty darn well in your little town, thank you very much. And, you probably wouldn't notice all that much amiss until it was a tad too late for you to do anything about it. You would, I am afraid, most likely end up dead or undead.

Sorry.

I know that some are probably ready to shove a stake through the heart of every vampire book and/or film out there and watch the genre die already - I have never gone anywhere near the Twilight series personally - but, if you have never read 'Salem's Lot, it is worth a read. 

King's vampires are right out of the Dracula mold. Apparently (and I read this on Wikipedia, so...), the idea for the novel was sparked when he, during a conversation with his wife, Tabitha King, was inspired to ponder how things might turn out if Dracula were to appear in modern America. The America of the late twentieth century.

The vampires of the story are quite at home in an American small town. And the story is just as much about the small town of the twentieth century. With characters in the novel being typically important figures of the typical small town - a teacher, a priest, a doctor, a police chief - the book could be read as an allegory concerning the fears of becoming obsolete and small towns, and the people that live and work in them, dying out and struggling with unknown entities from the world outside.

Or perhaps it could just be read as a scary vampire story. That is entirely up to you. Either way, I imagine you will enjoy it.

And, for those a tad tired of vampire stories right now, maybe give it some time. 

But 'Salem's Lot is a good 'un.

Available to purchase here (Disclosure: if you make a purchase through links in this blog, I may earn a commission from the seller, but that does not influence the content of this blog).