Creepiest fictional vampires

Lord Ruthven from John Polidori's The Vampyre

(in part based on Lord Byron's personality)

Dracula from Bram Stoker's Dracula

Nosferatu from the movie Nosferatu

Claudia from Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles

Pearl from Blade

Pretty much any vampire from 30 Days Of Night

Viktor from Underworld

Eli from Let The Right One In

F from Marebito

Martin from Martin

Max Schreck in Shadow of the Vampire

Markus Corvinus from Underworld: Evolution

Homer from Near Dark

Barlow from Salem's Lot

Drusilla from Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Jerry Dandridge from Fright Night

Basic undead types in fiction

Revenants

A person who's returned from the dead but there isn't necessarily any rotting, meat or blood lust or even immortality. Revenants are the basic back in the flesh undead and are the historical representations of both zombies and vampires, depending on their extra characteristics. The are often associated with or from Romania. Sometimes revenant is just another term for undead.

Zombies

There are various subbranches and causes but zombies are the almost or completely spiritless dead with minimal brain function and bodies that rot. Originally zombies were commanded by their summoners.

Vampires

Either always a vampire or a human turned. Vampires are technically immortal and drink blood. They can be killed in a variety of ways but if left alone they will not die unless exposed to the sun. Even refusing to eat is unlikely to kill them unless this is specifically referenced for a plot.

Ghosts, phantasms, and spectres

These are those who return or remain in spirit only while their bodies are buried or cremated as usual. Sometimes cremation or a proper religious burial is written in as a way of destroying the spirit or sending it on to the afterlife/putting to rest. These are less likely to be violent or able to manipulate the physical but can be either benevolent or malevolent. They range from see-through to clearly visible but none have a physical presence.

Shades, spirits and devas

Shades are ghosts acting under the command of their summoner. 

Poltergeists

Violent malevolent ghosts able to manipulate the physical. Spirits and devas have a little extra ability in the way of magic and are a good choice for placing within a body, if needed, as they have some control.

Ghouls, ghasts and wights

These are more substantial than ghosts or shades. They are vicious and malevolent spirits who have a strong physical presence. Their touch drains the energy of a person and both ghouls and ghasts tend to tear their victims to shreds. Wights are related to the ghouls and ghasts, they have claws that suck the life out of all living things. They have the ability to eliminate a person's memories and skills, leaving them living zombies or like newborns. All are quite capable of working in groups or at least congregating. It is often the case in modern fiction that ghouls have a physical form much like that of zombies but stronger and less human.

Wraith and Hraithes
A wraith is often a ghost or image of someone seen shortly before or after their death. They can also be depicted as strong and lasting spirits who suck the life from anyone who touches them. A hraithe is the spirit of a vahnatai mage reluctant to move on or rest. The hraithe is often jealous of the living and still magical to a certain extent.

Walking skeletons and vahnavoi

Walking skeletons have basic human strength while vahnavoi are imbued with the extra strength and skills of a sword fighter. They are usually summoned from the grave just as zombies can be.

'Frankenstein's' monsters 

Scientifically reanimated and stitched together monsters that resemble humans, they often have the thoughts and feelings of young children or the mentally disabled due to brain transplant procedures and oxygen deprivation at death. They are usually called 'Frankenstein's' monsters although the maker may change.

Mummies

Bodies missing parts and often skeletal, mummies are much like zombies except they've been dormant for a long period of time, they don't bite and aren't made from contagion but may be created by a spell, may act upon a summoners orders or carry out a curse. They do not rot as zombies do but rather decay as though still in a dry enclosed climate.

Magical reanimations

For these, the or a spirit is returned to the flesh. Problems usually occur, such as the body rots or the spirit fades or can wander. Spirits other than the original body's may be used, even demonic spirits. The magic used is often depicted as black or at least dangerous to the practitioners.

Rosy's book recommendation: Soulless by Gail Carriger

Soulless

Gail Carriger (Tofa Borregaard)

Blurb

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette. 
Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate. 
With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

Soulless is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

or

First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.
Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire - and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.
With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

Publisher

Orbit

ISBN

9780316056632

Rosy's scrawlings on Soulless

I picked this book up when it first appeared on the shelves as I was struck by the umbrella and the title. Sometimes a picture will just grab my attention and having a lady all decked out, carrying a brolly with the word soulless floating above her just did it for me. And on reading the blurb I found myself further intrigued by Alexia's soulless state and the involvement of Queen Victoria in the plot. Sometimes it is the little things that get you and in this case it was a combination of little things that had me snatching it up and going to the counter straight away, before the hubby could snatch it from my fingers with a well placed argument about expenditure (one that usually lets him buy more DVDs by the way).

As you might be aware, I made a rather good purchase. This series has since gone on to become one of the hallmarks of steampunk and awards and speeches are everywhere to be found. You might think that with all that I should concentrate on the little guy and not bother with a review but the purpose of this is to recommend to you a good read. And this is.

Alexia is a woman with emotions but she's one without a lot of those normally expected by those surrounding her. The twittering judgemental nitwits of high society just can't seem to understand her and even the men are shocked on occasion by her straightforwardness and lack of guile. Alexia is what she is. She also loves a good, if ugly, umbrella as a weapon, one that becomes increasingly deadly as her tale continues. Because of all this I have absolutely no fear in recommending this book and series to men as here is a female character they could truly understand. Besides, the book is quickly becoming a steampunk classic and as such it is a must read for the genre fans. Fail to read it at your own steampunk peril.

On top of a direct female character there's a werewolf prone to gruffness and prancing about naked just because it is too hard to get dressed (male characterisation is very well done here - if you don't believe so then just watch as the hubby gets used to marriage or pay attention to your own habits of a warm day). Lord Maccon is by no means a pretty boy werewolf either and being taken back to a rough and gruff werewolf, even if he is a lord, is a pleasure. To add to this delight is the fact that the main vampire of the series is Lord Akeldama, a brilliantly clothed and flamboyantly gay vampire who collects pretty young men and vampires about him in a house/mansion brightly painted and decorated. Magic and technology go hand in hand too, instead of one being the downfall of the other. In fact, everywhere you look stereotypes and expectations are being broken and as a reader you're sure to love it.

As to the writing style, it is smooth with touches of rhyme and lyricism woven in to give an old world feel. And it is this atmosphere that is most desired in a steampunk novel set within the Victorian era. Without that touch of conservative floweriness, also revealed through tea, beautiful dresses, suit wearing werewolves, good manners and an eye to etiquette, the Victorian era could well be any other when it comes to steampunk. That said, the touch of class isn't overdone, allowing Alexia and Lord Maccon to move about with few restrictions on their behaviour and so few restrictions on their adventures.

I'd recommend this book to: anyone interested in steampunk, anyone who likes their female characters without all the bullsh*t and any man looking to start reading books with a female lead. I'd also recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy stories of any type. I would go further than this if I could but I know those who love literature or biographies only will just stare at me like I'm a loon. So I'll leave it at that for now.

Rosy's scrawled book recommendation: Dying Bites by D D Barant

Dying Bites
D D Barant

Blurb

Her job description is the “tracking and apprehension of mentally-fractured killers.” What this really means in FBI profiler Jace Valchek’s brave new world—one in which only one percent of the population is human—is that a woman’s work is never done. And real is getting stranger every day.

Jace has been ripped from her reality by David Cassius, the vampire head of the NSA. He knows that she’s the best there in the business, and David needs her help in solving a series of gruesome murders of vampires and werewolves. David’s world—one that also includes lycanthropes and golems—is one with little knowledge of mental illness. An insane serial killer is a threat the NSA has no experience with. But Jace does. Stranded in a reality where Bela Lugosi is a bigger box office draw than Bruce Willis and every full moon is Mardi Gras, Jace must now hunt down a fellow human before he brings the entire planet to the brink of madness. Or she may never see her own world again.

Publisher
St. Martin's Paperbacks

ISBN
9780312942588

Rosy's scrawlings on Dying Bites
Ever wonder why worlds that contain vampires and werewolves aren't completely overrun by  the creatures? Ever think it was a tad illogical that they hadn't taken over the world and become the dominant species? And I don't mean on the food chain but rather in numbers. Sometimes I get thinking on these things when reading a fantasy or horror story and it appears I'm not the only one. In Dying Bites you get to see just what a world populated by these creatures would be like. And when you're reading this book you get to ponder the most important question: which would you want to be? Vampire or werewolf?
The world of Dying Bites is bright and colourful so don't take the cover illustration too much to heart. In fact, very little on the cover represents what you're going to find within the pages. What I found was a vibrant world where baby were's run about hunting rabbits, golems are protesting for equal rights and dogs sometimes turn into dopey but lovable humans (I can't remember when in the series the dog is introduced but he captured my heart immediately along with the Jace's golem partner). You also find all the cultural references jumbled up and the standard behaviour patterns of the populous altered dramatically due to the populous now being made up of three major groups: the werewolves, the vampires and the golems. (No, you can't choose to be a golem unless you want to be dead first, if that's doable.)
This book was purely and simply fun. It is well written, well edited and has a lot to say for it as an addition to the urban fantasy genre. But when you read it all you'll really care about is how fun the story is and this book will take you for a rollicking ride. The books that follow are just as enjoyable too so you could spend a week in an odd version of our world, pondering how you yourself would survive if you were in the same situation as Jace.
It has to be said that this book and those that follow focus on the case and action before things like world construction and the dash of romance. This keeps the book fast paced and suspenseful, with a distinct lack of over-the-top sex scenes to bog down the story. Who would focus on romance as soon as they've been thrown into a new world anyway? This might turn away a few of those who only like their urban fantasy as urban fantasy romance or paranormal romance but whoever does turn away would be missing out on the gentle (well, not always gentle) and thoughtful relationships within the book.

I'd recommend this book to: anyone interested in urban fantasy stories where the world is chock full of creatures who live out in the open and anyone who's never run across golems before. The book will likely appeal to female readers more than male as the protagonist is female but I'd recommend it to anyone who's an urban fantasy enthusiast as the story isn't overly focused on love, relationships or sex from the female perspective.

Rosy's scrawled book recommendation: Skinwalker by Faith Hunter

Skinwalker
Faith Hunter

Blurb

A year ago Jane nearly lost her life taking down an entire blood family of deadly rogue vampires that preyed on the helpless local populace of an Appalachian town. Now, after months of recuperation, she’s back and ready to fight again. Except this time, she’s hired by those she’s trained to kill—vampires.

Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind—a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living. Back from hiatus, she’s hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katies’s Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who’s killing other vamps.

Amidst a bordello full of real “ladies of the night,” and a hot Cajun biker with a panther tattoo who stirs her carnal desire, Jane must stay focused and complete her mission—or else the next skin she’ll need to save just may be her own.

Publisher

ROC

ISBN

9780451462800

Rosy's Scrawlings on Skinwalker

This book was addictive from the start. Having a practical and deadly fighter with an inner big cat spirit that doesn't always want to play along and has desires of its own can mean trouble of the highest order. Or a great deal of fun, depending on your perspective. 

Jane has a character I could actually believe was strong and capable in a fight rather than one sporting weapons more as adornments. She has an unusual background and this only adds to her abilities to travel with her stake and kill on request. "Have stake, will travel" is her calling card and her main victims are supposed to be vampires, although when the dust settles this isn't always so. I also appreciated that Jane got into and out of certain tricky situations without either being constantly rescued or pulling off a completely unbelievable act. A certain amount of suspension of disbelief is required, obviously, as this is fantasy fiction but within reason Jane holds her own properly. In other words, Jane is a kick-arse character who can be identified with and held in regard.

The world of the book is less gritty inner city and more a wide-spread built up suburban area near hills and a forest, at least from my impressions. It doesn't take Jane long to travel between built up areas and the forest or graveyard etc. The landscape is varied and often stark. The forest becomes spooky and enclosed, the graveyard too open and arid while the centre of town seems to be made of one fortress after another, not to mention dingy bars and old houses. The reason I mention the world of Jane Yellowrock is that it isn't a constant blur of gritty grey city buildings or a whitewash of standard housing which can crop up in urban fantasy. The place where Jane stays is permanently cut into my memory as though it were one I'd walked through.

The action is face paced and fun. Magic is included. The world leaves you alternating between dark claustrophobia and brilliantly lit agrophobia. The men are nice and nasty in turn with each man quite capable of and willing to be both. The romance is laid back and slow paced despite being the hands on type due to the inner big cat's desires. As one who can easily be put off by flower romantic stories I can attest that this one didn't disturb me at all and was in fact rather intriguing for being a three way romance that included a long dead big cat. Unusual, no?

All in all, this book was just plain addictive. I now by all the titles of this series before reading the blurb or even seeing it on sale somewhere. They're on my list. You know the one, that list book addicts have that contains the titles of all as yet to buy and to be released books that you know you'll love. That one.

I'd suggest this book to: to women who love urban fantasy and subtle dark romantic stories where things don't always work out with the man or men in question. I'd also suggest this book to anyone who likes to read about rarely touched on paranormal beings and monsters as this series, while having vampires and werewolves does have witches and of course the extraordinarily rare skinwalker.

Best vampires in fiction

For this I wanted more than just fangs and blood. I wanted the best of those vampires we actually see the character of, if only for a brief period. So here's my pick.

Dracula (The reason we love vampires.)

Nosferatu (Just beautiful in his ugliness.)

Alacard from Hellsing (LOVE this version of Dracula. He's got uber amounts of power, wicked guns and is right royal nuts too. He's also one to manipulate those few he's interested - can't say likes - in into becoming more powerful rather than wanting to squash them all.)

Selene from Underworld (Mainly for the guns.)

Lestat from Anne Rice's vampire series (Don't groan - he's psychotic in the books and compared to Louis who whines endlessly he's quite fun to read of. This is the picture they used when dressing up Tom Cruise.)

Claudia from Anne Rice's vampire series (Permanently 6 and bonkers for it. Gotta love a loopy vampire. The carnage and chaos that follows is always interesting to see.)

Spike from Buffy (Need I say anything?)

Eric Northman from Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series (Also don't groan - you really can't tell if he's good or bad or downright psycho in the books and you end up loving the character for it. How can you say no to a thousand year old viking who loves to chop off heads in battle?)

Pamela from Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series (They don't get her personality quite right in the True Blood series but what we do read of her in the books is a strong, thoughtful, proactive, loyal and fierce vampire. She's shows Eric's good side and is his greatest asset, even though she was attacked by him and turned rather than by choice. Normally that would make an enemy out of someone, right?)

David from The Lost Boys (I've been put through this show far too many times and never thought it that great to begin with. If I see it one more time I'll take a swan dive off a bridge most like. Still, David is a good character.)

Eli from Let The Right One In (Super creepy but loyal and lonely.)

Drusilla from Buffy (Mad as a cut snake but we love her because of it.)

Blade from Blade (half-vampire but he gets a pass for being so fun)

F from Marebito

Martin from Martin (Should I? Shouldn't I? He's not a vampire... Ah, why not. Most of life is in the mind anyway.)