Here's a little article I wrote for the Pine Burr. I figured since it's anti-Twilight related that I'd post it here. Enjoy.
The Southern “Twilight”
by Taylor Meyers
As most of the free world is aware, there is an epidemic of “Twilight-mania” spreading amongst the modern youth. This vampire series, penned by Stephanie Meyer, tells the story of a young mortal girl who meets the ridiculously good-looking vampire Edward. Promptly, the two fall in love, drama ensues, and (per usual) true love overcomes. Unsurprisingly, these books became overnight best sellers.
But there is another series of vampire stories that are making their way out of the proverbial shadows and into the light of the mainstream: The Sookie Stackhouse Novels by southern belle Charlaine Harris. Harris’s books were first published in 2001, making a small but effective ripple in the world of written fiction. In 2008, her books were adapted for the small screen in the HBO series “True Blood”, which became an instant success. With the success of “True Blood” came the revitalization of the books, and now that people are taking notice, it seems that “Twilight” might just have some competition.
Charlaine Harris’s novels spin us a beautifully-told yarn of Sookie Stackhouse, an ordinary girl with an extraordinary attribute. The small-town cocktail waitress was born with the ability to read minds, and in a world where vampires, werewolves, and other mythical creatures exist, this power is often both a gift and a curse. The stories take place in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps, where (much like Summit) everyone knows exactly what everyone else is up to. In a world where vampires have recently made themselves known to mortals, knowing everyone’s business can be very dangerous. Strange things start to happen in Bon Temps—vampires start going missing, shape shifters are being picked off by a sniper, witches start to attack vampire leaders—and it’s up to Sookie and her gang of unusual friends to figure out who’s behind these bizarre crimes.
Harris’s novels are a refreshing and humourous new take on vampire mythology. These mysteries, which are interwoven with Southern humour and culture follow traditional vampire legend but also add their own spice to the mix. Vampires—instead of sparkling—prefer to go bar-hopping, werewolves are political powerhouses in the small towns they inhabit, and faeries are full-sized and unbelievably beautiful beings. Unlike the “Twilight” series, not everything is always sullen, serious business—in the Harris novels, the reader is bound to get a good laugh. But for the girls out there who are looking for a love story, well these books have got that too. Harris walks us through Sookie’s relationship will Bill Compton, a 157 year-old vampire. Like Bella and Edward, Sookie and Bill have their ups and downs, their good times and bad—and all experiencs are guaranteed to be strange ones.
The characters in Harris’s books are unique and unforgettable. Unlike in the “Twilight” novels, there are more mystical creatures in existence other than vampires and werewolves. Sookie’s boss and owner of the bar Merlotte’s is a shifter—a being that periodically shape-shifts into an animal. There are wild women call maenads that carry spiked staffs and attack people driving on country back-roads. There are even witches—malevolent, conniving folks who cannot be trusted by the simple people of Bon Temps. All these weird, wild, and wooly creatures culminate in wonderfully colorful tales told only the way a true Southerner can.
All of these fantastic factors culminate into a great series of vampire fiction. I wholly believe that if you are a fan of the “Twilight” series—or if you just enjoy vampire fiction in general—that you will love the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse Novels. You can find the titles here in McComb, at Books-A-Million in the mall. So go check out these titles today!
Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse Novels:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead In Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
The Southern “Twilight”
by Taylor Meyers
As most of the free world is aware, there is an epidemic of “Twilight-mania” spreading amongst the modern youth. This vampire series, penned by Stephanie Meyer, tells the story of a young mortal girl who meets the ridiculously good-looking vampire Edward. Promptly, the two fall in love, drama ensues, and (per usual) true love overcomes. Unsurprisingly, these books became overnight best sellers.
But there is another series of vampire stories that are making their way out of the proverbial shadows and into the light of the mainstream: The Sookie Stackhouse Novels by southern belle Charlaine Harris. Harris’s books were first published in 2001, making a small but effective ripple in the world of written fiction. In 2008, her books were adapted for the small screen in the HBO series “True Blood”, which became an instant success. With the success of “True Blood” came the revitalization of the books, and now that people are taking notice, it seems that “Twilight” might just have some competition.
Charlaine Harris’s novels spin us a beautifully-told yarn of Sookie Stackhouse, an ordinary girl with an extraordinary attribute. The small-town cocktail waitress was born with the ability to read minds, and in a world where vampires, werewolves, and other mythical creatures exist, this power is often both a gift and a curse. The stories take place in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps, where (much like Summit) everyone knows exactly what everyone else is up to. In a world where vampires have recently made themselves known to mortals, knowing everyone’s business can be very dangerous. Strange things start to happen in Bon Temps—vampires start going missing, shape shifters are being picked off by a sniper, witches start to attack vampire leaders—and it’s up to Sookie and her gang of unusual friends to figure out who’s behind these bizarre crimes.
Harris’s novels are a refreshing and humourous new take on vampire mythology. These mysteries, which are interwoven with Southern humour and culture follow traditional vampire legend but also add their own spice to the mix. Vampires—instead of sparkling—prefer to go bar-hopping, werewolves are political powerhouses in the small towns they inhabit, and faeries are full-sized and unbelievably beautiful beings. Unlike the “Twilight” series, not everything is always sullen, serious business—in the Harris novels, the reader is bound to get a good laugh. But for the girls out there who are looking for a love story, well these books have got that too. Harris walks us through Sookie’s relationship will Bill Compton, a 157 year-old vampire. Like Bella and Edward, Sookie and Bill have their ups and downs, their good times and bad—and all experiencs are guaranteed to be strange ones.
The characters in Harris’s books are unique and unforgettable. Unlike in the “Twilight” novels, there are more mystical creatures in existence other than vampires and werewolves. Sookie’s boss and owner of the bar Merlotte’s is a shifter—a being that periodically shape-shifts into an animal. There are wild women call maenads that carry spiked staffs and attack people driving on country back-roads. There are even witches—malevolent, conniving folks who cannot be trusted by the simple people of Bon Temps. All these weird, wild, and wooly creatures culminate in wonderfully colorful tales told only the way a true Southerner can.
All of these fantastic factors culminate into a great series of vampire fiction. I wholly believe that if you are a fan of the “Twilight” series—or if you just enjoy vampire fiction in general—that you will love the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse Novels. You can find the titles here in McComb, at Books-A-Million in the mall. So go check out these titles today!
Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse Novels:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead In Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
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