There is a certain morbid fascination that goes along with the study of vampires. That is one of the reasons these horrific creatures have remained one of the worlds most loved/feared myths. In modern society, vampires have become an integral part of every day life. They are in movies, books, and computers. They have cults of supporters and for the first time in over a hundred years their existence has become believable. They are ”supernatural icons of the twentieth century” .

Perhaps it is the idea of death and life that readers of vampire fiction find most intriguing. A vampire lives, walks, breaths and experiences life, a life eternal, while actually being in a state of death. They are, more or less, undead. They are considered evil in the way that they prey on human flesh, yet in exchange they receive an immortal life. It is almost that these monsters are not monsters at all, just another species of life that humans don’t understand.

Part of the fascination with vampire can be linked to the overwhelming amount of vampire fiction that has surfaced over the years. Especially recently, vampire have taken over the genre of horror. Anne Rice, upon being asked why she believes her fans are so attracted to the concept of immortality, replies: ”Well, I think we all want to be immortal. We want to be immortal, yet we’re all relieved that there is the possibility of death…that suffering would not be eternal. We can conceive of the eternal, but we really don’t have to put up with it, and it’s an idea…an idea planted in our minds with consciousness, and we don’t know what to make of it at all.”

A vampire also has become an outlet in the modern mundane life. A vampire can experience everything, and never has to worry about having the time or the power. They have been portrayed as exquisitely rich creatures that never have to think about finances. They have simply live long enough to accumulate all they could want in the world. A vampire literally has the world at their fingertips.

Another fascinating aspect of the vampire is their complete power. Not only do they have power over their own lives, something many people of this day and age envy, but they have power over all those around them. The power lies not only in the supernatural strength and physical longevity, but also in their mental ability to kill and kill and then continue with their lives. They have the same attraction as serial killers, yet their murderous acts have a forgivable quality. They cannot help what they do.

The vampire can express their individual spirit effortlessly. ”The Freudian theory asserts that what one grains from the formation of social enclaves, i.e., protection, assistance, interaction, one loses in individual freedom and the instinctual pleasure one receives from total freedom.” The vampire has access to the freedom we unconsciously desire.

As long as horror keeps its place in literature, vampires will continue to exist. They have carved themselves a fond place in our hearts and minds. There is little doubt that the vampire will continue. After all, anything portrayed in literature does, in fact, become immortal.