Young Adult Fiction: Hijacked By Vampires
Long before Stephanie Meyers made them glam, vampires had been present in young adult fiction. Both Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine, the two biggest names in twentieth century YA fiction, had used variations on the undead beast in coming of age tales of terror. Lesser known books, such as Carl Laymon’s “Nightmare Lake,” had found scary and innovative uses for vampires. Then came “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.” Suddenly, vampires became cool. Young adult fiction discovered new love for the undead. The public ate up any vamp fiction it could find.
However, even the Buffy franchise’s success pales before Team Edward and Team Jacob’s rabid fan bases. Vampires are no longer simply cool; they have become glittery, rock star superheroes.
The Stephanie Meyers publishing phenomenon has brought about a whole new vampire invasion. New series stand alongside resurrected older books. All sport snazzy, cinematic covers and/or television shows. Among the welcome returns are L. J. Smith’s “Night World” and “The Vampire Diaries.” These romantic, dark adventures thrilled teens twenty years ago, and will continue to do so for the current generation. They deserve to see new readers. The slapdash Meyers pastiches, however, deserve to bake in sunlight until they are ash.Want to know more? Go ahead: Today’s Trend in Teen Fiction
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