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Celebrating the Supernatural Legacy of Anne Rice!
Anne Rice, a name synonymous with the gothic and supernatural, has left an indelible mark on the literary landscape. Her unique storytellinginvites readers to sink their teeth into the richly textured worlds of vampires, witches, and the occult. Best known for her groundbreaking series The Vampire Chronicles, Rice transformed the public’s perfection of vampires from the tuxedoed count Bela Lugosi’s Dracula into creatures that were not only glamourous, but deeply emotional and philosophical. Lestat and Louis are not just beings of the night, but the are immortals grappling with the human condition.
Bela Lugosi’s Dracula from 1931
Growing Up in Gothic New Orleans
Born on Ocotber 4, 1941 in New Orleans, a city famed for its gothic architecture and rich spiritual history, Rice found her most powerful inspiration in its haunted corners. Her early years were shaped by loss with both her mother and grandmother passing away by the time she was sixteen. She sought refuge in literature, immersing herself in the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley. Under their influence, Rice’s imagination bloomed, combining dark imagery and complex emotional landscapes that would define her career.
While pursuing her master’s degree in English at San Fransisco State University, she married Stan Rice with whom she had two children, Michele and Christopher. Tragically, Michele was diagnosed with leukemia at age six. To cope with the grief, Anne Rice turned to writing, creating her first novel, Interview with a Vampire.
Years later, Rice recalled a prophetic dream she had months before the death of her daughter. In it, she was told that “somethings wrong with her blood.”
The Beginning of the Vampire Chronicles
Interview with the Vampire introduced readers to Louis de Pointe du Lac, an immortal vampire recounting his centuries-long tale of suffering, love, and loss to an intrigued reporter. The lush prose called on classic fin de siècle literature descriptions as seen in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, while infusing it with modern depth. Readers were captivated by the exploration of immortality, isolation, and Louis’ inner turmoil, creating a new kind of vampire – one who yearned, not just for blood, but for meaning. The Vampire Chronicles became a beloved series focused mostly on Louis’ maker Lestat de Lioncourt – the iconic golden haired rebel with the face of an angel.
This created more than a vampire series: It created a cultural movement. Vampires wrestling with questions of morality, religion, and humanity left behind the mold of good versus evil. Lestat came forward as a symbol of charisma, power, and vulnerability. Through him, Rice turned the idea of vampires from monsters of fear into beings of empathy that are capable of love and introspection, drawing readers into their eternal struggle.
The success of The Vampire Chronicles catapulted Rice into the literary spotlight and paved the way for a resurgence of interest in gothic fiction for future horror authors to create their own interpretations of vampire mythology.
Then and now. On the left is Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, and Tom Cruise as Louis, Lestat, and Claudia in the original 1994 screen adaptation. The 2022 AMC series on the right is still running as of this posting and features Delainey Hayles, Jacob Anderson, and Sam Reid as Claudia, Louis and Lestat.
While Rice is primarily known for her vampire novels, she has written witches, werewolves, and even had a period of writing exclusively Christian fiction. Her supernatural writings explored spirituality, sexuality, and mortality, blending philosophical questions most often found in literary fiction into the paranormal and horror genre.
An Everlasting Legacy
Anne Rice’s impact on literature and popular culture is undeniable. Her works have inspired countless adaptations, including films, television series, and even musicals.
You can hear the musical score for Lestat, the Musical by none other than Sir Elton John here.
Through these mediums, Rice has introduced a new generation to her haunting vision of vampirism, and inspired the works of contemporary authors like Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight and Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse series which was adapted to True Blood.
On the left we have Sookie and Bill from True Blood and on the right is Bella and Edward from Twilight. Both are classic modern vampire stories that wouldn’t be very different without Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles
Rice’s characters often represent a rich interior life coupled with vibrant descriptions of the world and setting that reflects an older style of writing with lyrical prose that explores the human psyche.
Bryce Lankard/Getty Images
Anne Rice passed away on December 11, 2021, leaving behind a legacy that continues to resonate with readers and writers alike. Her lyrical prose, atmospheric settings, and unforgettable characters remind us that the supernatural is not only a realm of monsters, but a reflection of the human condition. As we celebrate Rice’s birthday, we honor her ability to blend horror with heart and her profound influence on modern supernatural fiction. Like Lestat and Louis, her stories live on – endlessly captivating, forever haunting.
If you are a fan of things that go bump in the night, we encourage to take a bite into these Chanticleer authors’ tales of supernatural.
Merging Paths
By Vince Bailey
CIBA Grand Prize award for a Series
Having escaped unjust imprisonment at the Fort Grant facility for juveniles, Curtis Jefferson is on the run, in Merging Paths,the third installment of Vince Bailey’s gripping, paranormal, Curtis Jefferson Series.
With only a small jug of water and the clothes on his back, Curtis has to cross the Sonoran Desert and find a way back to his mother and grandmother in Jacobs Well. But his trip is plagued by more than thirst, hunger, and fear of animals. A racist sheriff’s deputy, Myron Aycock, is hellbent on finding Curtis not only for the acclaim such an arrest will give him but also for vengeance against the beating he received at the hands of the aspiring boxer.
Trapped and desperate, Curtis is rescued by a mysterious figure and taken to Isabel and Ray Cienfuegos. After hearing Curtis’s unsettling stories about Fort Grant, the two understand that they have all been fighting the same evil forces – under the control of the sadistic Ezra. In a final confrontation, Isabel faces off against the wicked spirit, but just as they believe their problems are over, a new threat arises under the guise of friendship, and Isabel makes a life-changing decision that will mark her forever.
The Devil Pulls The Strings
By J. W. Zarek
CIBA Grand Prize award in the Shelley Division
The protagonist and all-around decent guy, Boone Daniels, is in a heap of hurt in JW Zarek’s new Young Adult novel, The Devil Pulls the Strings.
One would think being plagued by an evil spirit wendigo since age six would be enough inconvenience to last a lifetime, but when Boone jousts with his best bud at a Ren Faire and accidentally deals a mortal blow, the hurt he experiences suddenly lands on a sliding scale of 1 to 1 million. And Boone Daniels becomes a millionaire, so to speak.
No ordinary guy, Boone makes a living as a handyman and swashbuckling knight at Renaissance Faires around Missouri. He’s also uniquely gifted with a form of eidetic memory coupled with synesthesia. What’s that? Simply put, synesthesia allows people to see colors and taste things when they hear music – and an eidetic memory allows folks to memorize whatever they’ve seen or heard one time. But that’s not all. Boone can time-travel, make friends with almost any feline or shapeshifter, and convince a certain immortal he’s worth more as an ally than a snack. No kidding, Baba Yaya loves human meat.
The Street Between the Pines
By J.J. Alo
Something strange and terrible stirs in Frank Cavanaugh’s basement, in J.J. Alo’s psychological-thriller,The Street Between the Pines.
The giant hole at the bottom of Frank’s house wasn’t there before. Something so very ugly and dangerous is down there. Something with bright, glowing eyes. Adrenalin pumps through Frank’s aging body as he scrambles for the exit. Behind him, a low gurgling growl.
In suburban Connecticut, Iraqi war veteran Curtis is still fighting to surviving on multiple fronts. Curtis struggles with severe PTSD, visions of the war that continually overwhelm him. Now, after being released from jail after a manslaughter conviction, having caused a fatal auto accident, he struggles to put his life together. All the while, he navigates a shaky relationship with his wife Amy, and a complex connection to his autistic son Wes.
Requiem for a Queen
By Kaylin McFarren
To what lengths will a person go when ultimate power is within reach? Requiem For A Queen by Kaylin McFarren explores the depths of greed that propel a daughter to defy her father, the Devil himself.
Lucinda uses evil means to pursue an equally dark end, the crown of Hell. How can this woman be stopped, and an innocent child she’s stolen away be saved? Is there anyone willing to step forward, and muster the strength to stand up against the destructive battle between the Devil and his daughter?
Samara, a hybrid between angel and demon, can only save her abducted son by stepping into that battle.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating the supernatural horror Anne Rice!
The Shelley Awards are open now!
Do you have your own Supernatural or Paranormal novel that’s ready to be discovered? Formerly the Paranormal Awards, the Shelley Awards are open now and ready for the best Supernatural read of 2024!
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