The Significance of Blood Sucking

[paulgoatallen]

Hey everyone:
I just ran across a really interesting thread over on the paranormal fantasy forum about the importance of "blood sucking" in contemporary paranormal fantasy novels. (The link is below.) Pretty fascinating conversation, especially considering the obvious connections with Stoker's Dracula.

I chimed in with my two cents – "The concept of blood drinking or blood sharing means different things in different novels – domination, trust, foreplay, communion, sustenance, etc. – but I think at the roots of this as a narrative element, and why perhaps it's so popular in so many different genres, can be found in both its primalness and its intimacy. The primalness of stalking and killing prey and the intimacy of sex – or death. Blood is such a powerful symbol – it's the beauty of life and the horror of death all wrapped up together." – and I'd love to hear your comments!
Paul





http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/bn/board/message?board.id=vpttn&thread.id=1997&jump=true

[PatienceP]

Reminds me:
CBS is airing a program Moonlight about a vampire PI who is determined to be good and not kill people, at least not directly. He lives off donated blood.
Anyhow, this week, the trailer for Moonlight has a human friend of this vampire PI urging him to drink her blood because he's dying. I am wondering what sort of cosmology/philosophy is required for a human to ask a vampire to drink her blood when he doesn't want to do it (at least not initially).

[paulgoatallen]

Patience:
Yes! I saw that as well – that show definitely has potential but I'm not going to get excited yet. Usually, when I get all psyched about a new show, it turns out to be disappointing... We shall see!
Paul

[LordRuthven]

So far I've enjoyed "Moonlight." It is basically "Forever Knight" with a different cast and bigger budget, but hey, I liked "Forever Knight." Full speed ahead as far as I am concerned (though I don't like "Moonlight" nearly as much as "Supernatural" ).

Message Edited by LordRuthven on 10-21-2007 05:25 PM

[paulgoatallen]

Derek:
Supernatural is another one that looks great but I still haven't had the time to watch it. I just went to CW's Supernatural microsite – pretty interesting, for some reason the two brothers remind me of the protags in Rob Thurman's urban fantasy series (Nightlife, Moonshine, et. al.) but I could be totally wrong. Supernatural seems to have the same dark vibe... I must remember: Thursdays at 9!
Paul

[LordRuthven]

Definitely check out "Supernatural." I was skeptical at first, but now I like it better than the best seasons of "The X-Files." And yeah...it reminds me of Thurman's books, too. It is well worth your time.

[chad]

I usually, that is when I encounter blood sucking, think that it is literally sucking the "life" out of someone. I don't want to jump ahead, but you might consider our world history as being capable of doing just that.

Chad

[paulgoatallen]

Chad:
Interesting comment – can you elaborate? I'm curious!
Paul

[chad]

Paul-

Well, in this case, the loss of blood or blood sucking, resulted in walking "dead" or the loss of color. Stoker's blood sucking vampire story may in part arise from an old "past" practice of blood letting that literally almost sucked his life away....

Chad

Message Edited by chad on 10-26-2007 05:15 PM

[PatienceP]

Thought: Dr. Van Helsing and Dr. Seward must be among the first to attempt blood transfusions in fiction--that is, to attempt to get blood into a patient. This "operation" was rare enough that Arthur Holmwood thinks of his giving blood to Lucy as a form of marriage--until he learns that he wasn't the only one to do it for her.

[chad]

I'd have to doublecheck my sources, but I believe important discoveries in both practices were made during the 19th century. Stoker obviously encountered some outlandish medical practices.

Chad

Message Edited by chad on 10-29-2007 02:02 PM