The Day – 10-1-20

I had to make a run over the hill yesterday to visit the pharmacy. Mom and I both got our flu shots, so that’s out of the way. The weather was sunny and beautiful. There were hikers everywhere, no doubt enjoying the foliage. It was certainly a nice day for it.

On the way home, we stopped for lunch at local diner. The food was good, though the people were quite loud. it was a bunch of older people and I wonder if they couldn’t hear so good. If we’d stayed there much longer I wouldn’t have been able to hear so good. I feel bad for the waitresses, having to listen to that all day.

We made it home around 1:00 and after a little rest made it to my writing desk around 2:00. I managed a very good 5 pages on the new novel.

Vampire Origins

I figure we can’t start our monster discussion without going back to the beginning. The very first modern vampire novel was published in 1819 by English author John Polidori. It was titled, appropriately enough, Vampyre. A another vampire novel came out in 1872 and was titled Carmilla and stared a female vampire. There were a few others during this early period, but things really took off a couple decades later.

That was when the big name was published in 1897. The novel, of course, was Dracula, by Bram Stoker. And It’s popularity really launched the genre.

Movies got into the act in 1922 with the silent film, Nosferatu. Though certainly tame by modern standards, it was quite the horror show back in the day.

Since those early days, vampires have become icons of both fantasy and horror.

Tomorrow we’ll talk about my my first choice from the genre, Underworld.

We’ll end as always with a preorder update. The Portal Thieves is up to 1,305 with a week to go. Thanks very much every for your support.

Talk to you tomorrow.