This thesis researches to what extent traditional vampire folklore and the vampire myth as established in Dracula have shaped the twenty-first-century image of the vampire in the best-selling...Show moreThis thesis researches to what extent traditional vampire folklore and the vampire myth as established in Dracula have shaped the twenty-first-century image of the vampire in the best-selling Twilight Saga, as well as in the recent Vampire Academy series of novels. The main focus lies on the initial shaping of the vampire image. It critically explores the changes added by Bram Stoker, Stephenie Meyer, and Richelle Mead in order to ascertain the influences of modern-day authors' fantasy writings. It shows that the work of Meyer and Mead plays a pivotal role in the vampiric humanization process within the twenty-first century. In this process the vampire moves from evil zombie-like monster in vampire folklore, to Dracula's solitary aristocrat, to Meyer's society struggling with moral/ethical choices, to Mead's Fully socialized, modern world.Show less
