Way back in 1992, when the grunge music scene made plaid shirts
and Converse high tops a daily uniform, I saw a movie called Bram Stoker’s
Dracula. I remember my younger
self being completely absorbed by the pull Gary Oldman had over Winona Ryder,
the lure and mystery of the cursed Dracula on the innocent Mina, the role of
blood, fate, good, and evil all tied up inside a sensual romance. I liked it so much I read the book, published for the first time in 1897. It became one of my favorite books
of all time.
Vampires, werewolves, fallen angels, ghosts, zombies: I’ve been a
fan of the paranormal for over two decades. It’s no surprise that my obsession
should turn into a career writing paranormal fiction. But how much is too much?
With the advent of series such as Twilight, Shiver, The Mortal Instruments, and
beyond, it would be easy to think that the paranormal fad had run it’s
course.
Am I doomed to a reading life without vampires? Are werewolves
too cliche to cuddle up to? Have fallen angels fallen out of favor?
I say no. For over 200 years, paranormal fiction has offered an
escape that leaves us questioning what it means to be human. These stories help us appreciate the
beauty of life through the eyes of the characters who don't have it, the dead and undead, and experience the
forbidden fruit of crossing the line between good and evil. These themes will never go out of
style, even if certain portrayals of the entities behind them do.
Lucky for me and the rest of the reading public, talented authors
keep coming up with new ways to make the genre fresh and the characters
complex. Did someone say Trolls? Amanda Hocking’s Switched is a clever take.
Mermaids? Check out Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper. Mind reading and telekinesis? Try Susan Kaye Quinn’s Open Minds or Karly Kirkpatrick's Into the Shadows. And
if J.R. Ward and Charmaine Harris have taught us anything, it is that vampires and shifters are here to stay, even more than ten books into a series.
What do you think? Paranormal, dead or undead? I’d love to hear
your opinion.
______________________________________________________
G.P Ching is the author of The Soulkeepers Series and a variety of short fiction. She specializes in cross-genre paranormal stories, loves old cemeteries, and enjoys a good ghost tour. She lives in central Illinois with her husband, two children, and one very demanding guinea pig.
Follow G.P.:
I don't think it's dead at all. Publishers might be full of them but clearly readers aren't b/c paranormals always do well!
ReplyDeleteI nominated you all for the versatile blogger award!
ReplyDeletehttp://amidnightsummersread.blogspot.com/2012/01/blogger-award-versatile-blogger.html
No. Way.
ReplyDeleteParanormal will live FOREVER! :)
Thanks for the mermaid shout out!
So, so alive!!! Love paranormal. =D
ReplyDeleteGREAT post! Long live paranormal!! I absolutely LOVED Tangled Tides and Open Minds. :-)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE PARANORMAL!! It better be around for a very long time. Great post, GP.
ReplyDeletedefinitely not dead yet. It's still going strong and I think it will for some time still.
ReplyDeleteI swear most teens, especially teenage girls go through a "paranormal obsession"phase. I totally thought Dracula was dreamy when I first read the book. Oh, wait. I still do. Must go open the window.
ReplyDeleteI love paranormal, but I like it when i'm offered something new. vampires for me tho are done...but I still enjoy other paranormal interpretations. :)
ReplyDelete