Five novels with vampires who definitely don’t sparkle

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's new novel is Certain Dark Things. One of her five favorite lesser known stories featuring a vampire who doesn't sparkle, as shared at Tor.com:

Fledgling — Octavia Butler

Science fiction vampires are not as common as fantasy ones and Octavia Butler provides us with one of the more interesting examples available. Shori looks like a 10 year-old black child but is far older, the member of an alien species which lives by establishing symbiotic relationships with humans. Butler explores notions of agency, as Shori’s bite makes humans dependant on her venom. Race is also tackled: Shori’s skin color is markedly different from her fellow pale vampires, melanin proving a useful adaptation for an organism that can’t stand sunlight, but it is also a trait that marks her as different.

Read about the other entries on the list.

Fledgling is among Nisi Shawl's five stories about loving everybody.

--Marshal Zeringue