I'm a supernatural snob. I won't deny it. If I'm going to enjoy a tale about preternatural creatures, then the vampires or werewolves need to act a certain way. I'm lenient, it's true. There are certain things I will forgive or ignore if the rest of the tale is good. But the basics? They have to fit.
My vampires have to be limited by the sun, a stake through the heart incapacitates or kills them, they need human blood to survive, and their fangs should be retractable because, let's face it, who wants a vampire with a lisp? I prefer it if they use the fangs to pierce veins and then suck with their mouths; fangs as straws kind of irritates me. The rest of it can be McGuffin, whatever pleases the author/screen writer can work. As long as the essentials are there.
Werewolves need to be able to shift whenever (though feeling the pull of a full moon or having no choice but to shift then is acceptable) and I really want them to be sentient when they shift. They need to be big on scenting and touching. And there needs to be a hierarchy within the pack. It needs to be more that just the Alpha is the Alpha and everybody else falls under him/her. I'm not a big fan of the instantaneous shift, it should take a least a minute or two and when clothes magically disappear and reappear with the shift, I wrinkle my nose. And some of their wolflike tendencies should filter over into their human form as well. I'm also a proponent of conservation of body mass. A slightly bigger than normal wolf is fine but a ginormous wolf? No thank you.
There are a lot of people out there that prefer one or the other. They are either solidly in the vampire camp or the werewolf camp. I see it a great deal with my own circle of people. But me? I'm an equal opportunity supernatural lover. I like 'em both and want to read about or watch them both. As long as they are done mostly right, of course.
What about you? Do you enjoy the preternatural? Do you have a preference as to which creature is your favorite?
Yes, I like vampires and weres. But they don't need to follow set rules for me, I like seeing authors ring the changes. I'm not keen when authors have shapeshifters of all sorts of animals though, wolves and big cats - yes, rats and possums - no.
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading 'Archangel's Blade' by Nalini Singh this afternoon. The vampire Dmitri is the male half of the romantic couple in that one. I'm really liking the Guild Hunter series. Also if you haven't already read it, there was a great review of 'Dark Lover' by J.R.Ward by A.J.H. on the Dear Author site on Friday. He is such a funny reviewer. I am enjoying his forays into romance novel land every Friday.
I absolutely agree with you on the shifters Alder! Though, I gotta say, I wish I could be as open minded. I always say I'm going to be, and I know I'm more open minded than some, but then, when an author strays too far or throws in something crazy, I get cranky.
DeleteI keep meaning to check out the Dear Author site, but always forget. Thanks for the reminder!