At this site it would be downright criminal if we didn’t offer some kind of tribute to this lady. What can we say about her, then? I will say that, based on all the things I’ve ever read from her, the autobiographical things as opposed to, or in addition to, her fiction, and based upon all the things I’ve ever heard others say about her, she seemed to have been a truly good person, a kind and loving person, a person of conscience.
How about professionally; what can we say? In regards to fiction concerning vampires, there is one name that rises above all others in terms of importance, that of Bram Stoker. A few others must be credited with the creation of the vampire as it exists today, the potent symbol turned psychological archetype. John Polidori. The writers (yes, there was probably more than one) of the penny dreadful VARNEY THE VAMPIRE. The various writers of DARK SHADOWS. But more important to them all, second only to Stoker himself, would be the name Anne Rice. The vampire as it exists today, as a symbol and literary trope, a pop culture phenomenon, and even as a religious icon, would not exist if not for Anne Rice. I can think of no greater compliment to offer her.
