Vampire Books for Adults

Harry Dresden is a wizard. He has decided to use his power to solve minor crimes to make a living, so he opens up his own private eye firm, the only one in Chicago that has its own wizard. When the police have a case that involves black magic, they come to Harry, who quickly agrees to take it on since business stinks. However, Harry has forgotten that magic requires a wizard and black magic requires a powerful black arts wizard, who is already aware of Harry and his reputation. Given that Harry has already crossed the mob and been put on a sort-of magical probation, the private eye's troubles are just beginning. This series is a great mix of the class private eye fiction along with the supernatural, magic arts.Why It Made the List The Dresden Files are a much beloved series which had a short stint on TV. While the television show bombed, the series of books keeps getting better and better. Nothing like starting with the first in the series. The character is well-drawn with a strong voice. Definitely recommended.'Read It If You Like'private eye novels, magic, wizards

For a racy adult vampire series, Anita Blake takes the cake. The novel's sort of a cross between mystery and romance, though as this humongous series progresses dwells more in more in the bodice-ripper romance category. There is a cult following of women who love this series and for those who are turned on by vampire lovin’, this book is about as racy as you’re going to find in a bookstore.

These are probably the best vampire romance novels currently on the market. There’s a nice balance between romance and plot in this series. Relationships are more mature than in Twilight and the characters are more realistic. The True Blood TV show is based on the Sookie Stack novels.

This series is your classic, modern day vampire romance. It’s a good combination between mystery and romance. The consensus is this series is not fantastic, but it’s not that bad either. Worth reading if you are looking for a paranormal detective vampire series. Like all books on this list, these novels have an adult bent to them.

These novels are so popular they’ve even spawned a Manga series. Two words to describe this: lots of sex and lots of action with a decent plot thrown in. I prefer these to the Anita Blake series because there’s actually an interesting plot. Overall, The Dark Hunter series are worth reading if you want an atmospheric vampire romance series with a lot of passion. The author also combines Greek mythology with the classic vampire myths. Way cool.

This starts with “An Interview with a Vampire.” Rice is the mother of all the modern Twilightesque novels. She’s pretty much pioneered the current generation of urban vampire stories. The first three novels in the Vampire Chronicles are classics and must be read!

Dracula will always reign as the true master vampire, the one creature in horror and fantasy who can simultaneously seduce and terrify. And don't let yourself think this is an archaic story just because the novel was published in 1897. It still hits home even now in a way no other author has yet to match. Dracula still remains the greatest vampire novel of all time. Why it's on the list Dracula belongs a little on the edge of fantasy, having more of dark romance, horror fantasy as its themes. However, it's undeniable that this book had a huge impact on pop culture and literature. Bram Stoker managed to create a literary giant that is possibly the most pervasive of all characters in the history of fiction. While it cannot be overly analyzed (the story reflects 19th-century views on love, horror, and suspense), it is still a book that every fantasy lover should have on their shelf. Remember that even though this was not the first vampire story, every one of our modern vampire authors derives the basis of their characters from this single iconic figure. Read if you like Vampires, horror and dark romance. Before deciding that Vampires sparkle and are basically good – read Dracula.

This is the story that influenced the zombie genre and popularized the concept of a worldwide zombie apocalypse. Robert Neville is the last human on the earth. He is immune to a virus that either killed people or turned them into blood sucking creatures. The main character has witnessed a human extinction event and struggles to deal with life afterward. The real story of this book is how he deals with the reality of losing his family, the loneliness of being the last man on a desolate planet. Is life alone a life worth living? Why it's on the list I am Legend is possibly the best short horror story ever written, and its impact on all horror books written since has been profound. Richard Matheson conceived a wholly new kind of vampire fiction. Surpassing the traditional vampiric narrative, he adds elements of science fiction and modern day culture that yields a refreshingly original version of the Bram Stoker legend. Many of today's masters of horror, Stephen King included, rank this book amongst their personal top ten lists of favorites. Read if you like Vampires. Zombies.

Coming in at a close third, well-known thriller and fantasy author, Stephen King, shocked readers with another enthralling fantasy novel, inspired by Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’. In his 1975 novel, Salem’s Lot, King takes an entirely different approach to the vampire sub-genre. After contemplating how a vampire would cope in a modern America, King decided to craft a clever story based on this idea. Bordering on a vampire-zombie apocalypse setting, King’s novels takes the vampire fantasy sub-genre to a new level of terror. King is one of the most unrecognized writers on the planet. Oh, I know he’s made millions from both his books and movie deals, but the literary world has continually given him the snub.King single handedly reboots the entire vampire myth to a modern-day setting with his book. Without a doubt, Salem's Lot is one of King’s best books (and that’s saying a lot since King has quite a fair share of them) and arguably a vampiric masterpiece.  Like with any classic “King” novel, there is a small community of people who are on many levels disconnected from each other. It is this very disconnection that shelters a lurking evil.With loving detail, King builds up the community. You get the day to day sense of the community – both the goodness present and the inherent flaws. But it's a town with dangerous secrets, with hidden closets and locked doors, a town where evil things can lurk beneath the light of the ordinary. It's a place where the ordinary can become extraordinary. A place where the uncanny can happen.With Salem’s Lot, King builds a house of dominos and in one unrelenting chapter, tears it all down. So sit down and enjoy the feast. It’s going to get bloody. This is one freaky novel folks, doused with all the King goodness you could ask for. Read it and be scaredDespite this novel only being King’s second book, the engaging pace of the plot will leave you waiting with bated breath to find out what happens next. King has been commended for his uncanny ability to respect the traditional vampire mythology while incorporating a completely unique twist in the story. King’s ability to create a realistic and modern (at least at that time) horror novel was praised for its realism with many reviewers commenting that the story could be set in any small, American town. Replete with intense action scenes, readers were left stunned by King’s artful descriptions of violence in an atmosphere dripping with menace and mystery. Characterized as being one of the most terrifying vampire novels of all time, expect to be left wide awake after this blood curdling read.

Do you like creepy tunnels, ancient runes, and dark crypts with strange things living in them? If such thoughts send delightful chills down your spine, The Historian is your sort of vampire novel.  Take the Da Vince Code, toss in a bit of Dracula, add some Steven King, shake it around for a while, and The Historian is born. This novel takes the historical fiction genre and merges it with the vampire genre. The result is something enjoyable and scary. The Historian has everything you could want in an exciting novel: thrills, suspense, accurate historical fiction, an intelligent plot, and a cast of interesting and well developed characters.  So for adults looking for a vampire historical thriller book,  The Historian gets my vote.

If you are looking for a good laugh and a vampire novel that doesn't take itself too seriously, the Undead series is a blast of fun. It’s rolling-on-the-floor funny and a great way to cheer yourself up if you need a book to lift your spirits. Just be prepared to spend a great deal of time laughing out loud when you read this series (not recommended that you read in the library!).

A young woman is murdered only to find out that she’s a vampire. Except she’s got to learn the ropes by herself. This series is pretty hilarious, seamlessly combining “vampire problems” with “young woman problems” including such things like bad double dates, outwitting vampire hunters, and finding a true love who doesn’t want to kill you. This is Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a lot more laughs.

As the title suggests, life is not all it's made out to be when you're a vampire, especially when you're a white vampire with a 350lbs weight problem.

With a title like that, how can this NOT be funny. And it is folks, it is. It is.