What is it about vampires that makes the world so fascinated with them? 24 Hours Vancouver has a story looking at the history of vamps in culture, and why Twilight has touched such a nerve with the imagination of young and old alike–
“For some reason, Stephenie Meyer has caught on with a sort of Harlequin vampire,” said Hector Williams, a professor of classical archeology at the University of British Columbia who specializes in vampires. “It’s a new form that’s been put with an attractive group of young people. Before that, vampires tended to be middle-aged or older.”
Williams said the Twilight phenomenon doesn’t surprise him but that it’s only one of many versions of the fanged bloodsucker that have seduced the public.
“Vampires have been around for centuries,” he said. “[They’ve had an appeal] for the last 200 years.”