20 years of Twilight!

October 5th, 2025, marks the 20th anniversary of the juggernaut Young Adult novel, which follows the tumultuous romance between Washington teenager Bella Swan and 104-year-old immortal vampire Edward Cullen. Though the Twilight saga may serve as a cultural touchstone for modern vampire enthusiasts, vampire-like creatures can be found in cultures around the world across millenia. There are countless theories that seek to explain the thrall that vampires have on us, including the transgressive allure of forbidden desire, the fascination and fear of the unknown, the obsession with discovering the depths of human behavior and belonging, and the compulsion to explore the overlapping boundaries between love and pain.

Whatever the reason, our cultural love affair with vampires doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. If you’re looking to add some bite to your spooky season reads, take a look at these vampires in fiction.

A modern gothic masterpiece, Interview with the Vampire features 200-year-old vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac as he shares his life story with a reporter, recounting his transformation into a vampire in colonial Louisiana and subsequent tempestuous relationship with his creator Lestat de Lioncourt and their vampire “daughter,” Claudia.

Want more of Louis and Lestat? After finishing the novel, be sure to check out the 1994 film adaptation and AMC’s critically-acclaimed TV series.

Bride is Ali Hazelwood’s first foray into paranormal romance after conquering the world of STEM-based romcoms, and I had so much fun reading this one! When Misery, daughter of a powerful Vampyre council family, finds herself in an unexpected arranged marriage to Alpha werewolf Lowe, she soon discovers that all (including her relationship with Lowe) is not as it seems. As political alliances shift and long-buried secrets are revealed, Misery finds that she may be safest in the arms of her kind’s sworn enemy…  

If you end up loving Bride, good news– Mate, the second book in this series, comes out this Tuesday.

Fledgling– Octavia Butler’s last novel before her death– follows Shori, a 53-year-old member of the vampiric Ina clan whose appearance is that of a ten-year-old African-American girl. When Shori awakens in a cave with life-threatening injuries and no knowledge of who she is or where she comes from, she must piece together the story of her life, as well as that of the Ina species, and learn once more to make her way in the world. A fascinating blend of vampire fiction and science fiction, Fledgling is well worth an addition to your list of October reads!

In the mood for a spooky vampire read? Necroscope (the first in a 16-book series of the same name) is a thrilling blend of paranormal horror and spy adventure. In the Necrocope world, world powers fight Cold War battles through ESP-gifted secret agents who use their macabre gifts such as speaking to the dead and necromancy to spy, interrogate, and assassinate rival forces. Two of the most powerful agents (deadspeaker Harry Keogh of Great Britain and vampiric Boris Dragosani of the USSR) master their powers and battle for ultimate supremacy– and the fate of the world.

Set amidst the Mexican-American War, Vampires of El Norte weaves a tale of lost love, paranormal chills, and the specter of colonial violence. Equally at home in the horror and romance genres, Vampires of El Norte is the perfect gothic novel for a foggy October night.