A thirst for danger: this fall, vampires are thrilling more teens than ever

Junior Scholastic, Nov 9, 2009

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Blood-thirsty fans everywhere have reason to celebrate! New Moon, the second film in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga, opens November 20.

In the movie, a distraught Bella Swan copes with the sudden departure of her vampire beloved, Edward Cullen. Soon, she is drawn deeper into a relationship with werewolf Jacob Black. The fact that the Cullens and the Blacks are mortal enemies makes this a very messy love triangle indeed.

Meanwhile, millions of young fans are sinking their teeth into The Vampire Diaries. Based on L. J. Smith's popular young-adult novels, the CW's hit TV series tells the story of teen siblings Elena and Jeremy Gilbert. Coping with the recent death of her parents, Elena also finds herself caught between two vampire brothers who are battling for her soul.

What is making these creatures more popular than ever--especially among young people? Taylor Lautner, who plays Jacob Black in New Moon, thinks that vampires tap into teens' fascination with danger.

"Edward's a vampire, and Jacob's a werewolf, so there's definitely high danger with both of them," the 17-year-old actor tells JS. "That's definitely what Bella is attracted to--and, I believe, fans."

An Enduring Fascination

People have been telling stories about the undead since the beginning of time. Scholars say that many of the famous superstitions about blood-sucking ghouls and opened graves came from eastern Europe. Beginning around the 18th century, fascinated and terrified western Europeans began weaving their own versions of the myths.

In 1897, Irish writer Brain Stoker drew on those stories to invent the most famous vampire of all in his novel Dracula. The 1931 movie from Stoker's novel has spawned more films, television shows, novels, and plays than anyone can count.

In 2005, Stephenie Meyer helped start a new craze by making those vampires into beautiful teens. Her books have sold more than 42 million copies since the first novel in the Twilight series appeared. As Time magazine put it, "People do not want to just read Meyer's books. They want to climb inside them and live there."

Word to Know

* saga [n]: a long narrative that tells the adventures of a hero or a family,