08 Are there any stories that treat the vampire in a comedic vein?
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This article is from the Vampire Literature FAQ, by BJ Kuehl bj@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu with numerous contributions by others.
08 Are there any stories that treat the vampire in a comedic vein?
I recommend "The World on Blood" by Jonathan Nasaw. he deals with
Vampires Anonymous, the 12-step program for vampires. It's quite funny!
Also Chetwynd-Hayes wrote "The Monster Club" which has that very funny
story about the werewolf and the vampire. There's a short story in
"The Ultimate Dracula" entitled "A Little Night Music" that had me
rolling over in laughter (it's about a rock band called Vlad and the
Impalers). And you can include Saberhagen's "The Dracula Tape" in the
"humor" category. He did start to write it as a joke [Elizabeth Miller].
Vampires appear in several Terry Pratchett books, i.e., "Carpe Jugulum"
and "The Fifth Elephant". "Reaper Man" has Count Notfaroutou, who
inherited the title suddenly, and whose wife insists that he wears
opera dress the whole time (to keep up appearances). "Witches Abroad"
has an unnamed vampire who gets hit by a thrown garlic sausage and then
eaten by a particularly brutal cat. Then there's Otto Chriek in "The
Truth", a vampire Black Ribboner - one who's signed The Pledge and who
now has to make do with black pudding, a cup of cocoa and a rousing
sing-song. And Dragon King of Arms in "Feet of Clay"; he's not
terribly funny, but he's an interesting interpretation of how a vampire
might find a niche in human society. There's another unnamed vamp who
insists that he has the right, without discrimination, to work in such
places as a holy water factory, a pencil factory, testing sunglasses.
[Mike Kew].
I recommend the comic parody "Blood and Roses" by Sharon Bainbridge,
although not all readers might recognize it as such. P.D. Cacek's
"Night Prayers" and "Tabitha fffoulkes" by John Linssen are humorous,
or at least intended to be. Mark Ivanhoe's novel "Virgintooth" is meant
to be a satire, but I'm not sure how humorous it's intended to be. Are
you interested in books for children? Books for children *meant* to be
funny include "The Vampire Who Came for Christmas" by Dian Curtis Regan
and "Monster of the Year" by Bruce Coville [Cathy Krusberg].
You might also want to consider the "Bunnicula" series of children's
books by James Howe, about a vampire rabbit who drains vegetables of
color. There are (IIRC) 6 of them, all still in print and readily
available. [Richard Morrison]
In Germany we have the "Little Vampire" Series by Angela Sommer-
Bodenburg that is very popular. It has even been translated (or rather
adapted) for the American market, not something to happen frequently
to German books. [Birte Lilienthal]
You mustn't forget "Vampire Blood Bank" by Harry Zelenko which is about
a Jewish hemophiliac bitten by a rabbi vampire in Central Park. One of
the side effects of Zelenko's vampires happens to be a perpetual
erection. It isn't great literature but I enjoyed the hell out of it.
"Count Dracula" is a short story by Woody Allen in the anthology
"Vampires, Wine & Roses" where the poor Count mistakes an eclipse for
nightfall and leaves his sanctuary. In "Vampire Junkies" by Norman
Spinrad, the Count visits New York and becomes addicted to heroin
after feasting on a junkie hooker shortly after he arrives [Kitsune].
"Vampire Detectives" (ed: Martin Greenerg) includes William Saunder's
"The Count's Mailbox." It's an epistolary story about Dracula's efforts
to publish a book about his life. [Bill Thompson]
"Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story" by Christopher Moore is a humorous
vampire story of note. [Lord Ruthven]
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