See
Episodic Adventures for a comparison between Poul Anderson's
Three Hearts And Three Lions and Alan Moore's "American Gothic" and also a discussion of Anderson's scientific rationalization of lycanthropy. Rereading "American Gothic," we find Moore's comparable rationalization of vampires. The vampirism virus is
anaerobic. Stakes let air into vampires' bodies.
Is this hard fantasy or sf? Either way, authors like Anderson and Moore give the impression that they are writing documentaries about actually existing fantasy creatures. Is lycanthropy a recessive gene? Is vampirism a virus? Believe it. (Or, at least, willingly suspend disbelief.)
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I think I first came across the idea of vampirism being caused by a virus or disease in Barbara Hambly's novesl THOSE WHO HUNT THE NIGHT and TRAVELING WITH THE DEAD.
And we see some intriguing bits about vampires in Chapter V of Anderson's OPERATION CHAOS. E.g., as Steven Matuchek was being interrogated by an officer of the Caliphate, he tried to deflect the enemy by saying the Americans used owls and bats. The emir retorted: "Be still," he said tonelessly. "I know as well as you that the only werebats are vampires, and that vampires are--what you say--4-F in all armies."
The next paragraph explains: "That was true. Every so often, some armchair general asks why we don't raise a force of Draculas. The answer is routine: they're too light and flimsy; they can't endure sunshine; if they don't get a steady blood ration they're apt to turn on their comrades; and you can't possibly use them around Italian troops." And I think that is the only time in the OPERATION books that we see any mention of vampires.
Ad astra! Sean
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