The runaway success of Twilight long ago ensured that bookstore shelves would become saturated with vampire novels from authors and publishers hoping to hit the Twilight jackpot again. A little over a year ago I wrote a feature for Publishers Weekly called "The Next Dead Thing" that pondered whether this trend of novels featuring all-things undead was already, almost, well, dead. The problem with lots of writers trying to make Twilight happen twice, is that authors and publishers run the risk of their books becoming formulaic to the point that the fun is lost. So now, in mainstream markets at least, folks are turning to other paranormal creatures to capitalize on the star-crossed love that Twilight fans love so much, and this season, the new trend is novels that feature dark angels.
Well, in the Christian fiction and nonfiction world, people are just beginning to jump on the vampire bandwagon, even if it means begging readers to get off that same bandwagon. (I can't believe I just had occasion to write "vampire bandwagon" but such is life during this Twilight craze.) Reporter Marcia Nelson at Publishers Weekly just did a short feature on the new trend of vampires as a hot topic emerging within the Christian book world--and the fact that not everybody is pro-vampire it turns out. In her article, "Vamping Up: Christians Bite into Vampire Market," she writes:
"Not everybody's biting on the idea that vampires are good subjects in this market. [Tracey] Bateman's [author of Thirsty] heard from those who want to cast demons out of her computer, but also from general market readers who assume she's cashing in on reader lust for vamp lit. But she's a longtime Anne Rice fan who started working on her vampire book before she had heard of Meyer's work. "It's not like I said, 'Hmm... vampire books are selling,' " she told RBL from her Missouri home. She brought her faith to a subject that has exerted centuries of fascination. "I wrote it from the perspective of 'Jesus never fails.' I think there's a place for Amish books, but I like a little edge to my reading.""
Casting demons out of Bateman's computer? What?
As far as the nonfiction titles Nelson notes, I'd cast my lot with Escaping the Vampire: Desperate for My Immortal Hero by Kimberly Powers, which "looks at girls' longing for the love of a hero." That sounds most appealing to this Twilight fan. Perhaps I was wrong when I wrote that feature last fall: and the trend of books about the undead is not dead quite yet after all.
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Why is it that so much of Christian material is derivative and poor imitations of other secular material? This is as true in fiction as it is in music and graphic arts. Rather than imitating and liberating someone else's ideas, Christian artists in all forms should work harder at originality and expend less energy appealing to the commercial market. I think a careful reader will appreciate the faith foundation of Stephanie Myers, so some lesser attempt is not necessary.
Originality, creativity, and new approaches are much greater testimonies to faith than simply adding some Christian faux decoration to otherwise secular art forms.
And Thirsty comes from a CBA affiliated publisher. CBA or the Christian Booksellers Association, call their work Christian but only write to serve a very select and protected market that pulled out of the general market in 1950 to provide targeted and exclusive work to conservative evangelical Christians.
When my vampire/werewolf series took off with these readers, I solicited a couple of affiliated publishers, including Ms. Bateman's. They said no affiliated publisher would publish a vampire story. Hmmm . . . and to date they haven't. But it does seem these affiliated Christian publishers have no problem working the vampire angle by saying they have.
It really is a travesty that the CBA Christian market doesn't clarify what they're writing or who they're writing it for. Christian authors aren't cashing in on the vampire frenzy. CBA Christian publisher's are. General market publishers which BTW include a large number of publishers who are of the Christian persuasion have been writing vampire and werewolf stories forever that appeal to general market readers. Dracula for instance should be classified as Christian fiction as it is written with strong Catholic undercurrents. Catholics writers aren't welcome in the CBA club that's why you don't hear more about Anne Rice being a Christin author. The CBA crowd is loud but she's Catholic and her publisher doesn't pay to be affiliated. And even though Stephanie Myer is by her own words a Christian, she's not celebrated by this market either.
To show you how exclusive this market is, though my books have appealed overwhelmingly to this audience, due to a slightly evangelical thread I guess, because my publisher doesn't pay to be affiliated (because they write work for GM Christian readers,) my books don't get mentioned by this crowd. CBA publishers will however mention other affiliated authors from different affiliated houses who are trying to garnish readers from outside their market but have failed.
What a wonderful world it is. :)
If you want to read about werewolves and vampires of lore, you best stay away from anything marketed as Christian. It probably comes from these publishers and they won't write about such things. Their core market readers won't read it and they'll not distance the market that made them what they are. I have numerous e-mails that state this unequivocally.
Yes. I believe they're trying to cash in on the vampire frenzy. Of course they are. CBA certainly won't publish stories that have anything to do with the occult, vampires, Halloween etc . . . but they will SAY they do. The proof is in the pudding. ;)
Not to sound overly critical, there are two trends here that I find less than positive. One is the tendency to create popular fads in literature. If someone does a great job with a certain kind of book (say vampires), it is not likely that someone will come along with a better series. It would be more productive to try something radically different. The other trend I dislike is the separation of literature into "teens", "Christian", "romance", and on and on. A good book is a good book and a bad one is a bad one. Good novels chronicle what is happening in society or offer an alternative to it; they have something to say that is universally applicable to the human condition and offer wisdom and insight. This is what I hope to accomplish with my new release, Angela 1: Starting Over, a (yes, gasp!) YA novel with very unobtrusive Christian undertones. It's a very fast read. If interested in finding out more, just click on my website. Thanks!
I'm not as opposed to putting books in specific categories but when those categories aren't have no real guidelines and any author or publisher one can jump in and out of these categories at will . . . what's the point of having them.
This is a fine case for the record books. The publisher of this book is a member of the Christian Booksellers Association and therefore produces fiction that is very targeted and denominational (they are bound by writing restrictions and guidelines to protect their core market readers of evangelicals.)
General market readers for the most part, Christian and otherwise, do not find these books appealing for many different reasons. Despite the work being targeted for a very specific market, these books are thrown onto the shelf with books produced by general market publishers. I'm not saying general market publishers don't do this either depending what's hot at the moment but it does make one go huh?
I think having categories for teens and tweens and romance etc . . . is a NOVEL idea. However, without enforceable rules of some kind, it's just a crap shoot.
I'm off to check out your novel now. Sounds right up my alley. ;)
Why not some christian porn too, jeepers!!!!!!!!!! What are we coming too these days. In these last days, perilous times shall Come... How true the writings of paul were.
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