The Best Literary Vampires Not Named Dracula

I've always had a fascination with the mythological creatures; in particular, undead creatures such as vampires. Because of this, you won't see me miss the latest vampire movie or read a book on the subject.

Whenever people think of famous vampires in literature, the first and often only name that comes to mind is Bram Stoker's creation, Dracula. However, I've found there are other vampires to be found in books that are often just as interesting if not more interesting than the "king" of vampires.

Here's a look at the four literary vampires that I feel give Dracula a run for his money.

Sir Francis Varney - I'm not 100 percent sure who wrote the 1847 book Varney the Vampire (some give James Rymer credit, others say Thomas Peckett Prest). However, the character Sir Francis Varney is one of the most interesting vampires I've ever read about. On one hand, he terrorizes a local family in an effort to get them to move out of their home. On the other hand, he only resorts to the terrorizing after they reject his offer to buy the home and, throughout the book, he goes out of his way to avoid killing anyone; even if it puts his own life in danger. Most novels describe their vampire as a soulless, blood thirsty creature; Varney is one of the few that actually has a conscience.

Carmilla - Many believe Sheridan le Fanu's 1872 character Carmilla (from a book with the same name) was a lesbian. That's probably accurate, though I really don't see any more interaction with the same gender than you would likely see between two typical teenaged girls. But, I also found Carmilla to be interesting both because you don't know much about her character until the very end of the story and because she possesses a charming personality and ability to manipulate those around her that you would expect to see from a vampire. Even though I knew her secret, I found myself wanting to get to know her better too.