Anne Rice, bestselling author of The Vampire Chronicles, passed away on Saturday, December 11, 2021. Rice was a highly influential author in the modern vampire genre, and in the horror genre in general. Interview with the Vampire is her first and best-known book. In it, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac shares his story. Because it is written as Louis talking throughout, it features many double quotation marks.
She also wrote a series called The Mayfair Witches, set in the same universe as the Vampire Chronicles, and many other books as well. She even wrote some erotic fiction under the pen name A.N. Roquelaure.
Anne Rice at the Appel Salon
Anne Rice did an interview with CBC's Mary Hynes in our Appel Salon on February 13, 2012. In this three-part recording, Rice discusses her book The Wolf Gift. The Wolf Gift and its sequel The Wolves of Midwinter are Rice's take on the modern werewolf genre.
The Vampire Chronicles
The first novel, Interview with the Vampire, was first published in 1976. The latest, Blood Communion, was published in 2018. All of these books are available to borrow or to read at The Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy.
- Interview with the Vampire
- The Vampire Lestat
- The Queen of the Damned
- The Tale of the Body Thief
- Memnoch the Devil
- The Vampire Armand
- Merrick
- Blood and Gold
- Blackwood Farm
- Blood Canticle
- Prince Lestat
- Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis
- Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat
In a 2017 interview, Sephora, the department head of The Merril Collection, named Queen of the Damned as one of her three favourite books.
Rice also wrote two "New Tales of the Vampires" books, Pandora and Vittorio the Vampire.
Adaptations and spin-offs
Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles: An Alphabettery
This alphabet book for fans describes elements of the series from A for Akasha through Z for Zenobia.
Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story
This graphic novel adaptation retells the first book from Claudia's perspective. The beautiful, sepia-toned illustrations are vividly marked with red splashes of blood.
Anne Rice's The Vampire Lestat: A Graphic Novel
Published in 1991, this graphic adaptation is only available for reading at The Merril Collection reading room. Pastel spreads are interspersed with dark, brooding colours, reflecting Lestat's mood.
Interview with the Vampire (DVD)
Starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, even though Tom Cruise was a controversial choice for the role of Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat and Queen of the Damned were adapted together into a movie, Queen of the Damned, that came out in 2002.
Anne Rice's third book about the mummy Ramses is scheduled for publication in February 2022. It may be the last book from this prolific, influential author.
