9

Vampires in Twilight are (in)famous for sparkling. Are there examples of vampires sparkling in published works not associated with Twilight?

I am looking for a yes or no answer, rather than a list. If more than one work of fiction includes sparkling vampires, a single published example would suffice.

Molag Bal
  • 4,773
  • 4
  • 37
  • 63
  • 3
    I am wondering whether the idea of sparkly vampires is spreading due to Twilight's influence, but works predating Twilight would be even more interesting. I am no fan of sparkly vampires, if anyone was wondering. – Molag Bal Feb 12 '16 at 03:21
  • Helpful Post – Dawny33 Feb 12 '16 at 03:26
  • @amarillo It can take time before an answer is given, wait at least 2 days. – Mixxiphoid Feb 12 '16 at 09:01
  • 2
    It's been a while since I read Interview with a Vampire but I think the older vampires had a sparkly skin. – user23614 Feb 12 '16 at 10:00
  • http://rs265.pbsrc.com/albums/ii205/lassie_faire/GIF%20central/Joss%20Whedon%20Shows/sparkle.gif~c200 – Valorum Feb 14 '16 at 00:28
  • The closest thing I could find when searching the text of Interview with the Vampire was this: "Already her skin began to glisten, to have that brilliance that Claudia and I shared." I don't have enough of the context to know what that means. If the vampires are described as having glistening, brilliant skin, then it might be similar to Twilight vampires' sparkling. I'll read the book at some point and try to check for that. – Molag Bal Feb 15 '16 at 06:49
  • 3
    No, because every other vampire has self-respect. – Peter Feb 18 '16 at 19:50
  • 2
    Rice's vampire progenitors, Akasha and Enkil, were said to have skin that looked like white, polished marble. –  Feb 18 '16 at 23:41
  • https://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/33194890#33194890 – Adamant Oct 29 '16 at 03:04

2 Answers2

8

Meyer stated in an interview that what set her vampires apart from others within fiction is that they sparkle.

Q. What sets your vampires apart?

Stephenie Meyer: "Well in general, because I know there's a lot of varying legends, you know, and there's the ones that turn into bats and mist and there's the ones that are more concrete. In general, my vampires don’t have fangs and they don’t need them. You know, strong as they are it’s kind of unnecessary. They're fairly indestructible. Wooden stakes and garlic are not going to get you anywhere. They don’t sleep at all. They're never unconscious. They have no periods of unconsciousness. And the sunlight doesn't harm them, it just shows them for what they are because they sparkle in the sun."

I've uncovered no notable instances of vampires having sparkly or twinkly skin in any other media prior to this.

Community
  • 1
Valorum
  • 689,072
  • 162
  • 4,636
  • 4,873
  • 5
    Rice was very very (very) clear that her vampires don't sparkle. "Lestat and Louie feel sorry for vampires that sparkle in the sun. They would never hurt immortals who choose to spend eternity going to high school over and over again in a small town —— anymore than they would hurt the physically disabled or the mentally challenged. My vampires possess gravitas. They can afford to be merciful." – Valorum Feb 18 '16 at 20:09
  • 1
    I was kinda hoping to just read the word "No", but this one will do ;) – flq Feb 18 '16 at 22:38
  • 3
    No fangs. Superhuman strength. Neither stakes nor garlic affect them. They don't sleep. Never unconscious. Not affected by sunlight. These don't even sound like vampires. They seem more like Fey nobility up to and including the sparkling. It's sad the old legends are forgotten. – Thaddeus Howze Oct 29 '16 at 04:32
2

Possibly the ones in The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers, if TVTropes is accurate.

From TVTropes: OlderThanTheyThink/Literature:

** Vampires whose bodies are largely composed of sparkly minerals? Check. Abusive vampire/human love affairs with nonstop bed-breaking sex? Check. Improvised Caesarean section on a human who's impregnated with an unprecedented vampire offspring? Check ... if it's The Stress of Her Regard (1989) by Tim Powers, and not Twilight.

Whether it's right or not, we'll all have to wait for the answer to my question about that to resolve, because I don't know of any quotes that confirm it.

Does *The Stress of Her Regard* have sparkly-skinned vampires?

Malady
  • 3,675
  • 15
  • 32